One of my favorite dishes to make when serving a crowd is pulled pork.
It’s so versatile since it serves a lot of people, it’s incredibly tasty, it’s relatively inexpensive, and it pairs well with different kinds of flavors.
Here I oven-braised a boneless pork butt roast in a smoky (but not too spicy I promise!) barbacoa sauce.
I just love the earthiness that the chipotle chile powder and the ground cloves lend to the dish.
It makes the whole house smell like heaven!
This pork is yummy to eat solo alongside avocado slices and steamed veggies, but it is especially delicious as your protein option in a fajita bar buffet.
You could also use this same sauce to make barbacoa pulled beef with a chuck roast, eye of round, or brisket. I have yet to try that but I will post the recipe once I do!
Barbacoa Pulled Pork
Feeds about 8 people
Time: 5 Β½Β hours
- Β½ tsp. chipotle chile powder
- Β½ tsp. ground clove
- 1 Tbsp. kosher or sea salt
- 1 whole head garlic, peeled and cloves smashed
- ΒΌ c. fresh-squeezed lime juice
- Β½ c. apple cider vinegar
- 6 oz. tomato paste (look for only β€tomatoesβ€ on the ingredient list)
- 1 bunch cilantro leaves (about 1 cup)
- 1 red onion, peeled and cut into large chunks
- 5 dry bay leaves
- 1 4–6 lb. boneless pork butt roast
- 1 quart (4 c.) good-quality beef stock
Preheat oven to 300β°F. Place pork roast fat-side up in a rimmed baking pan (or large Dutch oven). Add chipotle powder, ground clove, salt, garlic, lime juice, cider vinegar, tomato paste, cilantro, and red onion to a food processor and pulse to combine. Pour entire mixture over pork. Pour stock into the pan around the pork. Place bay leaves on top of pork. Cover tightly with heavy-duty aluminum foil (or a lid if using a Dutch oven).
Place in oven and roast for about 5 hours or until fork tender and falling apart, spooning liquid on top of pork halfway through.
Transfer pork to a separate pan or bowl. Remove excess fat and shred with two forks. Remove bay leaves from barbacoa sauce. Add a few spoonfuls of the barbacoa sauce to the pork and mix. Keep warm and serve. Excellent served in a fajita spread.
*Tip: pork can be made 1 day ahead of time and reheated in the oven at 250β°F until warm.
Now someone get me a margarita, please.
xoxo,
