Pork: Chiqui's Pulled Pork

Chiqui's Pulled Pork

Boneless pork butt at least 5 pounds (These go on sale all the time for about $.89 a pound so get a big one and freeze it in portions after it is cooked. It reheats beautifully in the microwave!!)

Rinse and pat dry the meat. Take a very sharp knife and make about 10-15 slits in the fatty side of the meat and fill the slits with slivers of garlic.

In a small bowl combine the following dry ingredients:

1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 - 1 tsp. Tony's seasoning (to your taste) (this is a Creole-based seasoned salt)
2 tsp. lemon-pepper
1/2 tsp. granulated garlic
2 Tbs. Colman's dry mustard powder
1-2 Tbs. liquid smoke

Mix well and rub all over the pork butt. Wrap meat in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. Early in the morning, place the meat on a rack (you can use a cookie cooling rack if you like) Fat side up and place in a large roasting pan. Thinly slice one Vidalia or yellow onion and scatter over the roast. Pour 1 cup of water in the pan and loosely cover the roast with foil. Let roast sit out for two hours to come to room temperature.

Place in a 250°F oven and roast for at least 7 hours.......longer if the roast is larger....figure about one hour and fifteen min. (1:15) per pound. Uncover the roast for the last two hours. (No need to baste) Allow the meat to rest for about 30 min. after removing from the oven and then, while still warm, take two forks and "pull" the meat to form shreds. Place in another pan and top with a moderate amount of your favorite barbeque sauce. (I like good ole Kraft Hickory Smoked...or homemade sauce!! but you use whatever your favorite is!!)

The traditional way to serve this in on heated buns dressed with a good crispy coleslaw and sliced dill pickles. Enjoy!!

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Chiqui's revised version (2007):

2 large 5-7 lb. pork shoulders or pork butts
3 large cloves garlic, peeled and cut into slivers

Make slits all over the pork shoulders, fatty side up. Fill each slit with a sliver of garlic.

Season the pork shoulders with the following ingredients that have been mixed together in a bowl:

1 tsp. Tony’s seasoning, or more to taste
1 tsp. lemon-pepper
2 Tbs. Colman’s dry mustard (for each shoulder)
½ cup brown sugar (for each shoulder)

Place pork shoulders in a large aluminum foil, roasting pan lined with two sheets of heavy duty foil. (Fat side up). Season each pork shoulder with the above ingredients then sprinkle 2 tablespoons of Wright’s liquid smoke over each of the two pieces of meat.

Thinly slice two Vidalia or yellow onions and scatter over the roasts. Cover tightly with foil and place on a large cookie sheet for support.

Place roasts in a 400°F oven for one hour. Reduce heat to 225° and roast for 6 hours. Open up foil and roll under the sides of the pan and return meat to oven at 350° for last two hours to create a nice crispy crust.

Remove roasts carefully from pan. Meat should almost fall off the bones. Remove any large pieces of fat and using two forks shred or “pull” the meat into pieces. Remove as much fat from the pan drippings as possible.

Pour a little of the pan drippings over the meat.
Pour remaining drippings along with any of the bits of onion into a saucepan.

Add 6 tablespoons good quality honey,
1 bottle of Stubb’s Mild BBQ Sauce,
1 bottle of Cajun Power Garlic sauce.

Bring up to heat and stir to combine all ingredients. Serve the sauce on the side.

Get a good quality bun or Kaiser roll and prepare a good coleslaw to serve on the side.