Easy Cast Iron Pulled Pork

I love pulled pork and I love having it on hand for a variety of different recipes. I make things like pulled pork BBQ to salads. It is a very versatile dish that you can use in multiple arrays of other dishes. You can alter the spices and even the form of cooking to alter the flavor of the pork. I find that this style of pork is more well known for those summer BBQ’s and get togethers. It is cheap, easy to cook and feeds a ton of people AND it is very delicious.

So I am going to share with you another family favorite pulled pork recipe that is going to please any crowd. It is slightly sweet and full of flavor and so delicious. So, let’s get started.

INGREDIENTS:

1 ( 5-7 lb.) Pork Shoulder ( I use bone-in pork shoulder)
1/2 c. Brown Sugar
3-4 tbsp of Molasses ( I use organic blackstrap because I always have this on hand. Use your favorite)
4 cloves Garlic – minced
1 tbsp Cumin
1 tbsp Paprika ( original or smoked paprika)
1 tbsp Salt ( I use kosher)
1/2 to 1 tsp Cayenne Pepper ( optional and to taste)
2 Onions – diced roughly
3 c. Beef Broth ( or 2 cups broth and 1 cup soda – such as dr. pepper or coke)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Pre heat your oven to 350*.
2. Combine the brown sugar, cumin, paprika, salt, and cayenne in a bowl and mix really well.
3. Rub the seasoning all over the pork shoulder making sure to get the ends. Leave no pork shoulder unseasoned.
4. In a large dutch oven add the onion and garlic. Combine the broth and molasses and stir. Pour over the onions and garlic and give that a sir as well. I like doing it this way so the seasoning stays on the meat and not in the liquid at the bottom.
5. Place the pork shoulder on top of the broth and onion mixture making sure the fat cap ( fatty side) is on the top. You want to make sure the flavor goes into the meat and not so much the liquid. By making sure the fatty side is on top you can be sure that the meat gets the flavor and seasoning.
6. Attach the lid and place on the bottom rack in the oven. Bake for about 4 1/2 to 6 hours or until the meat is super tender and you can gently pull it with a fork and it easily falls apart.
7. Remove from the oven and let stand for 10 minutes in the pan with the lid on. Carefully remove the lid and using tongs carefully remove the bone from the meat. Use two forks to gently shred the meat into the liquid. Toss the pulled pork into the juices and place the pulled pork onto a serving platter. I top mine with green onions, which is optional.
   

• Serve on burger buns of choice and add your favorite BBQ sauce for the best BBQ pulled pork. Add some slaw to the top and dig in.
• You can also go old school and just pile it on sandwich bread and dig in.
• Add to salads as a addition. It goes really well with the southwestern pre-made salads.
• Use in tortilla or burrito shells and top with lime, pico de gallo and cilantro/parsley for a slightly Mexican flare.
• Place under the broiler of your oven and toast on high until the ends get slightly charred. So good. Be careful and keep your eye on it as it may burn rather quickly.
• You can even have this on it’s own with some sides like mac and cheese and a veggie to make a delicious meal. The sky is the limit on what you can do with pulled pork.
• You can make pulled pork enchiladas or tacos. Whatever your heart desires.