Pulled Pork Perfection! Tender, Juicy, and Oh-So Delicious!

• 3 lbs pork roast (butt or shoulder, preferably bone-in) - see notes below for a larger roast
• 1 ½ tsp kosher salt (3/4 tsp if using fine table salt)
• 2 tbsp dark brown sugar
• 1 ½ tsp paprika
• ½ tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 ½ tsp chili powder
• ½ tsp cayenne. optional
• 6 tbsp barbeque sauce, plus more to adjust the flavour of final product
• ⅓ cup chicken stock (plus more as needed)
• 2 onions, sliced into thick slices
• 2 tbsp oil
• 2 tsp liquid smoke, optional
• buns, for serving
• coleslaw, for serving
• Other fixins such as sliced jalapenos, pickles, cilantro, tomatoes, peppers, etc.

Instructions

1. 1

   Mix the salt, brown sugar, pepper, chili powder, paprika, garlic powder, and cayenne, and rub over the pork roast. This can be used right away or refrigerated, covered in plastic, for several hours or overnight. If you are using a roast that is double the size of the roast in this recipe, double the amount of spices.

2. 2

   Preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C).

3. 3

   Heat the oil in a Dutch oven and quickly sear the roast all over. It will only take a few minutes as the sugar will burn fast. You can do that, or I found that broiling works very well too. Alternatively, this step could be skipped entirely, if desired, but it does deepen the flavour. Remove the roast to a plate.

4. 4

   Sauté the onions until softened and beginning to brown. Be careful not to burn them. Set the pork roast on top of the onions. Note that you can skip sautéing the onions and set the pork on a bed of raw onions. However, when the pork comes out of the oven, the onions may not be caramelized enough. In that case, you will be able to finish caramelizing the onions in a skillet.

5. 5

   Mix 6 tbsp (90ml) of barbecue sauce, liquid smoke, and about 1/3 cup (80ml) chicken stock and pour gently over the onions (not over the pork, as that will wash off the rub). Please note that the goal with adding the liquid is not to submerge the pork. Having some liquid adds flavour, moisture, and provides assurance that your onions and pork won't burn. A little amount of liquid goes a long way. *If using a larger roast or larger Dutch oven, you may need a bit more chicken stock, just to gently coat the bottom of the pot.

6. 6

   Cover and place in the oven. Roasting time will take anywhere between 3.5 and 5 hours. For me, it was 4.5 hours. The pork should be fork-tender and falling off the bone—literally, if you insert the fork, you should have no resistance and the meat should fall apart. If using bone-in pork, the meat should simply fall off the bone. There are many variables responsible for the exact cooking time, so if your meat is not fork-tender at 4.5 hours, cook longer, checking every half hour. The good thing is that it's nearly impossible to overcook the pork when roasting it with this method at low heat in a covered Dutch oven. Please note that it will take longer for a larger roast. Roasting two 3.5 lb (1.6 kg) roasts in a large, tightly sealed baking dish took me 5.5 to 6 hours.

7. 7

   Remove the pork and allow it to cool slightly before shredding with a fork (shred to your liking, but resist shredding too finely).

8. 8

   The onions and sauce left behind will be used to flavour your pork. Add more chicken stock, if needed, to deglaze the pan and turn the onion mixture into a nice sauce. Skim as much fat as possible off the top. Although you can skim the fat and mix everything together and serve, it's ideal to wrap each component separately and refrigerate for a couple of hours (onions, pork, and sauce all separate). The reason for that is that all the fat in the sauce will rise to the top and you will be able to remove it easily when it solidifies, plus this will give more time for the flavours to meld together even more. Otherwise, your dish will likely contain lots of fat. Besides, make-ahead dishes are great and make for excellent no-stress dinner party dishes! Fold the pork into the onions and sauce. Taste. Season with salt and pepper. Feel free to fold in more barbecue sauce, according to taste. I folded in another 1/2 cup (120ml). Slice the buns in half and scoop out the flesh from the top portion of the bun (this will ensure a much better, more balanced ratio between the amount of bread and pork), and toast the buns. I toast them under the broiler until golden and very well toasted, making them slightly crunchy and sturdier to hold all the saucy pork and coleslaw. Top each bun with some pulled pork, coleslaw, and other fixings such as sliced jalapeños or pickles. Serve and enjoy! If the onions are not as caramelized as desired, simply finish caramelizing them in a skillet on the stove top over medium-high heat, stirring frequently. If you added too much liquid and the sauce is too thin, simply boil it in a pot on the stove top until reduced (after you have removed the pork). If you don't have enough liquid left, simply add chicken stock, barbecue sauce, or a combination of both to moisten your pork. If at any point during the cooking process there isn't enough liquid in your pot (unlikely), feel free to add a few more splashes of chicken stock. For the make-ahead option, reheat the pork together with the sauce and onions, covered, for about 30 minutes in a 350°F (175°C) oven. It's very easy to do. If you get a larger roast or two 3 lb (1.4 kg) roasts, simply double all the ingredients (except chicken stock—you may need a bit more, but not necessarily twice the amount). Expect the cooking time to be a bit longer—closer to 5.5 to 6 hours.