Pulled Pork and BBQ Sauce
I prefer to use a Picnic roast but at the slabfest I used a Picnic roast and a Boston butt mixed because I couldn't find 2 picnics.
Rub INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup paprika
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon chili powder (I use homemade chili powder from various dried Mexican chilies you can get at a Mexican market then ground to powder at home.)
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
Optional: 1 teaspoon cayenne (I didn't put this in for the slabfest but I usually do. I wasn't sure how people would feel about the kick.)
Rub and the longer you let it set the better within reason. I usually put it in the fridge over night. This rub also works great on ribs.
I put it on the smoker at 225-250 degrees F until the internal temp is 195-200. The two I cooked took about 26 hours. I spray it a few times with apple juice which slows the cook time down but gives it a great flavor. I would suggest using a high quality apple juice.
BBQ Sauce Ingredients
2 tablespoons American chili powder ( I used my homemade Mexican again they have better chilies.)
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon table salt
2 cups ketchup
1/2 cup yellow ballpark-style mustard
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1/3 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup steak sauce
1/4 cup dark molasses
1/4 to 3/4 cup honey (I use 3/4)
1 teaspoon hot sauce (optional I did not include this in the stuff at slabfest.)
1 cup dark brown sugar
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
4 medium cloves of garlic, crushed or minced
1) In a small bowl, mix the American chili powder, black pepper, and salt. In a large bowl, mix the ketchup, mustard, vinegar, Worcestershire, lemon juice, steak sauce, molasses, honey, hot sauce, and brown sugar. Mix them, but you don't have to mix thoroughly.
2) Over medium heat, warm the oil in a large saucepan. Add the onions and saute until limp and translucent, about 5 minutes. Crush the garlic, add it, and cook for another minute. Add the dry spices and stir for about 2 minutes to extract their oil-soluble flavors. Add the wet ingredients. Simmer over medium heat for 15 minutes with the lid off to thicken it a bit.
3) Taste and adjust. Add more of anything that you want a little bit at a time. It may taste a bit vinegary at first, but that will be less obvious when you use it on meat. I recommend you run with my recipe the first time and then you can make it your own. Strain it if you don't want the chunks of onion and garlic. I like leaving them in, they give the sauce a home-made texture. You can use it immediately, but I think it's better when aged overnight. You can store it into clean bottles in the refrigerator for a month or two.
