JBug's Kitchen Antics: Oven BBQ Pulled Pork

Another one pot meal inspired by the Neely's of Foodnetwork fame, last night's dinner is the start of what I'm hoping will be 3 great meals for two hungry people.

A 3.5 pound pork shoulder roast seasoned with lots of salt, pepper, garlic powder and smoked paprika hit a Dutch oven along with a sliced onion, a few cloves of garlic and a bottle of hard cider (I used Woodchuck amber) along with purchased barbecue sauce spiced up with hot sauce, worcestershire and soy. Covered and left to its own devices for nigh on 3 hours, the cook took the liberty of adding a good half cup of Apple Jack brandy during the last half hour of cooking just because it's in the cupboard and needed using up.

So how good was it? The pork fell apart before Big Guy even had a chance to hit it with two forks and when the shredded pieces returned to the sauce waiting in the pot...well you can just imagine.

Thinking a little outside the box, we enjoyed our pork on a bed of baked, smashed potatoes topped with a scoop of Sweet and Spicy Coleslaw - also thanks to the Neely's. I mean who says pulled pork can only be served in a sandwich right? Hit the link for the slaw but please note - I used packaged coleslaw mix and cut the sugar in the recipe to 1/3 cup. One whole cup seemed a little excessive to me. I also used a combination of yellow mustard and Dijon.

I made enough changes to the pork recipe, I've taken the liberty of printing my version below. Surely it's enough to get your mouth watering, but just wait and see what we have planned for the rest of it! You're going to be impressed, I guarantee it.

Oven BBQ Pulled Pork (from JBug’s Kitchen inspired by the Neely’s at Foodnetwork.com))

Cooking spray

3.5 pound pork shoulder roast or Boston butt

Kosher salt, coarse ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1 tablespoon smoked paprika

1 large onion

3 cloves garlic, smashed

1/2 cup purchased BBQ sauce

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

1 10 oz. bottle hard cider (I used Woodchuk Amber)

1 teaspoon hot sauce

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon soy sauce

Optional - 1/2 cup apple brandy (I used Applejack)

Preheat oven to 350. Spray inside of Dutch oven with cooking spray to help with clean up. If pork roast is tied, cut strings off and discard. Season all sides of roast well with salt, pepper, garlic powder and smoked paprika, rubbing seasoning into meat. Place into Dutch oven along with onion and garlic. In a small bowl mix together BBQ sauce, apple cider vinegar, hard cider, hot sauce, Worcestershire and soy sauce. Pour over and around roast. Cover roast and place into oven for 3 hours until pull apart tender. If using apple brandy, add during last half hour of cooking time.

Remove roast from pot and allow to sit briefly, then using 2 forks shred meat. Return meat to sauce in Dutch oven and stir well to combine.

A year ago - Chicken and Veggie Stew with Dumplings