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Dr Pepper Pulled Pork

Source of Recipe

From "Saveur: The New Classics"


Recipe Introduction

"It's not uncommon in the American South for soft drinks to factor into cooking: Their high sugar content and relative acidity contribute to many a terrifically tender roast and braise. Here, tender pork shoulder braises in a Dr Pepper barbecue sauce, which we like for its tart fruity flavor, though you could easily substitute cola or root beer. Whatever your poison, try to use a soda sweetened with cane sugar rather than corn syrup; it will reduce down to a deeper, more complex flavor."

List of Ingredients

For the Sauce:
◦  4 Tbsp unsalted butter
◦  4 cloves garlic, minced
◦  1 large onion, minced
◦  1 cup ketchup
◦  ½ cup cider vinegar
◦  ½ cup packed light brown sugar
◦  ⅓ cup Worcestershire sauce
◦  3 Tbsp tomato paste
◦  2 tsp ancho chile powder
◦  1 tsp kosher salt
◦  1 tsp ground white pepper
◦  1 12-ounce can Dr Pepper soda

For the Pork:
◦  3 Tbsp olive oil
◦  3-pound boneless pork shoulder
◦  Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
◦  ¼ cup dark brown sugar
◦  1½ Tbsp cayenne pepper
◦  1 large onion, sliced ¼ inch thick
◦  3 12-ounce cans Dr Pepper soda
◦  Hamburger buns, lightly toasted, for serving
◦  Sliced bread-and-butter pickles, for serving (optional)


Recipe

Make the sauce:
Melt butter in a 4-quart saucepan over medium-high heat. Add garlic and onion and cook until soft, 4 to 6 minutes. Add ketchup, vinegar, sugar, Worcestershire, tomato paste, chile, salt, pepper, and soda and bring to a simmer. Cook until thickened, about 30 minutes; set aside.

Make the pork:
Heat oven to 325° F. Heat oil in a 6-quart Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Season pork with salt and pepper; cook, turning as needed, until browned, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer pork to a plate and rub with brown sugar and cayenne. Pile onion slices in center of pan and arrange pork over top; pour Dr Pepper around pork.

Bake, covered, until pork is tender and an instant-read thermometer inserted into pork reads 190° F, about 2½ hours. Uncover and cook until browned on top and meat is very tender, 30 to 45 minutes more. Let cool slightly, then transfer to a work surface. Using two forks or your hands, shred pork; transfer to a bowl with half the sauce and toss to combine. Serve on buns with remaining sauce on the side and, if you like, pickles.


Serves 6 to 8