This weekend has been/will continue to be an unusually delicious one. 2 separate reasons for special meals happened to align into one magical weekend of food. Paola’s parents are up visiting to see our new house, and to celebrate her dad’s birthday. When planning the meal, we knew we wanted to BBQ something (something I haven’t been able to do while in a studio apartment, about 3 years). The best thing I know how to make is this Carolina Red Pulled Pork, whose recipe I got from a Weber cookbook called “The Art of Charcoal Grilling.”
It is arguably the best meat+fire combination in the history of man. Smokey, tangy, sweet, robust…it is everything you want from BBQ. And it takes about 7 hours over low coals with hickory chips. I first discovered this when I made it for July 4th several years ago, and it was my wife’s birthday wish that same year. I’ve only made it twice since then, but each time it has gotten better, and I have altered the recipe a bit.
It starts with Pork: 5-6 pound pork shoulder, also known as the butt (ha ha junior high students)Then you make a spice rub, which is really quite simple. I think 5 ingredients for this one.
After that you *gasp* rub the rub on the pork!
While this is going on, it’s helpful to set up your grill. 2 zone fire, meaning small fire on one side. This recipe called for a foil pan to catch the fat dripping off the meat, filled with a bit of water.
Once you get the meat on, it’s a long waiting game. This is not fast food. This is real food. And trust me; your patience will be rewarded. Here’s an hour in:
Here’s 3 hours:
Here’s 6 hours:
And here it is after I pulled it from the grill to rest. Total cooking time just about 7 hours. Each hour you add a little more charcoal and some soaked hickory chips. I’m super full as I write this and my mouth is watering thinking about it. It’s that good.
You see the homemade BBQ sauce on the left? Super easy and amazing. Tangy, laced with Tabasco and brown sugar. It is the touch that takes this from delicious to outrageous.
Some more shots of the meat:
Next you simply shred it with forks or your hands, and mix it with the sauce. This one roast made a LOT of pulled pork.
Then put it on a buttered toasted Kaiser Roll, top with Cole Slaw, and slip into BBQ Nirvana. Like nothing you have ever had.
Game over. It doesn’t get any better. But we’re going to try tomorrow, when we’re making homemade ravioli with grilled shrimp. I’ll document that process too! Man, food makes me happy. Especially when we get to share it with good people. This has been a great evening. Can’t wait for tomorrow!
Peter Gothold 