Pulled Pork

I served this recipe to friends and family at our daughter’s graduation. It was definitely worth the extra effort to brine the meat first—it adds amazing flavor, texture and moistness. And since I’m not a fan of fennel, I used a different herb in its place.

I’ve revised this recipe a bit to make it more user friendly for those of us who don’t have all the professional chef tools. Make up a batch of this and toss meal-sized servings into freezer bags for future use. I also make single-serving freezer packs of the meat for my husband’s lunches. It’s the perfect recipe for a crowd and can be made ahead to serve at a family reunion or summer party.

Alton Brown’s Pulled Pork

Ingredients

Brine:

·         8 ounces or ¾ cup molasses

·         12 ounces pickling salt

·         2 quarts water

·         6 to 8 pound Boston butt

Rub:

·         1 teaspoon whole cumin seed

·         1 teaspoon whole fennel seed

·         1 teaspoon coriander

·         1 tablespoon chili powder

·         1 tablespoon onion powder

·         1 tablespoon paprika

Directions

Combine molasses, pickling salt, and water in 6 quart bowl. Add Boston butt making sure it is completely submerged in brine, cover, and let sit in refrigerator for a minimum of 8 hours. 12 hours is ideal.

Place cumin seed, fennel seed, and coriander in food grinder and grind fine (I didn’t grind mine—you can also substitute your favorite seasonings for the ones listed). Transfer to a small mixing bowl and stir in chili powder, onion powder, and paprika.

Remove Boston butt from brine and pat dry. Sift the rub evenly over the shoulder and then pat onto the meat making sure as much of the rub as possible adheres. More rub will adhere to the meat if you are wearing latex gloves during the application.

If you are roasting the meat in an oven, place it in a large roaster and cover with foil or a lid.

Preheat oven to 225 degrees F or preheat smoker to 210 degrees F. Place butt in oven/smoker and cook for 10 to12 hours, maintaining a temperature of 210 degrees F. Begin checking meat for doneness after 10 hours of cooking time. Use fork to check for doneness. Meat is done when it falls apart easily when pulling with a fork. Once done, remove from pot and set aside to rest for at least 1 hour. Pull meat apart with 2 forks and serve as sandwich with coleslaw and dressing as desired.