Pulled Pork with Carolina Slaw

I’m probably going to get crucified by my fellow EggHeads for this, but since not everyone owns a Big Green Egg or a smoker, here it goes:

Oven Pulled Pork topped with Carolina Slaw!


Pulled Pork / Carolina Slaw

That’s right. . . cooked in the oven, or as some of my friends call it, The Big Clock In The Kitchen.

I was making this meal long before I owned a Big Green Egg, and I’ve shared this recipe with so many people over the years that I think it’s time I share it with all of you, too!

The dry rub is simple: smoked paprika, garlic powder, brown sugar, dry mustard, coarse Kosher salt.

Pulled Pork / Carolina Slaw

Combine the dry rub ingredients and set aside.

This amount of rub is good for a 5-7 pound Boston butt.

Pulled Pork / Carolina Slaw

It’s called a butt, but it comes from the upper part of the front shoulder. You can also use a pork shoulder or picnic roast for this.

Wash and dry the pork butt and then cover with the dry rub mixture.

Pulled Pork / Carolina Slaw

Let the pork butt marinate for as long as you have time for — as little as 1 hour or overnight — covered in the refrigerator.

Next, cover the bottom of a large roasting pan with apple juice or beer.

I usually use beer because that can be found in my refrigerator more often than apple juice.

Beer

I used this particular beer because it was leftover from our Christmas Party and it is from Florida.

In other words, use what’s easy.

Next, put the pork butt in the roasting pan and cook uncovered for about 20 minutes at 500F.

Pulled Pork / Carolina Slaw

This is an old roasting pan from my early twenties and I adore it. Feel free to use your pretty roasting pan if you have one.

After 20 minutes or so, take the pork butt out of the oven and turn the heat down to 300F.

Pulled Pork / Carolina Slaw

Tightly cover the pork butt with foil and cook for about 6 hours.

Pulled Pork / Carolina Slaw

The cooking time will vary depending on the size of your pork.

Basically, cook the pork until it falls apart.

While that cooks, make the Carolina Slaw.

I use cabbage, a jalapeño, an onion, and a couple of carrots.

Pulled Pork / Carolina Slaw

Combine the shredded cabbage, chopped jalapeño, chopped onions, and grated carrots in a large serving bowl.

The dressing is just sugar, salt, canola oil, dry musatrd, celery seed, and cider vinegar.

Pulled Pork / Carolina Slaw

Combine the dressing ingredients, bring to a boil, and simmer until the sugar is dissolved.

Pulled Pork / Carolina Slaw

Pour the dressing over the vegetables, toss well, cover and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled.

Pulled Pork / Carolina Slaw

It gets better the longer it sits in the dressing.

Now for the Secret Sauce!

Pulled Pork / Carolina Slaw

I called it a secret because at parties, I offer a prize to the first person who can guess the sauce ingredients.

It makes for a fun competition, especially since you only need two — Chili Sauce and Root Beer:

Pulled Pork / Carolina Slaw

The ratio is 1 jar of Chili Sauce to 2 cans of Root Beer (not diet!). If you’re feeding a crowd, you’ll want to double the sauce.

Bring the ingredients to a boil and then simmer until the liquid reduces into a magical thick sauce.

Pulled Pork / Carolina Slaw

This is one of those times you want to watch the pot simmer.

The second you walk away from it, it will boil over and cover your stovetop with a sticky mess. I know from experience.

After 6 hours, take the pork butt out of the oven.

Pulled Pork / Carolina Slaw

It’s finished cooking when the internal temperature is 195F-203F, or you can do this:

Pulled Pork / Carolina Slaw

Shred the pork butt using two forks and you’re ready to eat!

Pulled Pork / Carolina Slaw

Pile some of the pork onto a bun:

Pulled Pork / Carolina Slaw

Drizzle on a little sauce and a big spoonful of Carolina Slaw:

Pulled Pork / Carolina Slaw

No, you don’t have to eat it like this, but please do me a favor and try a bite before you say no.

Sometimes I forget the bread all together and just pile it high on my plate.

How you eat it doesn’t matter as long as you get a little bit of pork, sauce, and slaw in every bite.

The flavor combination is AMAZING!

Pulled Pork / Carolina Slaw

You can also use Hawaiian Sweet Rolls and make a bunch of sliders if you want to make these for a party.

Grab a bunch of napkins and dig in!

5.0 from 4 reviews
Oven Pulled Pork
Author: 
 
This Pulled Pork goes very well with my Carolina Slaw.
Ingredients
  • 1 5-7 pound pork roast, preferably shoulder or Boston butt
  • 3 TBS paprika (smoked, if you have it)
  • 1 TBS garlic powder
  • 1 TBS brown sugar
  • 1 TBS dry mustard
  • 3 TBS coarse Kosher salt
  • Apple juice or beer
  • 2 cans of Root Beer (not diet!)
  • 1 12oz jar of Chili Sauce
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 500F.
  2. Mix the paprika, garlic power, brown sugar, dry mustard, and salt together in a small bowl.
  3. Wash and dry the pork butt and then cover with the dry rub mixture.
  4. Let the pork butt marinate for as long as you have time for — as little as 1 hour or overnight — covered in the refrigerator.
  5. Cover the bottom of a large roasting pan with apple juice or beer.
  6. Put the pork butt in the roasting pan and cook uncovered for about 20 minutes at 500F.
  7. Take the pork out of the oven. Turn the oven down to 300F.
  8. Tightly cover the pork.
  9. Bake for about 6 hours.
  10. Basically, roast the pork until it’s falling apart.
  11. Shred with two forks.
  12. Sauce: Combine the Root Beer and Chili Sauce and bring to boil. Simmer until the liquid reduces into a magical thick sauce.

 
5.0 from 4 reviews
Carolina Slaw
Author: 
 
This Carolina Slaw goes very well with my Oven Pulled Pork.
Ingredients
  • 1 head of cabbage, finely shredded
  • 1 jalapeño, seeds removed & finely chopped
  • 1 medium sweet onion, finely chopped
  • 2 carrots, grated
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ⅔ cup canola oil
  • 1 teaspoon dry mustard
  • 1 teaspoon celery seed
  • 1 cup apple cider vinegar
Instructions
  1. Combine the shredded cabbage, chopped jalapeño, chopped onions, and grated carrots in a large serving bowl.
  2. In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the dressing ingredients, bring to a boil, and simmer until the sugar is dissolved.
  3. Pour the dressing over the vegetables, toss well, cover and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled.
  4. It gets better the longer it sits in the dressing.

 

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