Barbecue Pulled Pork ~ Emeril's Version

It's great to be back ~ Thank you for your kind wishes!

I'll miss our son as he heads home tomorrow morning, always a bittersweet time. :(

The visits always seem too far apart, and too short ~ as the time seems to disappear so quickly with laughter and love all around. We've made plans for the next visit in spring though, so that makes me happy.

Although I have been doing quite a bit of cooking, I haven't had much time to take food photos, just a few to share ~ starting with this recipe.

Everyone loved this meal, the meat was tender, moist, and succulent ~ everything I look for in good pulled pork.

It was the first time I made this particular recipe ~

Emeril Lagasse's Pulled Pork Sandwiches

I would definitely make it again.

First a dry rub is applied and the pork shoulder is allowed to marinate for several hours or overnight in the refrigerator. The pork can be smoked or slow roasted (225 degrees) in the oven, for about 7 hours, and basted with a vinegar-based wet mop every 45 minutes.

The only change I made is I eliminated the Essence of Emeril seasoning, and I reduced the amount of cayenne and red pepper flakes in both the rub and the barbecue sauce.

I chose to roast it in the oven ~ the aroma is divine while it slow roasts nearly all day long.

It was so juicy, flavorful and fall-apart tender at the end of cooking time.

Coleslaw makes a perfect accompaniment; I made it the way we've done in our family for a couple of generations; mayonnaise & apple cider vinegar based with no sugar.

I always like to include some old tried & true family recipes when loved ones come to visit ~ the old recipes evoke such fond memories.

I also served some quick, fresh homemade refrigerator pickles, an easy recipe which I'll be happy to share in an upcoming blog entry.

I made a batch of my favorite homemade sandwich buns to serve with the pork~

I've been making this recipe for many years and blogged about it some time ago ~ you can read about them by clicking the links, below.

Moomie's Legendary Sandwich Buns , and here (formed smaller and served with Nasturtium butter.)

This is my "go to" recipe for buns; easy to make and you can form them in any shape or size you want. They are fabulous as hamburger or hot dog/sausage buns, too. This time I made 8 regular hamburger-size buns from the dough, which worked out perfectly. I always reduce the amount of sugar in the recipe to a scant tablespoon because I don't care for sweet sandwich buns.

I served the Barbecue sauce on the side, in a squeeze bottle as Emeril recommended, that way each person is able to add as much or a little as they like. (The meat is so flavorful I could easily eat it with no BBQ sauce at all.)

Incidentally, the barbecue sauce is very good, not very sweet, not cloying as some tend to be, and so simple to put together; no heating at all. Nice consistency, too ~

The ingredients are simply mixed together and allowed to meld and marry in the refrigerator. I made it while I was putting the rub ingredients together and allowed it to sit overnight in the fridge while the pork was marinating in the rub.

The meat reheats beautifully the next day if there happens to be any left. :)