Posted: 07 Aug 2021 01:21 PM PDT
Pulled pork can be made from a pork shoulder roast or a Boston butt. Both cuts of meat come from the shoulder of the front legs of a hog. The pork shoulder (picnic roast) is the cut lower on the shoulder, and it includes the shank, whereas the Boston butt is the uppercut of the hog's shoulder.
If you caught my last article about dry rub seasoning a bone-in pork shoulder roast, this pulled pork is from that particular pork shoulder. I will add my list of spice ingredients again in this article for future reference.
After applying the dry spices and marinating the pork shoulder for two hours, I then placed it in a large cast-iron skillet and slow-roasted it for one hour; before placing the pork shoulder in the crockpot.
The pork shoulder slowly cooked all night in the crockpot. Then early this morning I pulled the pork apart with two forks. The bone fell off the meat without any work.
After the pork is shredded, barbecue sauce can be stirred into the pulled pork, if desired.
For this recipe, you'll need a bone-in pork shoulder (picnic roast) along with the following ingredients.
Ingredients for the seasoning
1 teaspoon of paprika
1 tablespoon of rosemary
2 teaspoons of garlic powder
1 teaspoon of onion powder
½ teaspoon of dried thyme
¼ teaspoon of fresh cracked ground black pepper
1 teaspoon of seasoning salt
I like adding paprika into my dry rub seasoning mix because it adds a hint of a sweet pepper taste, and it also gives the pork a rich color.
Serve the pulled pork on toasted buns with or without coleslaw.
Q&A
Why slow roast the pork shoulder in the oven before placing it in the crockpot?
After marinating the pork shoulder, place it in the oven, to slow roast for one hour because this helps brown the outside of the meat. Using paprika in the dry rub also aids with the browning technique.
Why brown the pork shoulder?
Searing (browning) locks the juices into the pork. This is not a necessary step, but it is worth doing. Browning enhances the flavor, as well as the texture of the meat.
Is a pork shoulder roast better than a Boston butt for making pulled pork?
Both cuts of meat make delicious pulled pork. It's all in how they are prepared that makes the difference. From my experience, I think that a shoulder picnic roast shreds better than a Boston butt. However, I never get any complaints about either.
A pork shoulder picnic roast will have some crispy bits of the skin in it, whereas a Boston butt will not.