Pulled Pork

As I have mentioned before, in my secret life I am Southern. I love every form of BBQ but since I live in the frozen north slow smoking food in my backyard is only possible for 3 months of the year. Hence I am always forced to come up with alternative ways to "fake" BBQ food. Sometimes the results are disgusting but other times they are so mouth watering that I don't feel bad at all for cutting steps.

• pork shoulder
• your favourite dry rub
• your favourite BBQ sauce
• coleslaw (optinal)
• really soft buns (optional)

There are many dry rubs available for purchase but if you BBQ a lot you might want to experiment with creating your own secret recipe. Research the net for 1000s of recipes. The usual suspects are garlic, onion, paprika, mustard, sugar and then sometimes a "secret" ingredient. As for the bbq sauce this is just as personal. I like the really orange and vinegary sauces, my sister prefers dark brown sweet sauces and Rye got additced to a specific type of BBQ sauce that they served in Atlantic Canada. Whatever you chose just make sure you have a LOT.

Rube every surface of the pork shoulder with your dry rub and set in a bowl covered with cling wrap in the refridgerator overnight. The next day transfer to a roasting pan and cook uncovered in a 300F oven until it is well done throughout (165F). This will take hours so make sure you have the day off. Count on at least 25 mins/lb. A meat thermometer is a great and cheap investment for your kitchen.

Once the internal temp is reached then let it sit for about 15-20 minutes. This is the most tortuous part. When it is cool enough to handle start shredding the meat. It should basically fall apart in your hands. Most people suggest using 2 forks to pull the meat but I think that's what they say in public. It takes forever and is much less effective than just doing it with very clean hands.

Cut a soft bun in half and mound it with pulled pork. Top with a healthy dose of BBQ sauce. If you're really hardcore a dollop of coleslaw on top is traditional. Combined with an ice cold beer you'll swear you are in Memphis.

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