So it’s raining outside, the grill is on strike, and the slow cooker just doesn’t want to cooperate, but you can’t get the idea of barbecue out of your mind. Thankfully, your oven is still by your side, and Oven-Roasted Pulled Pork is ready to blow your tastebuds away! Every inch of the pork is coated with a smoky, zesty, fragrant spice rub with just a touch of sweetness before slow roasting in the oven until it’s melt-in-your-mouth tender. Then the shredded pork takes a swim in some homemade barbecue sauce for that extra hit of backyard cookout flavor before being piled onto buns! Oven-Roasted Pulled Pork requires a little of your time to make, but you won’t find sandwiches like this anywhere else!
Ingredients
For the pork:
- 4 pounds pork shoulder, boneless
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar, packed
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 12 ounces lager
For the barbecue sauce and sandwiches:
- 1 1/2 cups ketchup
- 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 cup dijon mustard
- 1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- buns, optional, of your choice, for serving
Directions
Step 1 –Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
Step 2 –Trim the excess fat from the pork and cut it into large pieces that can fit into a large dutch oven.
Step 3 –In a small bowl, combine 3 tablespoons of brown sugar with the salt, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, and pepper.
Step 4 –Rub the seasoning mixture all over the pork pieces on all sides.
Step 5 –Heat the vegetable oil in a large dutch oven on the stovetop.
Step 6 –Add the pork in batches to the hot oil and sear until lightly golden-brown on all sides, being careful not to let the spices burn.
Step 7 –Add the beer to the dutch oven around the pork and cover the dutch oven with the lid.
Step 8 –Place the dutch oven in the oven and cook until the pork begins to turn tender, for about 3 hours.
Step 9 –Remove the lid and continue cooking until the pork is very tender and pulls apart easily with a fork, about 1-2 hours.
Step 10 –Remove the pork from the dutch oven and let rest.
Step 11 –To the pan drippings in the dutch oven, whisk in the ketchup, mustard, remaining brown sugar, and Worcestershire sauce.
Step 12 –Over medium-high heat, bring the sauce mixture to a boil.
Step 13 –Reduce the heat and simmer until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.
Step 14 –Shred the pork with two forks.
Step 15 –Toss the shredded pork with about 1/2 of the barbecue sauce.
Step 16 –Serve the pork on the buns with the remaining barbecue sauce.
