Lousy day here today - gray and damp. I am thinking of things related to warmer weather - like BBQ.
A slow cooked pork shoulder with hickory smoke... pulled from the bone and served with Lexington sauce is amazing. Add a side of coleslaw, dill pickles, BBQ beans, white bread and a cold one and you have the makings of a great picnic.
Pulled Pork
Always use a pork shoulder for this. I use salt, lime juice, and a Jamaican jerk dry rub with allspice, brown sugar, scotch bonnet pepper flakes and other mystery stuff in it. Rub thoroughly into the pork and refrigerate about 12 - 24 hours before cooking. I use a very low temperature (about 250 - 275), in a roasting pan with rack and water in a second side pan. Wrap some wood chips- hickory is traditional - in foil, put on the grill (punch some holes in the foil), and cook for about 4 to 6 hours, depending on the size of the shoulder. This is the 'quick' pulled pork method. The sauce goes on the side. Hope that you like it.
Lexington Sauce:
2-1/2 Cups apple cider vinegar
1/2 Cup tomato ketsup
2 -3 Tablespoons packed brown sugar
1 -2 Tablespoons Louisiana hot sauce (Crystal or similar)
1/2 teaspoon of Liquid Smoke (Hickory)
4 Teaspoons of salt
4 Teaspoons red pepper flakes
1 Bay leaf
1 Teaspoon ground black pepper
1 Teaspoon ground white pepper
1-1/2 Teaspoons of the dry rub used on the pork shoulder
I heat the vinegar, add all the ingredients and stir until smooth. Then I put it in a clean jar, allow it to cool, and put it in the fridge for storage. When serving, warm the sauce and provide individual side bowls for dipping the pulled pork.