It is better to make pulled pork in a slow smoker. Even a Weber Grill (charcoal) will much better results—but Oven Roasted Pulled Pork can be excellent, and it is certainly better than no barbecue at all. If you’re hankering for a smoke flavor you can always dab on a bit of liquid smoke, or roast some hickory chips in the oven for a while.
Remove any twine netting from the pork butt. Sprinkle it all over rather heaviliy with salt and pepper. Insert three or four cloves’ worth of slivered American garlic into slits poked into the fatty parts of the pork butt. Salt and pepper the butt again and sprinkle it all over with Pride of Szeged Sweet Hungarian Paprika — which we also got at Adam’s. Place the butt in a roasting pan fat side up. If necessary prop it with some potato slices. Set the pan in an oven preheated to 450° oven until it is well-browned. If the pan starts smoking add a little water or turn the heat down. Or do both. It may well take half an hour to brown the beast.
Turn the heat down to 325° and roast for an hour. Meanwhile, prepare some Yukon Gold potatoes by removing the eyes, the stems, and any bad spots, then cut them in half. Peel two large onions. Coarsely chop one; cut the other into half rings. Take the meat out of the oven after an hour, and put it on a platter.
If you are planning to make Szegediner Goulash, cut off a third of the pork butt. A pound and a half or two pounds. It will not be cooked done yet. If you are just making pulled pork, skip all the goulash instructions.
Put the halved potatoes in the roasting pan. Strew the onion over everything, then put the pork butt back in the roasting pan fat side up and continue roasting it for half an hour while you put the goulash together:
For Szegediner Goulash, cut the pork butt into eating sized pieces. Tumble the pork pieces into a large stewpot with a goodly amount of the drippings from the pulled pork pann and brown them over medium high heat, stirring occasionally. Don't let them scorch, but a good forthright flame will be essential. Sprinkle on a bit more paprika and also some salt and papper. Add a cup of sliced mushrooms as the pork begins to brown. Add a large onion, diced, and six cloves of garlic, coarsely chopped. Let the vegetables brown. You might like to add a carrot and one stalk of celery, both minced. Sprinkle everything with two tablespoons of Pride of Szeged Hungarian Paprika—preferably one tablespoon of sweet and one tablespoon of hot. Add a bay leaf and a tablespoon of thyme. Add some freshly ground black pepper. Open a package of sauerkraut and drain it in a colander. You will not need to soak the sauerkraut unless it seems extremely sour. Let the sauerkraut join the rest of the goulash ingredients in the stew pot. Add enough water or preferably pork or ham stock (do not use canned broth) to cover by an inch. Bring to the boil, and then reduce the flame to a good simmer and cover the pan. ** The goulash will need to cook at least two hours for the meat to get properly tender. About half an hour before it is done, remove most of the excess liquid to another pan or a skillet and reduce it down until it gets thick. Meanwhile, add a cup of sour crream to the goulash, and stir it in well. Add the reduced cooking liquid, stir well, add a tablespoon of chervil, and adjust the seasonings. Let your goulash simmer a few minutes, then check the seasonings again. Finish the sauce with a tablespoon of red wine and some butter, if you like. Serve over broad egg noodles.
At the ** above, return to the pulled pork: Now cut two sheets of aluminum foil, both long enough to make a tent over the the pulled pork and the entire pan. Crease them several times along one edge to make a tight seal and then spread them out to make double wide foil. Haul the pork out of the oven. Use the double wide foil to cover the pork and make a tight seal around the pan. Put the pan back in the oven and lower the heat to 300°. You can sprinkle the top all over with Tabasco or Cholula hot sauce, if you like. It will need to cook at least two more hours to be fork-tender. Long, slow cooking is essential.
Lift one corner of the foil and use a fork to test for doneness—will it pull? If so, it’s done. When the meat is tender, remove it to a platter and use two dinner forks to pull it apart into shreds. If some chunks won’t separate easily, put them on a cutting board and hash them up. The outside crispy brown pieces are the best. Be sure to eat most of them before choipping them into the rest of the barbecue.
Barbecue sauce is not essential. I recommend you don’t use it. Down south, pulled pork is served on soft buns; probably because they don’t have decent poppy seed hard rolls. I like coleslaw on my barbecue. Some do not.
To make coleslaw: ½ a large head of cabbage, one jar of Marzetti Slaw Dressing. Shred the cabbage on a mandoline or using a chef’s knife, or grate it on the WhizzinArt. Put in a large bowl. Add the Marzetti slaw dressing. Kraft Slaw Dressing will not give good results. Mix well. Let stand an hour in the refrigerator. Serve over—or at least next to—pulled pork barbecue.
While everything finishes cooking, you'll have just enough time to make some pâte à choux for cream puffs. Bake the creampuffs while your pulling the pork. Fill them with vanilla ice cream and top with chocolate ganache made by melting Lindt milk chocolate with some heavy cream.
God bless you all, and please invite me to dinner.
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