Low and Slow: Pulled Pork Shoulder
This is great right out of the oven or used as leftovers the next day.
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Pulled pork is our favorite part of a barbecue picnic, but good barbecue can be difficult to replicate at home. Luckily, we came across this pulled pork butt recipe, which bakes the pork low and slow to render the fat and create tender, juicy meat. It’s perfect for cooler days and fills our house with the smell of spiced pork. We serve this pulled pork in buns with our favorite barbecue sauce, but it’s great over rice, too.
This pork butt recipe calls for an easy chili powder and paprika-based spice blend that gets slathered on the pork the night before. A good spice rub is key for developing the slow cooked barbecue flavor. Resting the pork in the fridge is an important step to develop the flavors and ensure tasty pork. This recipe makes more than enough spice blend for one batch of pulled pork, so you can also use it on steaks or home fries later in the week.
Pulled Pork Shoulder
Ingredients
- 3 pounds bone-in pork shoulder
- 1 cup dark brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons smoked paprika
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- 1 tablespoon crushed dried rosemary
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
Preparation
- Combine brown sugar, paprika, chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, rosemary, salt and pepper together in a small bowl. Liberally coat all sides of pork butt with spice mixture and refrigerate overnight in a food storage bag.
- Allow pork butt to rest on counter for 30 minutes before baking.
- Preheat oven to 250°F. Place a wire rack inside a metal roasting pan, and pour warm water halfway up the legs of the rack.
- Place the pork butt on the wire rack. Tent with foil to trap steam, and bake for 3 hours.
- Remove foil and check for doneness. Bake until pork reaches 190-200°F, about 1 1/2-2 hours per pound. Rest 15 minutes before pulling with a fork.
Recipe adapted from Kitchen Riffs