Story Created:
Jan 31, 2012 at 12:10 PM EDT
Story Updated:
Jan 31, 2012 at 6:23 PM EDT
Nicole Pitt is the producer of NEWSChannel 2 at 6:00 and NEWSChannel 2 at 10:00 on the CW. Her colleagues also know her as a magician in the kitchen, so she is sharing some of her favorite recipes for your Super Bowl party as you watch the game on WKTV.
From Nicole's Kitchen: Pulled Pork Sliders
Pulled Pork is a crowd favorite! Add a little coleslaw and the perfect bite melts in your mouth!
Most recipes I've used in the past call for BBQ sauce of some sort, this one does not. The rub provides more than enough flavor. The 5-pound pork butt I cooked took about 10 hours in the oven, so plan accordingly!
What you'll need:
4-pound to 8-pound Pork Butt, bone-in
Slider Rolls (Dinner rolls work just as well)
FOR THE BRINE:
2 quarts water
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup salt
1/4 cup of the dry rub
Dissolve sugar, dry rub and salt in water and place pork butt into either a ziploc bag or large enough container. I put mine into a 2 gallon iced tea pitcher- perfect fit! Refrigerate and let it soak for at least a few hours, I did mine overnight. This helps keep the pork moist during the slow cooking process.
FOR THE DRY RUB:
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tbsp each of:
- ground cumin
- garlic powder
- onion powder
- chili powder
- cayenne pepper
- salt
- ground pepper
- paprika
Remove the pork from the brine solution and pat it dry with a papertowel. Place it in a roasting pan fat side up. Generously massage the rub into the meat, cover it all! It is ok to have some rub leftover, you will use it at the end.
Place the pork butt into the oven at 225 degrees. It will take between 1.5 and 2 hours per pound. The pork is technically cooked well enough to eat at 170 degrees, but to get that fall apart perfection for these sliders, let it stay in the oven til the internal temperature of the meat creeps up to 200 degrees.
Once the meat is done, remove from the oven and start shredding. Remove the bone and the top layer of fat. The smell is amazing! After you are done shredding give it a taste. If you feel it needs more kick, add the rest of the rub and mix thoroughly!
Place some of the meat on a roll and enjoy! I like to add a spoonful of coleslaw on top- it's a great combination.
Nicole :)
