Pulled Pork Sandwich

Following is one of my favorite dry rubs for pork. This dry rub recipe works with almost any style of ‘barbecue,’ whether Carolina, Kansas City, etc.

Pork Dry Rub
Chef Kevin Weeks

1/4 cup paprika
2 Tbsp kosher salt
2 Tbsp onion powder
1 Tbsp garlic powder
1 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. dried thyme
1 tsp. rubbed (dried) sage
1 tsp. dried, ground lemon peel
1/2 tsp. ground chipotle

I mix this up and store it in a small mayonnaise jar with large holes poked in the lid. The holes make it easy to apply to meat. To seal the jar I use a couple of pieces of plastic wrap between the lid and jar.

Estimating Pork Portions
For sandwiches, about four ounces of pulled pork (or shredded pork depending on your locale!) makes for a very satisfying portion. Trisha in Omaha is hosting a barbecue with forty guests and wants to know how much pork roast to prepare for her crowd. Let’s assume that you’ll be serving the sandwiches with a number of traditional sides - and dessert. We also assume that you will be serving the meat, which will help with portion control. If that’s the case, then 12 pounds will suffice. If there are few children and lots of big eaters who will be inclined to go for a second sandwich, then an even safer bet is 15 pounds.

Fortunately, leftover barbecued pork is fabulous, and can even be frozen. I recommend using pork shoulder (’Boston Butt’). A bone-in pork shoulder are around 3.5-5 pounds, so with the bone and taking into account reduction from the slow cooking, you’d want to purchase four individual roasts. Coat it with a dry rub and then wrap in plastic a full day in advance of barbecueing to add great flavor.

Learn Authentic Barbecue Techniques and History
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~ Chef Kevin Weeks