Pulled Pork
Ingredients:
1 5-7 lb pork shoulder 2 medium yellow onions 2 tbsp vegetable oil
Spice Rub
5 tbsp brown sugar 2 tbsp smoked paprika (I use bourbon smoked) 1 tbsp salt 2 tsp black pepper 1 tsp cumin 1 tsp coriander 1 tsp garlic powder 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
Wet Ingredients
1/2 cup water or chicken stock 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar 2 tbsp vegetable oil 2 tbsp hot sauce 1 tbsp mustard (dijon or yellow)
Instruction
Marinating and Searing the Pork Shoulder
Remove pork shoulder from packaging, pat dry with paper towels and place on a large plastic cutting board. Combine all spice rub ingredients in a small bowl. Apply as much rub as is needed to coat all sides of the pork shoulder and set the rest aside (I usually 1/2 to 2/3 of the rub). Let the shoulder sit for anywhere from 15 minutes to 3 hours.
In a separate bowl whisk to combine all wet ingredients and the rest of the spice rub. Chop the 2 yellow onions.
If cooking in the oven, use a dutch oven or oven proof pot with a lid and preheat to 300F/150C. Set a large pot over medium high heat and get out a bowl that the pork shoulder can fit in. Once pot is hot add the 2 tbsp vegetable oil and use a big pair of tongs to maneuver the pork shoulder into the pot and sear it on all sides. Spend about 30-45 seconds on each side- let it brown but do not let it burn, as this is maybe the only way you can really screw up this recipe.
Once the pork shoulder is seared on all sides remove it to the bowl, reduce the heat to medium and immediately add chopped onions. Stir continuously, and as the onions release water scrape up browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Once the onions are just beginning to brown, about 5 minutes, mix in the wet ingredients, scrape the bottom of the pot again, and remove from heat.
Cooking the Pork Shoulder
In the Oven
Add the pork back to the pot and orient the fat cap facing up. Put on the lid and cook in the oven for 4 hours, then remove the lid and cook for an additional half hour to brown the top.
In a Slow Cooker
Using a rubber spatula, add onion mixture to the slow cooker. Add in the pork shoulder and any accumulated juices in to the slow cooker, orienting the fat cap up. Cook for 8-10 hours on low or 5-6 hours on high.
Finishing the Pork Shoulder
Place the pork shoulder in a bowl. What's left of the fat cap should peel off, either remove and discard or render it down on very low heat in a skillet. Skim off as much fat as you'd like off of the top of liquid in the pot/slow cooker. I remove this, let it cool, freeze it in an ice cube tray, and then store in a plastic bag in the freezer so that I can cook eggs in it, but you do whatever you want.
Using two forks shred the pork as finely as you'd like. I stick one fork in and then work my way in against the grain with another. Once finished add back to the pot/slow cooker and stir in to the juice. Taste a piece and add more salt or apple cider vinegar as needed.
Should be fine in the fridge for 4-5 days, good for probably 6 months to a year in the freezer before the fat starts to go off.