Homemade Pulled Pork in a Dutch Oven Recipe

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Pulled pork should normally be made in a hot smoker, but if you lack a hot smoker it is possible to make a very good pulled pork in a Dutch oven (inside your regular oven). The Dutch oven helps to even out the heat and also to keep the meat from drying out during a long, non-submerged cooking period. A little broth or water added to the pot helps to keep everything moist, without making a stew.
We enjoy using whole chilis, so to get smokey flavor in this dish we’ll be using a dried chipotle pepper, ground into powder. Ancho peppers would also work, being smoked poblanos, and they could be combined. The seasoning which goes onto the meat before searing makes it smell and taste pretty much identical to chili. It’s the sauce which takes it from there to whatever your favorite pulled-pork destination is. This recipe for sauce produces a Kansas City style sauce which is probably what most people north of 40 degrees north latitude are going to find suits their palate best. There is also the North Carolina style sauce which is heavier on mustard and vinegar and not as sweet.
The quality of the leftovers is consistent for at least a week if the meat is stored whole, separate from the sauce. Shred whatever meat is needed for a meal, combine with some sauce, and heat. This will ensure that the BBQ stays in good condition until all has been consumed.
Makes enough for 8-10 meals.
Equipment:
• cast-iron or similar skillet for searing
• Dutch oven; preferably enamelled but bare cast-iron will also work
Ingredients:
1 ea pork butt shoulder, or a boneless picnic ham; cut into ~4 large chunks
1 ea onion large; diced
1/2 cup Bourbon or Scotch
1/2 cup chicken broth or water
Spice rub:
1 ea dried chipotle chili or up to 1 tsp cayenne
1 Tbsp paprika or one whole ground ancho
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp coriander
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp fennel
Sauce base:
1/4 cup molasses or date syrup, pomegranate molasses, etc.
1/4 cup white vinegar divided
4 tsp concentrated tomato paste
2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbsp mustard
2 tsp hot sauce exact quantity depends on the hot sauce, and your preference
Procedure:
1. Preheat the oven to 300F.
2. Mix the spice rub by combining all ingredients in a spice grinder and reducing them to powder.
3. Cut the meat into chunks and cover with the rub. Allow to sit during the rest of mise en place, up to two hours on a countertop or even overnight in the fridge.
4. Dice the onion and set it aside for later.
5. In a mixing bowl or glass measuring cup, mix the sauce base using only half (2 Tbsp) of the vinegar. If it is a little too thick, add 1 Tbsp of water or ketchup.
6. In a hot cast-iron skillet, sear the meat on all sides.
7. Remove the meat from the pan and allow it to rest on a plate or cutting board.
8. Meanwhile, sweat the diced onion in the hot cast-iron, using it to re-dissolve the fond.
9. Using some or all of the stock or water, deglaze the onion pan once the onions are translucent, and transfer everything into the Dutch oven, over medium heat.
10. Add the rest of the stock or water, if any.
11. Place the chunks of meat into the Dutch oven, atop the onions, with their fattiest side facing up.
12. Pour about half of the sauce base over the chunks of meat, just to give them a light coating.
13. Place the lid on the Dutch oven and place the whole thing into the center of the 300F oven for about 3 hours.
14. After 3 hours, remove the lid and roast for 1 hour more at the same temperature.
15. Remove the pork from the oven once it flakes easily to a fork.
16. Remove the pork from the Dutch oven and defat the cooking liquid as well as possible.
17. Add the remainder of the vinegar (2 Tbsp) to the sauce base, along with all of the cooking liquid and any fond that can be dissolved into it.
18. Mix the BBQ sauce well. Store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week. The unusued meat can also be stored the same way, and both may be frozen for more shelf life. It may be a good idea to portion the meat before freezing it.
19. To serve, choose a reasonable amount of meat for a meal, say 2-3 oz per person.
20. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, shred the meat to be served using two forks to pull the fibers of meat apart.
21. Add about a tablespoon of sauce per portion to the shredded meat, and mix it all together as well as possible.
22. If it is all cold, I cover it and give it about 30 sec at full power in the microwave.
23. Put the hot pulled pork onto a lovely, fluffy, crusty roll along with some raw onion and some dill pickle, and consume before someone else beats you to it.
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[@ryanking6433]

going to try this thanks!