Get Your Barbecue On, in the Oven
Barbecue… slow-cooked over a pit, grill, or in a smoker, is always delicious. But not always doable.
So, what’s a guy or gal with a hankering for good ole’ barbecue to do?
Fire up the oven.
Don’t let lack of gear or inclement weather stop you from getting your barbecue on!
For our pulled pork recipe, you don’t need heavy equipment to make good barbecue.
All you need is an oven. A low and slow method. And a no-fail, easy recipe.
Carolina Cue Pulled Pork Recipe
American barbecue varies by region. Each region delivers a distinct style of barbecue and favors different flavor profiles.
The choice of meat, its cut, wood smoke, dry rub, and sauce are unique to each region.
Here on the central coast of California…
We have our own claim to fame in the barbecue arena. Santa Maria-style Barbecue centering around beef tri-tip.
Typically prepared with a simple, but flavorful dry rub of salt, pepper and garlic powder… it’s most often grilled over oak.
Frequently served with barbecue sauce, tri-tip in these parts can also come with salsa instead.
Memphis, Tennessee prefers pork.
Famous for pulled pork shoulder drenched in a tomato-based sauce… and pork ribs with both wet and dry rubs.
Texas barbecue is distinguished for beef.
Brisket is definitely a favorite.
Kansas City barbecue is mixed.
A melting pot, if you will… of different regions, styles, and proteins.
Kansas City pits are versatile… you can find beef, pork, chicken and even fish.
The preferred sauce is distinctive. A sweet, molasses driven, tomato sauce.
KC also celebrates ribs. Oftentimes cooked in a dry rub and sauced.
Our pulled pork recipe is an ode to Carolina-style barbecue.
Known for pork as the meat of choice, often whole roasted… and more vinegar-based sauces.
But there’s more than one BBQ region within North Carolina.
This pulled pork recipe is Western North Carolina style…
Delicious on a soft roll topped with our sugar-free barbecue sauce and cider vinaigrette-dressed cabbage slaw. Or, on its own with the slaw on the side.
Textural harmony is created with our low, slow roast and spice rub. Caramelized, crispy and spiced exterior… also known as “bark.” Fork tender, juicy interior.
It’s downright delicious!
Rub a Dub-Dub
Big flavor begins with the rub.
This pulled pork recipe features our simple barbecue spice blend.
The spice blend not only flavors the meat. Paired with the natural fat cap and the low and slow cooking method… it creates that delicious bark we mentioned earlier.
Delectable on its own, you can enjoy this recipe without any sauce if you prefer.
If you can, we recommend applying the rub and letting the roast sit in the fridge for up to 24 hours for maximum flavor.
But if you’re short on time, you can apply it just before putting it in the oven.
Typically, barbecue rubs have brown sugar as an ingredient. It lends a sweetness to the flavor profile.
We like to limit unnecessary sugar, so our rub is sugar-free. But, if you like that sweetness, just add ¼ cup of brown sugar to the rub.
Easy, Economical, and Versatile
It’s one and done with this pulled pork recipe. It could not be easier.
We even roast ours, and serve it, in a doubled foil pan for ridiculously easy cleanup.
You can also roast the pork in your favorite pan with tall enough sides for pan juices.
The abundant serving yield makes this dish great for entertaining.
It’s also wonderful for freezer meals. Store individual servings in small foil containers wrapped tightly with plastic wrap.
Or, store in quart size air-tight freezer bags for up to 6 months.
A very affordable cut of meat, pork shoulder roasts are also very budget-friendly!
Serving Suggestions
Serve as a main course sandwich, sliders, or without bread.
We suggest softer rolls like brioche, hamburger, or simple dinner rolls as a bread choice.
Harder, more chewy rolls tend to squeeze the meat and slaw out of the sandwich when held.
Buttering and briefly broiling the inside of the rolls (3-5 minutes) until golden-brown, you’ll enjoy the crispy interior and added yum.
But you can skip that step and serve this delicious pork on rolls straight out of the package.
Related Recipes
Sugar-Free Hickory Barbecue Sauce
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| Prep Time | 10 minutes |
| Cook Time | 7 hours |
| Servings |
servings |
- 1, 7 pound pork shoulder butt roast
- 1/3 cup Simple Barbecue Spice Blend can substitute store-bought if preferred
- 3 cups Sugar-Free Hickory Barbecue Sauce can substitute store-bought if preferred
- 16 ounces Cider Coleslaw
- 22 slider rolls optional
Ingredients
| |
- Position oven rack in the lower third of the oven. Preheat oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Prepare the simple barbecue spice blend. (See link in the ingredients list above.)
- Place pork roast in a roasting pan. Pat roast dry.
- Coat/massage all sides of the roast generously with the barbecue spice blend. Place roast fat cap side up in the pan. Cook for 7 hours or until it is fall-apart fork tender. Cook time is approximately 1 hour per pound.
- Allow the roast to cool for 15 minutes before shredding.
- With two forks, shred pork roast in large pieces.
- To serve as sliders: with tongs place pulled pork on the bottom of the slider bun. Drizzle with barbecue sauce. Top with Cider Cole Slaw and bun. Serve with additional sauce on the side.
Serving size per person: 5 ounces.
If serving as sliders: 1 1/2 to 2 ounces per slider.
Cook time is approximately 1 hour per pound.
For easy clean-up and serving, we use double foil pans for this recipe. Foil pans are placed on top of a sheet pan for additional support.
Recipe courtesy of www.sisterspicekitchen.com © 2019 Spice Brands, Inc. All rights reserved.