Pulled Pork for Cold Weather

When colder weather hits, it’s only natural for us to want to make dishes that are warm, hearty and satisfying. Soups, stews, braised meats and 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. I don’t eat it very often because it’s higher in sugar than I like, so it’s a cheat meal we enjoy now and again. Best of all, it’s rich and warming on a crisp, cool evening.

The recipe I originally started with was a lot spicier than my version, calling for an entire can of chipotle peppers! Little did I know how immensely hot that was going to be. My husband and I could barely get it down, our esophaguses engulfed in flames. Unfortunately, we had to toss it. The next time I made it I made modifications, using barbecue sauce instead, but it lacked a bit of punch and all we tasted was the cloyingly sweet taste of BBQ sauce. The third time I made it (this is sounding like a Goldilocks story) I used chipotle BBQ sauce, combining, I hoped, the best of both worlds. Sure enough this 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 (5 hours) so it’s best made on the weekend. You could try it in a slow cooker and therefore have it during the week, but it won’t be the same. You could brown the meat before adding it to the slow cooker, but still you won’t end up with the caramelization you can achieve in the oven. Slow-roasting the meat in the oven is key.

Pulled Pork

Ingredients
1 large or 2 small onions, peeled and sliced
1 pork butt (pork shoulder roast), bone-in, about 4-5 lbs
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 to 1 can real cola with sugar (not diet)*
1/2 bottle chipotle barbecue sauce

Directions
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
Place the onion slices in the bottom of a roasting pan with a lid. Trim roast of some of the fat but leave it whole and if it has a bone, be sure to leave that in. Sprinkle the roast all over with salt and pepper, and then placed it on tope of the onions. Your in just enough of the cola so that the liquid comes up to about 1/4 -1/3 up the sides of the roast. You don’t want it to swim in too much liquid. The add the BBQ sauce over the roast, rubbing it over the top and sides.

Cover the pot, put it in the oven and cook for at least 5 hours, depending on the size of your roast, For a 4-pounder, this is enough time. Turn the meat 2 or 3 times during the cooking process. The last time you turn it, leave the lid partially off in order to get that caramelization I was talking about. If you don’t want the caramelization (what is wrong with you?), put the lid fully back on.

When it’s done, the meat should be fork-tender and easy to shred. Do so completely with 2 forks while the roast is still in the pot. Leave the meat in the juice until you serve it. 

This is super easy and again, all it takes is time. Time you’re going to be spending watching a movie or reading a good book anyway. Maybe doing chores or taking a nap.

Pulled pork 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 service this with coleslaw, but you could drain some of the liquid or maybe reduce it to a thicker consistency and serve it as a pulled pork sandwich. Or you can serve it stew-like along with the juice and put it over some boiled and slightly mashed potatoes to soak up the liquid. Yum!

*Note: you need the sugar in the cola to help with the caramelization process.