Montauk Pioneer - October 9, 2009- Food for Tauk

This week's recipe is one I've been itching to share with you all. It's one of the best creations in food, and it's Pulled Pork. Pork is the king of all meats for me, and taking a whole pork shoulder and cooking it for 8 hours until it's falling off the bone is pure foodie heaven. Sometimes I find myself nibbling so much as I'm shredding the meat that when it comes time for dinner, I'm already full (the dangers of being the cook!)

I find that a lot of people, including my own mother, love the combination of pulled pork and cole slaw. Mayonnaise and me don't get along, so I like to load my pulled pork with tangy, crunchy pickles - it is to die for. To each their own!

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we did!

8-10 lb Pork Shoulder (with about 40 holes poked in the flesh with a paring knife)

20 cloves of garlic cut in halfs

3 tablespoons of spice rub of your choice (I use Dad's Rowdy Rub: 1/4 cup Brown sugar

2 tablespoons salt; 2 tablespoons garlic powder; 4 tablespoons sweet paprika; 1 teaspoon cumin; 2 tablespoons chili powder.

In an extra large saucepot or Dutch oven, warm 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat. After you have stuffed all of the garlic into the holes you created in the meat, rub on about 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil, your spice rub, and some extra salt and pepper. Rub onto meat until completely coated.

Making sure your saucepot and oil is hot, begin browning your meat on all sides. You want to hear that nice sizzle when you put your meat into the pot - this will seal the meat, and keep the juices inside, while creating a lovely crust on the outside of the pork.

Once all sides are browned, fill your pot all of the way to the top with water. Cover and let simmer on the stove for at least 8 hours.

*This can also be done in a slow cooker. You can brown your meat in a skillet, and then place into your slow cooker and cook on low for 6-8 hours.

After 8 hours of cooking, the meat will be literally falling off the bone. Carefully remove from pot, and discard the bones, and most of your cooking liquid, saving 2 cups to add to your BBQ sauce of choice.

To shred your pork, I like to use the two-fork method, and literally use my forks to shred through the meat.

Meanwhile, reduce your 2 cups of cooking liquid over medium heat (if using a slow cooker, you'll want to transfer liquid to a saucepan on the stove. Add 1 cup of your favorite BBQ sauce to the cooking liquid and whisk gently to combine. Let cook for about 5 minutes, and then pour over your pulled pork. Serve as is, or on a roll with pickles or cole slaw. Enjoy!