Pulled Pork Sandwiches with Barbecue Sauce

Pulled pork is fantastic for casual entertaining. Not only is it absolutely delicious, but it's simple to make (despite the seemingly long ingredient list) and you can buy the meat for less than $1/pound. Below is a recipe for my version, along with the BBQ sauce I like to serve with it. The sauce is very vinegar-y, which is just how I like it... Because the Baked Beans I made ended up in the picture as well, I'll add that recipe at the end of this post. When making Pulled Pork Sandwiches, by the way, it's key to use the crappiest white bread buns you can find... Anything nicer (whole wheat, onion, sesame seed, etc.) ruins the aesthetic.

Pulled Pork Sandwiches with Barbecue Sauce
   Barbecue Sauce:
      1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
      6 tablespoons minced onion
      1 1/3 cups cider vinegar
      1 1/3 cups ketchup
      1 cup (packed) dark brown sugar
      1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
      1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

   Dry Seasoning Rub:
      3 tablespoons coarsely ground pepper
      3 tablespoons dark brown sugar
      3 tablespoons paprika
      2 tablespoons salt
      1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

   Barbecue Mop:
      1 cup cider vinegar
      1/2 cup water
      1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
      1 tablespoon coarsely ground pepper
      1 tablespoon salt
      2 teaspoons vegetable oil
      1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

   Pork:
      8 - 10 pound bone-in pork shoulder (aka "picnic" or "butt")
      5 onions, cut lengthwise into eighths

   20 soft hamburger buns, warm

For the Barbecue Sauce:
Melt butter in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and sauté 3 minutes. Add remaining ingredients and bring to boil, stirring frequently. Reduce heat and simmer until sauce is reduced to 2 2/3 cups, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (Sauce can be prepared 1 week ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)

For the Dry Seasoning Rub:
Mix all ingredients in small bowl. (Can be made 1 week ahead. Store airtight.)

For the Barbecue Mop:
Mix all ingredients in bowl. Set aside until ready to use.

For the Pork:
Make small cross-hatchets into the fat of the pork's rear in preparation for a dry rub seasoning. Rub your dry seasoning thoroughly along your pork, cover, and refrigerate for 24 hours. Layer the the onions in the bottom of a relatively large roasting pan, sprinkling them with salt and pepper. Place your pork on the bed of onions and brush a bit of the mop mixture all over the top. Seal the pan tightly with foil before placing the pork in a 200°F oven for about 13 hours. Remove from oven. Once cool enough to handle, gently shred the pork by hand. This should be ridiculously easy if you followed the steps outlined above.

Serves ~15.



Easy Baked Beans with Bacon
   5 14-ounce cans small white beans (such as Navy Beans), rinsed and drained
   1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
   1 28-oz can whole peeled tomatoes, crushed by hand
   3 tablespoons Dijon Mustard
   1 teaspoon salt
   8 ounces bacon, finely chopped
   1 large onion, minced

Preheat an oven to 400°F. In a 9" x 13" baking dish, combine the first 5 ingredients (beans through salt). In a large skillet, cook the bacon until most of the fat is rendered but bacon is not yet crispy. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat, then add the onion and cook until onion is softened and bacon is crispy. Add the bacon and onion mixture to the mixture in the 9" x 13" dish and stir to combine. Tent loosely with foil and bake until the the beans have absorbed most of the liquid, about 75 minutes.

Serves ~12.