Oven-Barbecue Pulled Pork

Warning: It is highly recommended that you not look at this post while hungry. The Hungry Hutch does not take responsibility for what happens to your stomach and the subsequent effect on your refrigerator (or wallet in the case of New Yorkers that have a penchant for ordering take-out).

Introducing the piece de resistance – about 12 or 13 pounds of some of the most delicious meat you’ve ever put in your mouth: the pork shoulder! I’ll leave you two alone for a while so you can get acquainted…

Now I know this looks quite impressive and very intimidating, but I have to admit that it is pretty much fool proof. It’s nearly impossible to over cook unless you decide to go on a vacation while it’s in the oven.

The Spice Rub: 1/2 cup brown sugar; 1/4 cup salt; 1/8 cup each of chili powder, cumin, black pepper, cayenne pepper, ground ginger, garlic powder, and Hungarian (hot) paprika.

Step 1: Cover with spice rub.

Step 2: Put fat side up in a pan, pour in some orange juice, and cover with foil.

Step 3: Put in a 325 degree oven for 5-6 hours. (Trust me—it’s well worth it.)

Step 4: Find something to do for 5-6 hours. Here are some ideas for things to do to pass the time: wash a few loads of laundry, clean your room, watch a movie or two, catch up on your DVR recordings, or take a nap. Feel free to mix and match as you see fit.

Step 5: Remove foil for last hour of the cooking time and baste with your favorite barbecue sauce (I’m a fan of Sweet Baby Ray’s).

Aside: And have you ever seen a purple potato before? I sure as heck hadn’t. As soon as I saw it listed online (yes, I order most of my groceries over the internet) I knew I had to buy it for the novelty factor alone.

Step 6: I almost forgot a key step! (My bad…) Reduce all of the wonderful juices that have accumulated at the bottom of the pan to make a delicious sauce for the pork.