7 Quick Recipes Under $15 - Pulled Pork

Here's my take on the pulled pork from the 7 Quick Recipes Under $15.

I was going to cook the pork shoulder in the crock pot since I never have time to roast a cut of meat for 5 to 7 hours and then let it rest for up to 2 more.  However, the cut of meat I bought was smaller than the recommended one AND we are in the midst of yet another big snowstorm so we weren't going anywhere this afternoon.  So, roast slow and low I did and, to be honest, I wish I used the slow cooker after all.  In the end, our meat was not tender enough to pull apart with two forks.  I have cooked pork loins and roasts in the crock pot and had much more success at getting the texture I wanted.  The entire dinner would have come in around $15 IF you already had all of the spices (we did) and you didn't need to buy the hot sauce and salsa (we didn't) and you got a fab deal on the meat (try Costco for a large pork shoulder at under $2 a pound).  There is so much meat, that this would feed a crowd and is a pretty good deal in that sense.   I guess this was quick if you only counted the prep time and not the cooking time.  Don't get me wrong, the meal was pretty good and the flavor of meat was nice.  The kids ate it too with minimal complaining (except for my  5 year old son who almost died when I made him eat two bites of avocado!), so that's a big plus.  So if you're interested, here's the recipe in it's original form.  Happy Cooking!


Ingredients
3 Tbsp sweet paprika
2 Tbsp chili powder
2 Tbsp ground cumin
2 Tbsp dark brown sugar
2 Tbsp salt
1 Tbsp dried oregano
1 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp black pepper
1 Tbsp white pepper
1-2 tsp cayenne or chipotle
1 pork shoulder, about 8 pounds
Flour or corn tortillas
Guacamole
Salsa
Hot sauce

Mix all spices together.

Dry the pork shoulder with paper towels, place in baking pan that is bigger than the shoulder by at least a inch in length and width, and at least 3 inches deep. Sprinkle dry rub onto the surface of the shoulder and massage in such that it adheres to the surface. Coat all sides. Make sure the fat layer on the shoulder is facing up before cooking.

Place baking pan uncovered in a 225 F oven on the middle rack. Roast until the center of the shoulder reaches 190 F. This could take 5 to 7 hours. When the shoulder has reached 190 F, shut off the oven and let the roast cool for a couple of hours before removing from the oven. If the bottom of the pan is dry (or crusted with dried spices) then cover the pan with foil to retain internal moisture of the meat during the cooling period. When the temperature drops to 170 F or slightly lower, remove from oven.

Place on a large, clean work surface such as a cutting board, and remove the large sheet of crusted fat on the top. Pull apart with two forks. It will pull apart very easily.

Fill tortillas with the pork, sprinkle some of the rub on the meat, and top with salsa, guacamole and hot sauce. This dish will feed about 14 hungry friends.


***We (a family of 4) had PLENTY of meat left over from a 3.5 pound shoulder.  We'll be cooking it up with some bbq sauce, shredding it up a bit more, and having bbq pork sandwiches with cole slaw and oven fries later this week.