Pulled Pork

When Fall hits, it’s only natural to want to make dishes that are hearty and satisfying. Soups, stews, braised meats with vegetables are all good this time of year. The kind of food that "sticks to your ribs", as my mother would say.

One of my favorite things is pulled pork. It’s rich and warming on a crisp evening. I described it to a friend of mine and when she said how good that sounded, I decided to make it for her when she came over next. Which is what I did last night.

The recipe I originally started with was a lot spicier, calling for a can of chipotle peppers. My husband and I could barely get it down, it was so hot. The next time I was in the mood for pulled pork, I made modifications, using barbeque sauce instead, but it lacked a bit of punch. The next time I made it, I used chipotle barbeque sauce which added just enough spice without torching our lips and intestines. I think it’s just right the way it is now.

It’s a super simple recipe to make. All you need is time, as in all afternoon, so it’s best made on the weekend. You could try it in a slow cooker, but it won’t be totally the same unless you brown the meat before adding it to the slow cooker. This is the oven variety.

Pulled Pork

Ingredients

·         2 onions, peeled and quartered

·         1 whole pork butt (pork shoulder roast), bone-in

·         Salt and freshly ground black pepper

·         1/2 to 1 can real Coca-Cola, with sugar (not diet)

·         ½ bottle chipotle barbeque sauce

Directions

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.

Place the onion quarters in the bottom of a pot. Trim roast of some of the fat but leave the roast whole and if it has a bone, leave that in. Sprinkle the meat all over with salt and pepper, and then place on top of the onions. Pour just enough of the cola so that the liquid comes up to the middle of the roast. You don't want it to swim in too much liquid. Then add the chipotle barbeque sauce over the top.

Cover the pot, put in the oven and cook for at least 5 hours, preferably 6, depending on the size of your roast. Turn the meat 2 or 3 times during the cooking process. The last time you turn it, you might want to leave the lid partially off in order to get some carmelization on the meat. Otherwise, put the lid fully back on.

When it’s done, the meat should be fork-tender and easy to shred.  Shred the meat completely (either inside or outside of the pot) but return pork to the juice until you serve it. This is delicious and super easy.

It would go quite well with a bottle of Grenache. This lighter red wine would be perfect with the sweetness of the pork and its sauce. I'll usually serve this with potatoes, but you could drain some of the liquid or maybe reduce it to a thicker consistency and serve it as a pulled pork sandwich.