Pulled Pork Sandwiches with Homemade BBQ Sauce

By Foodiewife

I originally saw this Pulled Pork recipe on Food Network, Emeril Lagasse in 2004. This recipe is made in the oven, but this time my husband and I adapted this on the Weber, slow cooking it with chips. Wow! I will share with you both ways to make this. The BBQ sauce is off the hook, so I do recommend that you make both recipes (included). With the Weber, the cooking time can take 4-5 hours, and you'll need to add more briquettes. It's well worth the effort. In an oven, it will take about 6 hours to make.

I made Homemade Buns and served this with Creamy Cole Slaw. I will be posting all of the recipes on my blog, and I'll show you how to make it. www.foodiewife-kitchen.blogspot.com

Ingredients

• Emeril's ESSENCE Creole Seasoning (also referred to as Bayou Blast):
• 1 pork shoulder roast (Boston Butt or Picnic roast), about 6 to 8 pounds
• 4 teaspoons Essence, recipe follows
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• Homemade Barbecue Sauce, recipe follows
• 10 to 12 sandwich buns
• 2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
• 2 tablespoons salt
• 2 tablespoons garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon dried thyme
• Combine all ingredients thoroughly.
• Yield: 2/3 cup
• Homemade Barbecue Sauce*:
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 cups finely chopped onions
• 6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 2 1/4 teaspoons sweet paprika
• 2 teaspoons Essence, recipe follows
• 2 teaspoons dry mustard
• 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 3/4 cup cider vinegar
• 6 tablespoons dark brown sugar
• NOTE: cut back on the vinegar, if you prefer less of an acidic sauce. Add less cayenne and red pepper flakes, if you prefer less "heat".
• This sauce stores well in the refrigerator and is very versatile, depending on how you adjust the sugar to acid ratio.

Details

Servings 12
Preparation time 30mins
Cooking time 330mins
Adapted from foodiewife-kitchen.blogspot.com

Preparation

Step 1

Step 1, Make the Creole Seasoning ("Bayou Blast")
Set aside2 tsp of the seasoning for the BBQ sauce.

Step 2 - Prepare the pork with a Weber:

Remove the pork from the refrigerator and let it come to room temperature before proceeding. Season the roast well on all sides with the Essence, salt, and cayenne pepper.

Prepare the briquettes using a "chimney". (I never use lighter fluid). Soak wood chips for 30 minutes, drain.

Set one (or two) foil pans into the center of the grill.

When the briquettes are white, pour onto one half of the weber, then set soaked chips on top of the coals.

Place the seasoned pork above the pans (not on directly on the coals). Cover and open vent holes 3/4's (over the meat, opposite the coals).

After one hour, the meat should begin to have a crust. Add more briquettes and chips.

Every hour, add more briquettes (and chips, if desired) until cooked to 195F. We cooked a 4 pound pork shoulder butt and it was ready in about 4 1/2 hours.

OVEN DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 300F. Line a roasting pan with aluminum foil. Season the roast well on all sides with the Essence, salt, and cayenne pepper. Place a roasting rack inside the roasting pan and place the seasoned pork on the rack, fat side up. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 4 hours.

Remove the foil from the roast and continue to bake until the roast is very tender and will pull apart easily with a fork, about 2 hours longer. Remove the pork from the oven and set aside to cool slightly. Remove any excess fat from the roast and discard if desired.

The safest way to pull pork is to wear clean rubber gloves, simply grab the pork and pull. Or, you can use two forks to shred the pork.

You can serve the pork several different ways. We prefer to let people add their own BBQ sauce and to decide if they want to stack the cole slaw on top or eat it on the side. Some people like to serve this between white bread and with a pickle-- I like to make homemade hamburger buns and add some BBQ sauce.

The Weber technique imparts the most delicious smoky taste and make delicious "burn ends"-- the crunchy, crusty pork crust... so good!