Recipe Background
Dad's Pulled Pork is a family traditional dish, marked by the use of smoky paprika and slow-roasting for tender, flavorful results.
Dad’s Pulled Pork became a legend in our family on a fortuitous spring day when I first brought my fiancée over to meet my parents. Her eyes widened at the mention of pulled pork, a dish she had declared to be the barometer of any cook's skill. Determined to win her over, I called Dad for his trusted recipe, knowing that his particular method of using sweet smoky paprika added a magic touch. As we blended the garlic and mustard powders with dark brown sugar, a sense of nostalgia mixed with excitement filled the kitchen. Each ingredient held a particular meaning that day, a tapestry of tastes leading us down family memory lanes.
In the oven, the six-pound pork shoulder gently transformed into a masterpiece, perfumed with its pungent barbecue wrap. I learned the importance of letting it rest wrapped in plastic overnight, a chef’s secret for deeper flavor absorption that was not to be rushed. Five hours into roasting, we basted it lavishly with Dad’s favorite BBQ sauce, timing it perfectly to re-introduce to the oven. As the aroma filled the house, their laughter resonated through the walls, hinting at approval and shared contentment.
At the dining table, we piled the tender, pulled pork onto buns, ensuring the sauce didn’t overpower but complemented the spices. My fiancée’s first bite was met with an approving nod and dazzling smile. Dad’s Pulled Pork wasn’t just a meal; it became a family tradition and the first step in creating our own culinary legacy together.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 tablespoons sea salt
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon mustard powder
- 1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons sweet smoky paprika
- 6 pounds pork shoulder
- barbeque sauce to taste
- buns to taste, for serving
Directions
- In a small bowl, combine the sea salt, the garlic powder, the mustard powder, the brown sugar, and the paprika.
- Rub the pork shoulder generously with the seasoning mixture.
- Wrap the pork shoulder in plastic wrap and refrigerate it for at least 1 hour and up to overnight.
- Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
- Discard the plastic wrap and place the pork into a roasting pan.
- Roast the pork until a meat thermometer inserted into the center of the pork reads 200 degrees F, about 6 hours.
- At the 5-hour mark, transfer the pork from the oven, baste with the barbeque sauce, and promptly return it to the oven to finish cooking.
- Serve the pork on the buns with the barbeque sauce.
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