To make excellent pulled pork in the oven, you’ll need:
- 1 bone-in pork butt (shoulder), 5-8 lbs
- either 2 Tbs kosher salt OR 1/3 cup “rub” of your choice
- 1/2 cup liquid, combination of: water, apple cider, apple cider vinegar, white wine vinegar, or apple juice.
You’ll also need an oven-safe pot or casserole (with lid) that will fit in your oven. If you don’t have one with an oven-safe lid, you can use aluminum foil.
Set your oven to 225 degrees F and make sure your racks are set so you have enough room for your container. Rinse your pork butt all over. One side will have a thick sheet of fat on top. That’s the fat cap. Sometimes, it still has the skin, too. It is up to you whether you leave any skin on. If you’re using a rub, you’ll get better flavor without it, but you do want to leave most of the fat cap.
Place your pork butt, fat side up, in the bottom of your pan/pot/casserole. Sprinkle your seasonings on top. Pour your liquids down the side so they’re at the bottom. Cover with lid or foil.
Bake for 6-8 hours. That’s correct- hours. When it’s finished, remove from the oven. Remove your pork to a large pan and use a pair of forks to tug away at the meat so it shreds into pieces (this is the “pulled” part). You’ll want to remove the bone as you work, and any pieces of gristle that didn’t melt away as the pork cooked. Once the meat is completely pulled, pour a few tablespoons of the drippings over it and mix it a bit for more flavor.
Serve warm. Pulled pork is a very rich, fatty meat, and so goes best with acidic, vinegar-based sauces (such as are common in North and South Carolina). Gold sauce is a favorite of mine. You can eat pulled pork with a fork, or pile it up on a sandwich. Add some cheese, some sauce, and maybe a few bread and butter pickles or some coleslaw.
Don’t just stash your meat for leftovers- keep the drippings, too. They make magnificent broth for beans. Adding a little more drippings into your leftovers before tucking them away helps keep them from drying out.
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