Smoking a Boston butt...

I have several recipes in draft form, waiting for me to put pictures with them and post them for your cooking pleasure.

For now, I bring you a tasty dry rub.

Today, we are using this rub on the outside of a Boston butt, to make pulled pork. I would recommend using this rub on any pork - ribs, chops, shoulder - and then wrapping the meat in plastic wrap (twice wrapped, tightly) and letting it marinate at least 4 hours... over night or all day is even better.

Dry rub for pork:
This makes a lot, more than enough for our 5.6 lb butt, so combine ingredients in an air-tight container, and don't cross contaminate when marinating.

6 TBS dark brown sugar
4 TBS salt
3-4 TBS smoked paprika (depending on how much you like)
1.5 TBS white pepper
1/2 TBS black pepper
5 TBS chili powder
2.5 TBS garlic powder
2 TBS onion powder
1 TBS dried mustard
1 TBS dried thyme
1 TBS lemon pepper
1/2 TBS cumin

For heat: add ground Cayenne (red) pepper I put a teaspoon (?) into ours.

Blend well and rub on to the next piece of pork you will smoke or grill!

Enjoy!



PART 2: The Finishing Sauce

One of the most debatable topics in the culinary world is whether true BBQ sauce is better with a tomato base or a vinegar base.
For my own reasons, I chose to side with the vinegar camp when it comes to pulled pork. I'm in the right place here in North Carolina.

After using the above rub (which was delectable) and smoking our pork shoulder for 8 hours (reaching the internal temp of 195), I needed a finishing sauce that would compliment the pork, not overpower it, and that my North Carolina family would like. (The bar is set high!)

First, I should state that pulling pork is nothing like pulling chicken. It takes a lot more than a few forks to get a pork shoulder apart! I did it once, and likely will not do it again. Since then, I have relied on the magic of Cuisinart to chop my pork for me. Chopped is traditional (as my Mother in Law taught me today), and so this is an acceptable method. That, and I feel that the meat better absorbs the sauce when fine chopped.

As I chop, I mix a little finishing sauce in with the pork... about 3/4 - 1 cup total. Just enough to give it a little flavor. The rest of the finishing sauce is served on the side, for each person to add on their own.

I tinkered around with this a bit, and finally got it right. If you don't have all of the vinegars, just use half cider and half white vinegar. Rice vinegar is traditionally used in sushi rice. It is known for being milder and sweeter than other vinegars. In a dish where vinegar can quickly take over, it is nice to have an option that is less acidic, but maintains flavor.

Ideally, you should make the sauce a few hours (or up to a day) ahead. It can remain at room temperature. If you make it when you throw your pork in the smoker, you will be in great shape.

Finishing Sauce:

1 cup white wine vinegar
1 cup cider vinegar
1/2 cup rice vinegar
2.5 TBS kosher fine ground salt
2 TBS brown sugar
1 tsp cayenne pepper (ground red)
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

This makes a mild/medium spiced sauce, depending on the strength of your peppers. Taste it. If it is too hot, add more vinegar (in equal parts, if possible) and if there is not enough heat, by all means, add some more!

Put all these ingredients in a container and shake it up!

Enjoy!