Pulled Pork

In a bowl, combine all the dry ingredients together and mix well.

Start off the night before your feast by concocting the dry rub. Combine all the dry rub ingredients in a bowl, mix well and set aside. In a large pot, prepare your brine solution by dissolving the salt and sugar in cold water, along with 3 tablespoons of the dry rub mixture. Immerse your pork shoulder in this aromatic bath along with a couple of bay leaves. Cover the pot and let the pork luxuriate overnight in the refrigerator. Alternatively, you can use a large ziploc bag for this purpose.

The next morning, remove the meat from the brine. Gently pat it dry before moving it to a deep roasting pan. Now comes the fun part - massaging the dry rub into the meat. Don't be shy, ensure the meat is well-coated with your spice mix, getting it into every nook and cranny.

Preheat your oven to 225℉.

Place the pork shoulder in a roasting pan, preferably one with a rack, and pour a couple cups of water in the bottom of the pan. Place the roasting pan on the middle rack in the oven. Allow the pork to roast low and slow, approximately 12 hours, until the internal temperature reaches around 200℉. This long, gentle roasting is key to achieving the succulent, pull-apart texture we love in pulled pork.

Once the pork has finished its oven time, remove it from the oven and let it rest for a further 1.5 to 2 hours.

With the pork suitably rested, use two large forks to pull apart the meat. It should shred easily and quickly due to its tender and juicy nature.

Serve your homemade pulled pork heaped onto sandwiches or hoagies, as a filling in tacos or burritos, or included in tamales.