Pulled Pork with 3 Classic Barbecue Sauces

Making pulled pork is as simple as rubbing a salt-sugar-spice mixture onto a pork shoulder and patiently waiting for it to be slow-roasted to pull-apart tenderness … and the barbecue sauces? Once you make barbecue sauce at home, you’ll probably never by stuff in a bottle again.

 Recipes by Catherine Neville (originally developed for Feast TV)

Pulled Pork

  • Dry rub of your choice

  • 3 to 4 lb boneless pork shoulder

  • Chicken broth

| Preparation – Pulled Pork | Preheat oven to 325°F.

Line a large lipped baking sheet with heavy-duty aluminum foil, up and over the sides. Set out pork shoulder for at least 30 to 45 minutes to take off chill. Using your hands, rub spice rub firmly into all sides of shoulder and place fat-side up on prepared baking sheet. Add a bit of chicken broth to the pan if desired to create a pan sauce. Cook for 3½ to 4 hours until meat is nicely browned and falls easily from bone when pulled. Remove from oven and cool for 30 to 40 minutes until easy to handle.

Missouri-Style Barbecue Sauce

  • 3 Tbsp grapeseed oil

  • 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced

  • 5 cloves garlic, minced

  • 2 Tbsp tomato paste

  • 1 Tbsp chile powder

  • 2 tsp onion powder

  • 2 tsp mustard powder

  • 2 tsp cayenne pepper

  • ½ tsp nutmeg

  • pinch ground clove

  • 2 cups ketchup

  • 1/3 cup molasses

  • 1 cup water

  • 1/3 cup brown sugar

  • 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar

  • 1 Tbsp Worchestershire sauce

  • 1 Tbsp salt

  • 1 Tbsp soy sauce

| Preparation – Barbecue Sauce | In medium saucepan, heat oil before adding onion. Sauté until translucent and then add garlic, stirring until fragrant. Add tomato paste, stirring to caramelize the sugars in paste. Add chile powder, onion powder, mustard powder, cayenne, nutmeg and clove and stir until fragrant and deep red.

Add ketchup, molasses, water, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, Worchestershire sauce, salt and soy and stir to combine. Simmer for 30 minutes to meld flavors.

South Carolina BBQ Sauce

  • 3⁄4 cup yellow mustard

  • 3⁄4 cup cider vinegar

  • 1 Tbsp brown sugar

  • 1½ Tbsp unsalted butter

  • Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

  • 2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

  • Hot sauce to taste

Combine all ingredients in small saucepan and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes.

Alabama White Sauce

  • 1/3 cup mayonnaise

  • 1 Tbsp prepared horseradish

  • 4 tsp apple cider vinegar

  • 2 tsp yellow or stone ground mustard

  • 1 tsp coarsely ground pepper

  • 1/4 tsp sugar

  • 1 garlic clove, minced

  • Hot sauce to taste

Combine all ingredients in bowl, taste to adjust seasonings and serve. 

Catherine Neville