Name: Oven-Roasted Pulled Pork Recipe
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 150 min
Total time: 165 min
Ingredients: 3 lbs pork shoulder roast; 1 tbsp paprika; 1 tbsp cumin; 1 tbsp smoked paprika; ½ tbsp onion powder; ½ tbsp garlic powder; ½ tsp ground ginger; ¼ cup brown sugar; 2 tbsp salt; ½ cup BBQ sauce; ½ cup ketchup; ¼ cup Garlic Honey Diana Sauce; 1 tbsp mustard; 1-2 tbsp brown sugar

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Oven-roasted pulled pork is the ultimate comfort food. It’s so tasty and contrary to popular belief it’s not all that difficult to make.

Oven-baked pulled pork makes an appearance at my parties all the time. It’s so easy to make and even though it takes time to cook it’s not actually time-consuming.

Once you place it in the oven all the magic happens without your intervention.

Preparing Oven-Roasted Pulled Pork

Ingredients

Pork Shoulder: A cut of pork usually containing a layer of fat, which you want for this recipe, and sometimes includes the bone. This cut is often also called the pork butt, or Boston butt. We use a boneless cut for this recipe. If you use bone-in, it may take longer to achieve the desired internal temperature of a minimum 190°F.

Rub

Paprika: I use sweet paprika and smoked paprika for this recipe. The former is not sweet in the sugary sense, but compared to its spicy and smoked siblings it is definitely the sweetest of them all. Smoked paprika is just as it sounds, smoked before it is dried and ground. It has a very deep and bold flavour so be careful not to overdo it if you choose to deviate from the recipe.

Cumin: Cumin is a seed from a plant that is part of the parsley family. Though the plant is native to Asia and the Mediterranean, the spice is used in cuisines all over the world. I would describe the flavour as pungent and earthy.

Onion powder: Onion powder is made from dehydrated onions which are then ground. White, yellow or red onions can be used to make onion powder. It is a very common spice that is used in many spice mixes.

Garlic Powder: Garlic powder is dehydrated garlic ground to a powder. It’s sweeter than raw garlic so it just adds a hint of garlic flavour without the sharpness.

Ground Ginger: For this recipe, we use fresh ginger which is the root of the ginger plant. It is native to Asia and is packed with antioxidants. Ginger is often used for medicinal purposes in eastern medicine and is packed with flavour. Ground ginger is dried fresh ginger that is ground to a powder. It has a very strong flavour just like its fresh counterpart so should be used in moderation.

Brown sugar: Brown sugar is a mixture of white sugar and molasses. Molasses is responsible for the darker colour.

Sauce

BBQ sauce: BBQ sauce is a tangy, smoky sauce with a hint of sweetness. It’s usually a brown colour which can come from molasses, brown sugar or Worcestershire sauce. It’s most often used on grilled meats. There are many varieties of BBQ sauce so choose one that you enjoy. It’s a dominant flavour in this recipe so you have to like the one you use.

Ketchup: Ketchup is the default condiment in America but variations are seen all over the world. It actually has roots in Chinese cooking where tomatoes were not even an ingredient. Over the years

, it has morphed into what we know today to be a red, sweet and slightly tangy sauce or dip.

Garlic Honey Diana Sauce: Diana Sauce Gourmet Honey Garlic is a moderately viscous, spicy, red tomato-based BBQ sauce, containing unique sweet-sour characteristics which are enhanced by honey and garlic overtones.[i]

Mustard: Mustard is made from a mustard seed that is ground and combined with other spices, as well as vinegar and other liquids. The yellow colour is often derived from turmeric spice. It is tangy and sharp in flavour.

Brown sugar: see above.

How to Make Oven-Baked Pulled Pork

Start by preheating the oven to 350°F.

While the oven is warming up, make the rub. Combine all of the rub ingredients in a small bowl and stir well to combine. Make sure there are no big clumps of brown sugar. You may have small granules which is fine.

Season the pork shoulder with the rub making sure it is well coated on all sides. You should use all the rub.

Place the seasoned pork shoulder on the wire rack of a roasting pan. Ideally, you want to put the pork fat side up. This ensures that as the fat melts it moistens the meat.

Put the pan in the preheated oven and cook until the internal temperature reaches 190°F-200°F. Mine took about two and half hours.

While the pork is in the oven, make the sauce by combining all of the sauce ingredients in a medium bowl. Add one tablespoon of brown sugar at a time and taste test to make sure it’s not too sweet. If you prefer a less sweet sauce, taste test before adding any sugar.

When the temperature reaches about 20 degrees below your target, increase the temperature to 400°F and bake until you reach a temperature of at least 190°F. If you prefer more of a crust on the outside of your pork, broil on high for another 2-3 minutes in the end.

Once you remove the pork shoulder from the pan, use two forks to separate, or shred the meat. I like to do this on a wooden cutting board.

Put the shredded meat into a large bowl or dish and pour in the sauce. Mix the pulled pork with the sauce until fully coated and serve on a bun.

If you are making the pork ahead of time. Mix it with the sauce in an oven-safe dish. Then, before serving put it in a 350°F oven to heat through.

Substitutions

Brown Sugar: In the sauce, you can skip the brown sugar or use honey instead. If using honey, add one tablespoon at a time to make sure it’s not too sweet. If you don’t have either but have Diana sauce, replace the brown sugar with more Diana Sauce.

Serving Oven-Roasted Pulled Pork

My favourite way to serve, and eat pulled pork is on slider buns. Brioche buns are the best kind of bread to use for pulled pork sandwiches, but really any dinner roll type bun is fantastic.

What goes well ON a pulled pork sandwich? Here are some of my favourites:

Bread and butter pickles
Creamy coleslaw
Hot pepper rings
Mustard
Honey mustard
Pickled vegetables

What goes well WITH a pulled pork sandwich? Try these sides:

Corn salsa
Creamy Coleslaw
Pickle salad
Sauerkraut slaw
Cucumber salad
Grilled corn
Caesar salad
Grilled vegetables

There are other ways to serve pulled pork as well. Usually, this is what I make with the leftovers. Try adding pulled pork to an omelette. Top with cheese and melt until nice and gooey.

Another favourite is to make loaded nachos with pulled pork. Place one layer of nacho chips on a pan, top with some pulled pork then cheese. Add another layer of nacho chips, more pulled pork and cheese and then any other toppings you like. Bake on 350°F for 15 minutes and you’re all set.

Let us know in the comments if you have any questions. And if you like this recipe be sure to leave us a five-star rating below.

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[i] https://www.kraftheinzfoodservice.ca/en-ca/product/10057000823525/DIANA-Sauce-Honey-Garlic-378L-2#:~:text=Diana%20Sauce%20Gourmet%20Honey%20Garlic,by%20honey%20and%20garlic%20overtones.

Oven-Roasted Pulled Pork