Slow Grilled Pulled Pork Sandwiches and Homemade Barbecue Sauce
This Pulled Pork recipe is slow grilled on our Weber Charcoal Grill, and and has the best homemade barbecue sauce! Sure, you can make this in the oven, but slow grilling the pork turns out so tender and full of flavor. The BBQ sauce is off the hook, so I do recommend that you make both recipes. With the Weber, the cooking time can take 4-5 hours, and you'll need to add more briquettes. It's well worth the effort. In an oven, it will take about 6 hours to make.
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Prep Time 1 hourhour
Cook Time 4 hourshours
Total Time 5 hourshours
Servings 12
Author Debby - www.AFeastfortheEyes.net
Ingredients
1pork shoulder roastBoston Butt or Picnic roast, about 6 to 8 pounds
4tspEssence Creole Seasoningrecipe follows
1Tbspsalt
1tspcayenne
Emeril's ESSENCE Creole Seasoning (also referred to as Bayou Blast) Yield: 2/3 cup
1tablespoonsalt
1teaspooncayenne pepper
2 1/2tablespoonspaprika
2tablespoonssalt
2tablespoonsgarlic powder
1tablespoonblack pepper
1tablespoononion powder
1tablespooncayenne pepper
1tablespoondried oregano
1tablespoondried thyme
Homemade Barbecue Sauce (optional, but delicious):
4tablespoonsunsalted butter
1 1/2cupsonionsfinely chopped
6clovesgarlicfinely chopped
2 1/4teaspoonssweet paprika
2teaspoonsESSENCE Creole Seasoning
2teaspoonsdry mustard
1 1/4teaspoonssalt
1/2teaspooncrushed red pepper
1/2teaspoonblack pepper
1/4teaspooncayenne pepperAdd less cayenne and red pepper flakes, if you prefer less "heat".
1cantomato paste6-ounce
1 1/2cupswater
3/4cupcider vinegarNOTE: cut back on the vinegar depending on how you adjust the sugar to acid ratio. (f you prefer less of an acidic sauce.)
6tablespoonsdark brown sugar
To serve:
10 to 12sandwich buns
Garnish:
Cole Slawthis is optional, but traditional
Instructions
Make the Creole Rub (for the pork and sauce)
Make the spice blend and set aside 2 tsp of the seasoning for the BBQ sauce.
Prepare the pork with a Weber Charcoal Grill:
Remove the pork from the refrigerator and let it come to room temperature before proceeding. Season the roast well on all sides with the Essence, salt, and cayenne pepper.
Prepare the briquettes using a "chimney". Soak wood chips for 30 minutes, drain.
Set one (or two) foil pans into the center of the grill.
When the briquettes are white, pour onto one half of the Weber, then set soaked chips on top of the coals.
Place the seasoned pork above the pans (not on directly on the coals). Cover and open vent holes 3/4's (over the meat, opposite the coals).
After one hour, the meat should begin to have a crust. Add more briquettes and chips.
Every hour, add more briquettes (and chips, if desired) until cooked to 195F. We cooked a 4 pound pork shoulder butt and it was ready in about 4 1/2 hours.
OVEN DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 300F. Line a roasting pan with aluminum foil. Season the roast well on all sides with the Essence, salt, and cayenne pepper. Place a roasting rack inside the roasting pan and place the seasoned pork on the rack, fat side up. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 4 hours.
Remove the foil from the roast and continue to bake until the roast is very tender and will pull apart easily with a fork, about 2 hours longer. Remove the pork from the oven and set aside to cool slightly. Remove any excess fat from the roast and discard if desired.
Pull (shred) the pork:
The safest way to pull pork is to wear clean rubber gloves, simply grab the pork and pull. Or, you can use two forks to shred the pork.
You can serve the pork several different ways. We prefer to let people add their own BBQ sauce and to decide if they want to stack the cole slaw on top or eat it on the side. Some people like to serve this between white bread and with a pickle-- I like to make homemade hamburger buns and add some BBQ sauce.
Notes
Recipe source: Adapted from Emeril Legasse, Food Network (his version was slow roasted in an oven). The Weber technique imparts the most delicious smoky taste and make delicious "burn ends"-- the crunchy, crusty pork crust... so good!The barbecue sauce recipe stores well in the refrigerator and is very versatile