Let’s face it, even if you don’t know who’s playing in the Super Bowl, you know that it’s a great excuse to hang out with your family and friends and enjoy great food. Many times we have our favorite go-to recipe that we do every year, but if you have no clue what to bring to the party, then we have the perfect recipe. It’s delicious, easy, travels well, and it’ll be the talk of the party after your guests taste it. This recipe is from chef Andrew Zimmern one of the chefs from Taste of the NFL, which raises funds every year for food banks and non-profit organizations that help feed those in need.
Pulled Pork with Homemade BBQ Sauce
This recipe needs to be prepared the night before, but it’s pretty easy to make and it’s packed with flavor. It’s a recipe that can be prepared various ways, either on the grill or in the oven, and it’s a healthier alternative to chicken wings, but still very satisfying.
Ingredients:
1 bone-in pork shoulder, roughly 5-6 pounds
The rub
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup paprika
3 tablespoons ground black pepper
3 tablespoons kosher salt
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon celery seeds
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon ground ginger
The Basting Sauce
1 1/2 cups cider vinegar
1 small onion minced
1 teaspoon hot red chile flakes
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
The Sauce
3 cups cider vinegar
3 tablespoons molasses
2 tablespoons dark corn syrup
1 cup Heinz chile sauce
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 tablespoons Crystal hot sauce
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons red chile flakes, or more to taste
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions:
The night before
Combine the rub ingredients, set aside.
Combine barbecue sauce ingredients over medium heat in a small pot. When simmering, lower the heat and allow it to gently cook until barbecue sauce consistency is reached 30 to 40 minutes. Cool and refrigerate overnight.
Massage pork shoulder with the rub and let sit overnight in the refrigerator.
The day of
Combine the basting sauce ingredients, whisking until sugar and salt are dissolved, set aside.
Prepare a charcoal grill to cook the pork over indirect low heat, keeping charcoal to one side. ‘Grill’ the pork shoulder over indirect medium-low heat, using smoking chips if desired to establish a deeper smoke flavor. You will want to keep adding hardwood or charcoal every 40 minutes or so to maintain a medium low heat of roughly 275°. For gas grills, you also want to maintain a temperature of roughly 275° degrees F and cook over indirect heat. Baste every hour with the basting sauce. You can also cook the pork in the oven. Simply place the pork on a rack in a roasting pan and coat it with cooking spray. Pour one cup of water at the bottom of the roasting pan. Place rack in pan and bake at 225° for 1 hour.
Pork is done when the meat is fork tender, and almost falls apart. It will have shrunken back from the bone.
Let rest for 15 minutes. Pull apart with a fork. Serve with the barbecue sauce. You can serve it in buns as sliders or just by itself. Delicious!
