pork shoulder

For years my go-to way of preparing pulled pork revolved around the idea of submerging caramelized meat in the oven with broth and aromatics (like onion, garlic, cilantro stems, and a jalapeno) over low heat for many hours, sometimes even overnight in the crock pot. I have always loved braising because eventually all of the toughness disappears, not only creating strands of tender meat but just as much because of the luscious broth that’s left behind that can be used for reheating meat, soup, stew or to freeze for a rainy day. 

Why roast it?

This recipe approaches pork shoulder in another effective way—through roasting. And even though we forfeit a few quarts of liquid gold that come from braising, we end up with melt-in-your-mouth shreds of tender meat and crispy pork skin speckled throughout, perfect for drizzling, dunking or tossing in Red Chile High Desert BBQ Sauce, a chile based sauce spiked with a generous pour of mezcal and softened with a hunk of butter. 

The butt is the shoulder

This recipe calls for Pork Shoulder (also called Picnic Shoulder or Picnic Roast), but Pork Butt (also called Boston Butt) is technically part of the front shoulder and some might even argue is a better choice so let’s talk about it: Pork Butt is not from the rear of the pig at all, but a primal cut right behind the pig head. Late in the 19th century the topsy-turvy name was coined and stuck. The shoulder on the other hand, sits right below the butt and travels down the front leg toward the hoof. Pork Butt has more fat marbling throughout the meat, which renders during cooking adding more moisture and flavor. Pork shoulder has less fat throughout the meat, but often a thicker piece of fat on top, which crisps up beautifully during the final minutes of cooking. So either way you can’t lose. 

Prep the day before

I like to make pulled pork and BBQ sauce the day before a backyard barbecue, so when I wake up the next morning all I have to do is sip on coffee and think about how all the big lifting for the day is done. The grill is also wide open, with plenty of room for grilling buttered buns, vegetables, and fruit. Aside from making delicious sandwiches, this combo of roasted pork and bbq sauce can be put to use in many ways. You could fill tortillas for tacos, sprinkle on salads, serve with rice or quinoa, eggs, etc. The Bbq Sauce stands on its own, pairing well with shrimp, white fish, veggies, chicken, or drizzled on burgers and brats.

Red Chile Mezcal BBQ Pulled Pork

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This bbq pulled pork turns your classic american backyard barbecue into a Southwest-themed party by kicking up the flavors with red chile and mezcal. This slow-cooked meat is perfect on toasted buns, tortillas, crispy taco shells, or on your favorite southwest salad.

• Author: Marianne Sundquist
• Prep Time: 1 hour
• Cook Time: 4 hours
• Total Time: 5 hours
• Yield: 10-12 servings
• Category: BBQ
• Method: Roast
• Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Units USM

for the pork:

• 3 t. whole coriander seed
• 1 t. black peppercorns
• 1 t. dried juniper berries
• 2 T. packed brown sugar
• 1 T. red chile powder, whatever heat you prefer
• 1 T. high desert herbs or herbes de provence
• 2 t. kosher salt
• 2 t. garlic powder
• 1 t. dried culinary lavender
• 4 lb. boneless pork shoulder

for the high desert bbq sauce:

• 4 T. butter
• 1 c. diced onion
• 4 garlic cloves, sliced
• 1/2 c. mezcal
• 2 c. (1 pt.) mild Red chile puree
• 2 t. Dijon mustard
• 1/4 c. apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 c. brown sugar
• 2 t. worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 t. black pepper
• 1 1/2 t. kosher salt

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Instructions

Making the spice rub

The night before, make the spice rub: In a small pan over medium heat, toast the coriander, peppercorns, and juniper berries until they are lightly toasted and you start to smell their fragrance wafts out from the pan. Transfer this to a very dry blender, along with the brown sugar, red chile powder, herbs, salt, garlic powder, and lavender. Blend until pulverized into a fine powder. Lightly score any thick areas of fat with a sharp knife. Using all the spice rub, massage the pork all over with the spice rub and refrigerate overnight in an ovenproof baking dish.

Making the BBQ sauce

To make the bbq sauce: In a saucepan over medium heat melt the butter. Add the onion and garlic and let simmer until the onions turn translucent, around 10-15 minutes. Add the mezcal and let simmer for another 15 minutes. Add the chile puree, apple cider vinegar, dijon, brown sugar, Worcestershire, black pepper, and salt. Let this mixture simmer for another 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Carefully transfer the sauce to a blender and puree until smooth.

Roasting the pork shoulder

The next day when you’re ready to roast the pork shoulder, pull the pork from the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature for a half hour. Preheat the oven to 275 F. Roast pork in the oven, uncovered for around 3-4 hours, or until the internal temperature reads 190 F. on a thermometer. Turn the heat up to 500 F. and roast for an additional 10-15 minutes, until the skin is a deep golden brown and crispy. Remove the pork from the oven and let it rest for 30 minutes.

Pull apart the meat and crispy skin into strips and serve warm with bbq sauce on the side.