"Oven Barbecue" Pulled Pork

This is an updated recipe originally posted in 2019.

I've already defended myself against the merits and demerits of calling something cooked in an oven "barbecued", when in fact it isn't.  Read my arguments in the posting "Oven Barbecue" Beef Brisket found here.  Blah. Blah. Blah.

This is really yet another braised pork butt recipe, of which I have a considerable number.  You can find a repository of all of them here.  This one was originally from a website called SmartCarbCooking, and it is the basis of the low carb barbecue sauce that I used in the brisket recipe mentioned above, but I've taken the time to rewrite it here for convenience.

We've made this pork recipe many times, and most recently, I made some enhancements to the spice rub as well as the braising liquid.  I've also become convinced that if you have a choice between bone-in or boneless, go with bone-in.  A shoulder blade roast bone is very short and easily removed once the roast is cooked to the point that it literally is falling apart.  But the bone roasting inside the meat imparts a greater depth of flavor that I miss in a boneless roast.

I also like the low carb barbecue sauce as opposed to the high sugar content of many bottled sauces, but if you would rather not make this recipe in favor of the convenience of applying a bottled sauce, I recommend Stubb's Barbecue Sauce.  It's the best on the market, and I've tried nearly all of them. Learn about it here.

You'll need a dutch oven for the roast and a blender to make the barbecue sauce recipe.  This dish goes great with Cole Slaw and with my Sweet Potato Fries, found here.

Ingredients for the Rub
1/4 cup smoked salt (like, San Francisco Salt Company Alder Wood)
1/4 cup Worcestershire black pepper (like, McCormick)
1/8 cup Ancho chili powder
1 tbsp powdered oregano
1 tbsp powdered thyme
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tbsp onion powder
1 tsp cayenne pepper

Ingredients for the Pork
6-8 pound bone-in pork shoulder (or Boston Butt) roast
6 tbsp canola or vegetable oil
1 bottled beer (any kind will do)
1 cup apple cider vinegar
1 14.5 oz can chicken broth (like, Swanson's)
2 tbsp liquid smoke (like, Stubb's)

Ingredients for the BBQ Sauce
2 14.5 oz cans petite diced tomatoes (like, Hunt's)
1 small yellow onion, finely diced
1 cup Diet Coke or Coke Zero
1/3 cup tomato paste
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup prepared yellow mustard (like, French's)
1/4 cup distilled white vinegar
1/4 cup sugar-free or no sugar added orange marmalade (like, Polaner All-Fruit)
3 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp minced garlic
1-½ tbsp chili power
1 tbsp Ancho chili powder
1 tbsp Splenda
1/2 tbsp Liquid Smoke

The Recipes
Blend all the rub ingredients in a mixing bowl with a whisk.  Liberally apply the rub on all sides of the roast, and do what you should as the name implies:  rub it into the meat well.  Get the spices into all the nooks and crannies.

Preheat your oven to 325F degrees (335F degrees for high altitudes above 5,000 feet).

Get a Dutch oven hot on the stove over medium heat with the oil.  When the oil is shimmering, place the pork roast, fat side down into the hot grease and let it cook for about 3 minutes.  Do this on all sides of the roast, ending with the fat side facing up.

Pour in the beer, vinegar, chicken broth and liquid smoke, slap on the lid and put the Dutch oven in your pre-heated oven.  Cook it for six hours.

In the meantime, put all the ingredients for the sauce in a sauce pan over medium high heat, and once it starts to simmer, turn the heat to low and cook covered for thirty minutes.  Allow it to cool for a couple of hours, and then in batches, put the sauce through your blender and blend for 1-2 minutes until smooth without any lumps.  Do not attempt to do this while the sauce is hot.

The barbecue sauce will keep for a couple of weeks in the fridge and freezes well, lasting a year or more.

When the pork is cooked, you will find you have very little braising liquid left.  If you like your pulled pork dry, then remove the roast and discard what braising liquid is left.  If you like your pulled pork on the wet side, like I do, leave it in the Dutch oven with the roast. With two forks, shred the meat which you'll find is remarkably easy to do, removing the pork shoulder bone. Serve with shredded pork with the barbecue sauce spooned over.