Making pulled pork sandwiches would be a heck of a lot easier if I used a slow cooker and started the process in the morning. But since my slow cooker is packed in a box somewhere in the attic I decided to prepare tonight’s dinner on the stove top using a heavy duty pot with a lid.
Instead of braising the pork in my favorite bbq sauce, I decided to try something different. I found a dry rub recipe for Kansas City barbecue ribs on About.com. I adapted the recipe ever so slightly and massaged the rub into the large cubes of pork. I decided not to sear the meat but instead added water and a couple chicken bouillon cubes to the pot and let the pork first come to a boil reducing the heat to a low simmer for two hours. Two hours later I grabbed a few pieces of the pork with metal tongs and was very happy to see the pork pull apart so beautifully.
I piled a generous amount of pulled pork on top of several hamburger buns and dinner was served. My husband, a bbq connoisseur, devoured his sandwich and went back for seconds. All he could tell me was how awesome the meat was. I ended up eating two sandwiches.
If you’ve wanted to try a different type of pulled pork recipe, I recommend giving this one a go. I’m adding this one to my recipe file as a “keeper.”
Hope you have a wonderful Memorial Day weekend!
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons smoked paprika
- 1 tablespoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 pounds pork shoulder
- 3 cups water
- 2 chicken bouillon cubes
- 8 hamburger buns
- Mix the brown sugar, paprika, pepper, salt, chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, and cayenne pepper in a bowl. Cut the pork shoulder in large cubes and add it to a large heavy pot. Add the dry rub to the pot and massage (with your hands) the pork with the spices until most of the powder has been absorbed by the pork. Add the water and the bouillon cubes. Bring the water to a boil for ten minutes and then reduce the temperature to a low simmer for two hours. Using metal tongs or two forks, pull the pork apart in the pot. Pile generous amounts of pulled pork on top of each hamburger bun.
Hi Sarah-
You could go 8 hours on low or 4-5 hours on high. Hope this helps!
Can I make this in the crock pot? And if so how long do I cook it and what temp?
UPDATE!- no real need to reduce the liquid- just add ketchup to taste in the liquid, or, add it on top of the meat before serving.
Make this- you will love it!
Just tried this recipe with boneless chicken breasts. I reduced the cooking time quite a bit.
The same spice mix was added to 4 cups water, and 2lbs of skinless chicken breast, sliced into strips was added, brought to a boil, then lowered to simmer for 20 minutes. The chicken was removed from the liquid and shredded with 2 forks, then added back to the liquid, and simmered another 10 minutes. Perfect!
The next experiment will be to reduce the liquid, and mix it with ketchup, to make a bar-b-q sauce to spread on the buns before the meat is added….
You could use tofu and grate it first then use the rub but don’t boil it, but maybe saute it instead. Maybe marinate it in the rub first. Don’t know if you use beef boullion cubes, not sure if they are considered vegetarian, but you could crush those up when you saute it. Just a thought I had. Have several vegetarian and vegan friends and it is something they would try. Good luck.
Dry rub spicing looks really great. But, the recipe calls for adding water. Just wondering, for those folks that have already made this, does the meat get too watery or soupy with the addition of water? I would prefer a dryer end-result. Thanks!
Correction KC Masterpiece is no longer made in Kansas City, Its now made in Oakland, California. Overall I have to agree with you though
If I wanted to make a much larger batch of this, say 12 pounds, how much would I need to increase the spices for the rub and the water?
This recipe was perfect, we loved it! I made it in a crock pot, then served over homemade hamburger buns. I have been searching for a homemade BBQ without vinegar for a few years and this is perfect. Thank you so much for sharing.
I love that your pans are well loved ; )
That looks tasty, but i bet it is alot of work! I’ve never tried to make these, but i bet they would work in my crockpot. Thanks for the recipe 😉
I make this in my crockpot. Instead of liquid, I cut up an onion and put it in under the meat. It seems to provide enough liquid to start with.
If I decide to use a crockpot how long should I cook the roast for? I’m a beginner. This will be my first roast. I don’t want to disappoint as we will have a full house for the NBA FINALS!
Thanks Annie and Carly for coming back and posting your thoughts about the recipe. I’m not familiar with Kansas City BBQ, per se, but I loved the seasonings in this rub. Glad to know others like it, too.
Hi Claire: The pan you see in the picture is a regular old baking sheet which has been used many many times over the years. It is one of my most favorite surfaces to photograph on.