Introduction: A Taste of Mad Jack’s at Home
Last spring I had the chance to visit Mad Jack’s Mountaintop BBQ in Cloudcroft for a story I was writing for New Mexico Magazine’s July issue. James Jackson, owner and pitmaster of Mad Jacks, has a loyal and passionate following for his hospitality and kindness just as much as his exceptional barbeque. His wood fired smokers run throughout the night and in the morning brisket, sausages, pork shoulder, chicken and turkey legs are pulled from barrels just in time for them to rest before Jackson opens the door and starts slicing meats to order with his crew.
For the article Jackson helped me think through how home cooks could approach pork shoulder using their oven instead of a smoker. Now, I’m not going to say that this rivals the incredible flavor and tenderness that comes after slowly cooking meat in a smoker fired with post oak he brings in from Texas. For that, I suggest a road trip down south to Cloudcroft. But a good rub and eight hours in a low oven will get you pretty far.
The Secret’s in the Rub: A New Mexico Twist
This is an adaptation of Jackson’s rub which has a distinct sweet and spicy punch with notes of celery seed lingering throughout. Here, I swap out most of the celery seed for High Desert Herbs (a blend of marjoram, lavender, rosemary, thyme, New Mexico red chile flakes and sage) and swap out cayenne pepper for New Mexico Chile Powder. You might find that you have some rub left over. Just make sure to have very clean and dry hands when handling the rub mixture and you can save it for seasoning all kinds of meat and vegetables.
How to serve this slow roasted pork shoulder?
On the day I made this, I also made a lime, sesame and ginger vinaigrette and made a big salad with Ground Stone Farms greens, cucumbers, cilantro, scallions and warm pork shoulder over the top. My husband Hans had salad on the side because he had a different idea. He piled the pulled pork shoulder into tortillas and got the BBQ sauce out of the fridge. We had different ideas about the best way to eat something that had been making our house smell good all day and both were perfect, so I’ll let you use your best judgement.
Mad Jack’s Slow Roasted Pork Shoulder: Oven-Baked BBQ Perfection
Recreate the flavors of Mad Jack’s Mountaintop BBQ at home with this slow-roasted, oven-baked pork shoulder recipe featuring a unique New Mexico-inspired rub. Perfect for sandwiches, salads, and more!
- Prep Time: 1 hour
- Cook Time: 8 hours
- Total Time: 9 hours
- Yield: 10-12 servings
- Category: BBQ, dinner, winter
- Method: slow roast
- Cuisine: New Mexican
Ingredients
- 2 T. packed dark brown sugar
- 1 T. kosher salt
- 1 T. New Mexico Red Chile Powder
- 1 T. High Desert Herbs (or Herbes de Provence)
- 1 T. coarse black pepper
- 1 T. dried onion flakes
- 2 t. garlic powder
- 2 t. smoked paprika
- 1 t. celery seed
- 1, 6 pound boneless pork shoulder, trimmed and tied with butcher twine
Instructions
Prepping the rub
In a small bowl, stir together the dark brown sugar, kosher salt, New Mexico Red Chile Powder, High Desert Herbs, coarse black pepper, dried onion flakes, garlic powder, smoked paprika and celery seed.
Slow Roasting Instructions
Rub some of the rub mixture on all sides of the tied pork shoulder and place the meat in a roasting pan with a rack if possible. Roast for around 8 hours, or until it reaches an internal temperature of 195 F. Leave uncovered until it has a nice “bark” developing and then gently cover it with foil so the outside doesn’t burn.
Resting and Shredding the Pork
When the pork is done cooking, let it rest at room temperature until it’s cool enough to safely pull apart into pieces with your hands. As you’re shredding the pork, sprinkle a little bit of the rub into the shredded meat, tasting as you go. You’ll have some extra rub to use at a later time.
Let cool to room temperature before transferring to the fridge for up to five days.