PULLED PORK BBQ
I grew up in Virginia and later moved to North Carolina, so BBQ has been part of my life for as long as I can remember. My family actually moved to Virginia from California, though, so when we first arrived in the South, we were surprised by the difference between “cooking out” and “BBQ.” To us, barbecue was what you did when you grilled outside, but we soon learned what BBQ itself was—pulled pork. SERVES 4 TO 6
PREP TIME: 10 minutes
COOK TIME: 2 hours, 15 minutes
2 pounds pork butt
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
2 cups BBQ Sauce (here)
- Preheat the oven to 425°F.
- On a baking sheet, season the pork with the salt and pepper. Using your hands, spread half of the BBQ sauce all over the meat.
- Bake for 45 minutes, and then lower the heat to 350°F and bake for another 1½ hours.
- Remove the pork from the oven, and allow to cool slightly. Transfer the pork to a bowl, and shred with a fork. Add the rest of the BBQ sauce, and serve.
VARIATION 1 SLOW COOKER BBQ: This is actually the way I prefer to cook my BBQ: Place the pork in the slow cooker, season with salt and pepper, and then cover with half of sauce as in the original recipe. Cook on low for 8 hours, and then shred it with a fork, right in the slow cooker.
VARIATION 2 OVEN-ROASTED CHICKEN BBQ: Grease a baking sheet and place 10 bone-in thighs on it, skin-side down. Bake at 400°F for 25 minutes. Remove from the oven, and brush the exposed side with BBQ sauce. Flip the chicken, brush with more sauce, and bake skin-side up for 7 to 8 minutes more. Remove from the oven again, and brush once more with sauce. Finally, raise the oven temperature to 425°F and bake for 5 to 7 more minutes, or until the skin becomes crunchy.
