With summer upon us, I thought it would be the perfect time to share a recipe from my first eCookbook Tasting Alabama: one bite at a time! My recipe for Easy Alabama Pulled Pork is so easy to make and delicious to eat, that I’m sure you will be making it over and over. It’s just that good. And for a true Alabama experience prepare the Alabama White Barbecue Sauce as well.
A yummy plate of food that screams SUMMER!
This pulled pork recipe is mostly hands off. It is made in the oven, or in my case my Breville Smart Oven Air Pro (Amazon Affiliate Link). I’m sure it could easily be made on the grill over indirect heat, but at the time I created the recipe we were between grills. So the oven was what I used. The pork came out juicy, tender and flavorful. What more could you want?
Easy Alabama Pulled Pork studded with lots of garlic
I started with a 5 pound, bone-in pork butt and with a paring knife I made slits all over, at least 12 of them, that were about 1 1/2-inches deep. In each slit I inserted a peel clove of garlic. Then I seasoned the pork butt liberally with Diamond Crystal kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Once the pork butt was seasoned I placed it in a 9 X 13-inch pan with the fat cap on top. As the pork roasts that fat melts into the melting ensuring that it will be nice and juicy. I placed the pan with the pork into a 450º F oven for 30 minutes. After that first half hour I reduced the heat to 325 degrees, poured 3/4 cup of water into the pan but not over the pork, Covered the pork with foil and continued cooking for another hour and a half.
Luscious garlicky pork butt roasting in the oven
The next step was to remove the foil and roast for about 1 1/2 hours more. At that point the meat was pulling away from the bone, very tender and had an internal temperature of 145º F when tested with an instant read thermometer.
I removed the pan from the oven and let it rest for about 20 minutes to allow the juices to redistribute before I cut what was left of the fat cap away, and discarded the fat. At that point the pork should be cool enough to handle and shred with either two forks or, my preferred method, two hands.
Alabama White Barbecue Sauce
While the pork was cooking I prepared the Alabama White Barbecue Sauce. This tangy sauce is so simple to make because it requires no cooking what so ever. The flavor is amazing and it is what sets Alabama Barbecue apart from what you will find in any other state.
A yummy plate of food that screams SUMMER!
When it came to serving the Easy Alabama Pulled Pork I kept it very simple to let the pork and sauce be the stars. We had some sweet and tender summer corn slathered with butter along with garlicky pickle spears. So yummy! Now I have to head to the market and pick up another pork butt to make more!!!
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Easy Alabama Pulled Pork
This easy to make pulled pork and BBQ sauce is an Alabama classic. The sauce is great on pulled
pork, but also delicious as a marinade and/or basting sauce.
- Total Time: 0 hours
- Yield: 10 servings 1x
Ingredients
For the pork:
1 (5-pound) bone-in pork butt
12 cloves garlic, peeled
1 1/2 tablespoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt
1 tablespoon coarsely ground black pepper
For the white bbq sauce:
2 cups good quality mayonnaise, such as Hellmann’s or Duke’s
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1/3 cup prepared white horseradish
1 lemon, zest and juice
2 teaspoons prepared yellow mustard
2 cloves garlic, peeled and grated
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon Diamond Crystals kosher salt
1 1/2 teaspoons coarsely ground black pepper
Instructions
For the pork:
Preheat the oven to 450º F (230º C).
Using a pairing knife, cut 12 small slits into the pork that are about 1
1/2 inches deep each. Push a garlic clove into each slit. Season the
pork evenly on all over with the salt and pepper.
In a 9×13 inch baking dish or shallow roasting pan, place the pork butt,
fat side up. As pork bakes the fat will melt into the meat creating
succulent pull pork.
Roast the pork butt in the preheated oven for 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes, reduce heat to 325º F (165º C). Being very careful
not to burn yourself on the hot pan, pour 3/4 cup water around the
pork (not on the pork). Cover the pan with foil and continue roasting for
another 1 1/2 hours.
Remove foil and continue roasting until pork is tender and meat has
started to pull away from the bone, about 1 1/2 hours more. To check
for doneness, use an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center
of the pork butt, it should read at least 145º F (63º C).
Remove the pan from the oven and let stand for 20 minutes to rest and
allow the juices to redistribute.
Cut away the large fat layer and any other large pieces of fat. Using
two forks, shred the pork. Serve with your favorite BBQ sauce or use
the recipe below for an authentic taste of Alabama.
For the bbq sauce:
In a medium bowl, place the mayonnaise, cider vinegar, horseradish,
lemon juice and zest, mustard, garlic, cayenne, salt and pepper. Whisk
to combine thoroughly. The sauce should be smooth and creamy. Cover
with plastic film and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Notes
Pork butt is often called pork shoulder.
If you’re short on oven space, you can cook the pork butt on the Low
setting of a slow cooker for 6 to 8 hours. Then follow steps 7 and 8.
This is a very versatile sauce that can be used with any type of
barbecue meat. But it is also wonderful as a salad dressing, for potato
salad, coleslaw and drizzled over grilled or roasted veggies.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 3 1/2 hours
- Category: Dinner, BBQ
- Method: Roasting
- Cuisine: American
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