Recipe: Garden Barbecue Pulled Pork Sandwiches

This recipe makes a fantastic sandwich. It is by no means quick, and can easily be prepared a day in advance and reheated with the same result. You can prepare the pork in a crock pot or oven rather than the charcoal grill with similar results. (see notes) The barbecue sauce on this sandwich is fresh and complex. I find it worth all of the fuss.

Special Equipment:
Charcoal grill
4 cups Smoking wood chips such as hickory
Foil pie pan
Meat thermometer
Baking Sheet
Aluminum foil
Cuisinart/ or Blender
8 quart pot

Ingredients:
One Pork Butt Shoulder Roast- 2-3 lbs
6 cups water
Eight Bulky or Onion rolls
Pickle Relish or Shredded cheese for sandwich toppers

For Dry Rub:
1 tbsp dried cayenne pepper
½ tbsp dried oregano
½ tbsp dried onion
½ tbsp garlic power
½ tbsp chili powder
½ tbsp dried basil
2 tbsp salt

Prepare Pork:
Remove pork from any packaging. Rinse with cold water and pat pork dry with paper towel. This will allow the dry rub to adhere to the meat better. Rub pork generously with rub. Place in refrigerator overnight.

Soak wood chips in water for approximately one hour. Drain water.

Fire up you charcoal:

Fill foil pan 1/2 full with water.

As this is a slow cooking method, I like to start with about 40 briquettes adding 6-8 briquettes every 20-30 minutes throughout the cooking process. This technique is best achieved on a grill that allows you access to the coals while cooking. Place foil pan in the center of the grill and build charcoal up around it.

Carefully add about 1/2 of the smoking chips to the top of the briquettes prior to lighting.

If you are able to adjust the spacing between the flame and the food rack keep as much space between the two as possible. Keep grill covered throughout cooking process, openig only to check on the meat and to add cooking material. Control the amount of air reaching your coals to prevent them from flaming up by adjusting the air vent near the bottom of the grill. I prefer to keep the vent about ¼ open allowing for some air, but not too much. This will vary depending on your grill.

Place the prepared pork on the grill away from the hot center of the coals over drip pan. The pork should be getting heat, but not in danger of being burned by hot flames. Typically I place the pork approximately 10-12 inches from the hot center.

Monitor the pork’s cooking every 15-20 minutes for approximately two and ½ hours. Add 6-8 briquettes and a sprinkling of fresh wood chips every 20-30 minutes. Be sure that the drip pan has water in it. Test your pork with a meat thermometer. The internal temperature of the pork must reach 160 before final preparations take place. If the pork reaches 155 degrees on the grill, it will be ready. The pork will continue to cook as you allow it to rest off of the grill prior to cutting. Once the internal temperature is achieved, remove the pork from the grill, and allow to rest for twenty minutes.

Using two forks, shred the meat until desired consistancy is achieved. Keeping in mind that the pork will break apart in the sauce during the next step, it is good to leave it fairly chunky.

Place pork in sauce on stove (see Garden Barbecue Sauce recipe) and allow to simmer for one hour or until desired consistency is achieved. Toast large bulky roles or onion rolls on the still hot grill or in your toaster oven. Top rolls with pork and pickle relish or cheese if you desire, and enjoy!

Notes:
If you do not have the time or access to a charcoal grill the pork can be prepared in a crock pot or oven.

Crock Pot:
Prepare the pork with the dry rub and allow to sit overnight. Place in crock pot and add Garden Barbecue Sauce, one bottle of brown ale or lager beer and cover. Cook for up to 5 hours in a crock pot on medium heat. Remove pork from sauce and shred with two forks. Place pork back in sauce and serve warm on a toasted bun.

Oven:
Prepare the pork with the dry rub and allow to sit overnight. Place pork in dutch oven and add Garden Barbecue Sauce, one bottle of brown ale or lager beer and cover. Cook for four hours at 30o degrees. Remove pork from sauce and shred with two forks. Place pork back in sauce and serve warm on a toasted bun.