Pulled Pork

🥘 Ingredients

Dry Rub

• brown sugar
  1/2 cup
• cayenne pepper
  1 tablespoon
• chili powder
  1 tablespoon
• garlic powder
  1 tablespoon
• ground cumin
  1 tablespoon
• ground pepper
  1 tablespoon
• onion powder
  1 tablespoon
• paprika
  1 tablespoon
• salt
  1 tablespoon

Brine

• bay leaves
  2
• brown sugar
  1/2 cup
• dry rub mix
  3 tablespoons
• salt
  1/2 cup
• water
  1 quart

Pork Shoulder

• water
  1 quart
• whole Boston Butt or pork shoulder (bone-in with a layer of fat on the bottom)
  6 lbs

🍳 Cookware

• baking pan

Dry Rub

1. 1

   Mix ground cumin , garlic powder , onion powder , chili powder , cayenne pepper , salt , ground pepper , paprika and brown sugar . Store in an air-tight container.

   ground cumin: 1 tablespoon, garlic powder: 1 tablespoon, onion powder: 1 tablespoon, chili powder: 1 tablespoon, cayenne pepper: 1 tablespoon, salt: 1 tablespoon, ground pepper: 1 tablespoon, paprika: 1 tablespoon, brown sugar: 1/2 cup

Brine

1. 1

   Add salt and brown sugar to water and stir very well until completely dissolved. Then, add dry rub mix , and bay leaves and stir well to combine.

   salt: 1/2 cup, brown sugar: 1/2 cup, water: 1 quart, dry rub mix: 3 tablespoons, bay leaves: 2

Pork Shoulder

1. 1

   Place whole Boston Butt or pork shoulder in a large container. Pour in the brine solution. Add water until the shoulder is completely covered. Cover the container and place in the refrigerator for at least ⏱️ 12 hours .

   whole Boston Butt or pork shoulder: 6 lbs (bone-in with a layer of fat on the bottom), water: 1 quart
2. 2

   Remove pork shoulder from brine solution, pat dry with paper towels, and place in a baking pan that is bigger than the shoulder by at least an inch in length and width and at least 3 inches deep. Sprinkle the 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!
3. 3

   Place the baking pan uncovered in a 225F oven on the middle rack. Insert a probe thermometer into the center or thickest part of the shoulder, but not touching the bone. Monitor the temperature throughout cooking. Do not remove from the oven until the center of the shoulder reaches 200F. This will take about ⏱️ 12-15 hours . Many ovens turn off after 12 hours, so make sure to check around then and restart if necessary. If cooking overnight, reset the oven right before sleeping.
4. 4

   When the shoulder has reached 200F, 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.
5. 5

   When the temperature drops to about 170F or slightly lower, which may take ⏱️ 2-4 hours , remove from oven. Place on a large, clean work surface and remove the large sheet of crusted fat on the top. Pull.