Dad's Pulled Pork

 

Recipe Background

Dad's Pulled Pork offers melt-in-your-mouth tenderness and deep, rich flavors from a spice blend and slow cooking. A must for any gathering.

Dad's Pulled Pork is all about patient transformation. The journey begins with a vibrant blend of sea salt, garlic powder, mustard powder, dark brown sugar, and sweet smoky paprika. Together, they transform into a deep, flavorful crust on the pork shoulder. Once slow-cooked for hours, the aroma fills the space with a warm, inviting scent. This is comfort in its most heartfelt form.

The texture is where the magic truly happens. As the pork roasts, it becomes melt-in-your-mouth tender. Each bite reveals layers of complex flavors from the slow infusion of spices. Tangy barbecue sauce adds a layer of richness, balancing the savory with a touch of sweet. The trick lies in wrapping the pork and letting it rest in the fridge—this step helps the spices truly penetrate, enhancing every bit of taste.

Sharing this dish with family or friends turns any gathering into a celebration. Each bun, piled high with the succulent pork, invites smiles and satisfied sighs. It's a classic that speaks of gatherings on porches or by the fire, where conversation flows as freely as the sauces at the table. Cooking this dish is about more than just the meal—it's about creating a shared moment from start to delicious finish.

Ingredients

1 1/2 tablespoons sea salt

1 tablespoon garlic powder

1 tablespoon mustard powder

1 tablespoon dark brown sugar

3 tablespoons sweet smoky paprika

6 pounds pork shoulder

barbeque sauce to taste

Buns to taste, for serving

Directions

In a small bowl, combine the sea salt, the garlic powder, the mustard powder, the brown sugar, and the paprika.

Rub the pork shoulder generously with the seasoning mixture.

Wrap the pork shoulder in plastic wrap and refrigerate it for at least 1 hour and up to overnight.

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.

Discard the plastic wrap and place the pork into a roasting pan.

Roast the pork until a meat thermometer inserted into the center of the pork reads 200 degrees F, about 6 hours.

At the 5-hour mark, transfer the pork from the oven, baste with the barbeque sauce, and promptly return it to the oven to finish cooking.

Serve the pork on the buns with the barbeque sauce.