Barbecue sandwiches with coleslaw/Photo byGin Lee

Dutch oven barbecued pork

Memorial Day is fast approaching, and what I love about this recipe is that it can be made ahead of time. After preparing the Dutch oven barbecue pork, there's little else to do, unless you'd like to prepare slaw to serve on your sandwiches. Bring on the barbecue!

Dutch oven barbecued pork/Photo byGin Lee

Ingredients:

• 1 Boston butt (the one I am cooking today is just under 6 pounds).
• 2 tablespoons of steak sauce
• 1 tablespoon of liquid smoke flavoring
• 1 teaspoon of red pepper flakes
• 2 teaspoons of onion flakes
• 1 teaspoon of minced garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon of fennel seeds (optional)
• 1/2 teaspoon of coriander
• 1-1/2 teaspoons of smoked paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon of seasoning salt
• 1 to 2 teaspoons of black pepper
• 1 to 2 cups of water for the bottom of the pan, plus more if needed during cooking
• Barbecue sauce

Instructions:

First, if you want to, sear the outside of your Boston butt in a Dutch oven with a tablespoon of canola oil. I never do this step for mine.

Mix 2 teaspoons of steak sauce and 1 tablespoon of liquid smoke flavoring together in a spice dish. (This isn't entirely necessary, but it helps to mix the flavors together.) Pour the mixture over the Boston butt and massage it into the meat with a spatula or your fingers. Through experimenting, I have found that doing this step not only adds extra flavor to the meat, but it also helps the seasoning mix adhere to it better.

Now, add the spices to a spice dish and mix them well. Then sprinkle the seasoning mix over the Boston butt and massage it over the meat.

Seasoning a Boston Butt/Photo byGin Lee

Next, place the seasoned Boston butt into a large Dutch oven (with the fat cap facing down on the bottom) and allow it to marinate for several minutes. Add the water to the pan and bring it to a boil over high heat.

Place a lid over the Dutch oven and lower the heat to simmer. The cooking time will vary depending on the size of your Boston butt. I slow-cooked mine for about five hours. (Smaller-sized Boston butts can be cooked in four to five hours.) While yours is cooking, check the water level occasionally and add more water as needed.

Adding barbecue sauce/Photo byGin Lee

During the last half hour or so, I added about a cup of barbecue sauce. Once the meat is fully cooked and shredded, I will add more sauce. At this point, you can transfer your Dutch oven and finish cooking the Boston butt in a 375-degree oven to brown the outer edges if you'd prefer (with the lid off). I won't be doing that. I will continue to slowly cook mine on the stovetop.

Drain the pork juice out of the pan before shredding the meat. I save it to put in homemade pet food.

Shredding the meat/Photo byGin Lee

To easily shred a Boston butt, use two forks. Once the meat is fully cooked, it doesn't take much time to shred it. To do this, stick a fork in the center of the meat, apply a little pressure so that the tines are stuck inside, and use that fork to hold onto the meat while you're using the other fork to shred it.

Serve the BBQ on buns with a spoonful of coleslaw and enjoy!

Note:

If you'd like to create homemade barbecue sauce, check out some of my other articles on Newsbreak, where I share my step-by-step directions for various sauces.