Barbecued Pulled Pork on a Charcoal Grill
(from Bethany’s recipe box)
Serves 8
Pulled pork can be made with a fresh ham or picnic roast, although our preference is for Boston butt. Preparing pulled pork requires little effort, but lots of time. Plan on 10 hours from start to finish: 3 hours with the spice rub, 1 hour to come to room temperature, 3 hours on the grill, 2 hours in the oven, and 1 hour to rest. Wood chunks help flavor the meat; hickory is the traditional choice with pork, although mesquite can be used if desired. Serve the pulled pork on plain white bread or warmed buns with the classic accompaniments of dill pickle chips and coleslaw. You will need a disposable aluminum roasting pan that measures about 10 inches by 8 inches as well as heavy-duty aluminum foil and a brown paper grocery bag.
Source: ATK, Season 6: Pulled Pork and Cornbread (createtv.com)
Categories: Meat
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup Dry Rub for Barbecue (see below)
- 1 bone-in pork roast, preferably Boston butt (6 to 8 pounds)
- 4 (3-inch) wood chunks
- 2 cups barbecue sauce (see below)
Directions
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Massage the dry rub into the meat. Wrap the meat tightly in a double layer of plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours. (For stronger flavor, the roast can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.)
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At least 1 hour prior to cooking, remove the roast from the refrigerator, unwrap, and let it come to room temperature. Soak the wood chunks in cold water to cover for 1 hour and drain.
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Meanwhile, light a large chimney starter filled a bit less than halfway with charcoal briquettes (about 2½ quarts, or about 40 briquettes) and allow to burn until all the charcoal is covered with a layer of fine gray ash. Empty the coals into the grill; build a modified two-level fire by spreading the coals onto one side of the grill, piling them up in a mound 2 or 3 briquettes high, leaving the other half with no coals. Open the bottom vents completely. Place the soaked wood chunks on the coals. Position the cooking grate over the coals, cover the grill, and heat until hot, about 5 minutes (you can hold your hand 5 inches above the coals for 2 seconds). Use a grill brush to scrape the cooking grate clean.
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Set the unwrapped roast in a disposable aluminum pan (see note) and place it on the grate opposite the fire (see illustration 2 on page 261). Open the grill lid vents three-quarters of the way and cover, turning the lid so that the vents are opposite the wood chunks to draw smoke through the grill. Cook, adding about 8 briquettes every hour or so to maintain an average temperature of 275 degrees, for 3 hours.
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Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 325 degrees. Wrap the pan holding the roast with heavy-duty foil to cover completely. Place the pan in the oven and cook until the meat is fork-tender, about 2 hours.
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Slide the foil-wrapped pan with the roast into a brown paper bag. Crimp the end shut. Let the roast rest for 1 hour.
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Transfer the roast to a cutting board and unwrap. When cool enough to handle, “pull” the pork by separating the roast into muscle sections, removing the fat, if desired, and tearing the meat into thin shreds with your fingers (see illustrations 3 and 4 on page 261). Place the shredded meat in a large bowl. Toss with 1 cup of the barbecue sauce, adding more to taste. Serve, passing the remaining sauce separately.