You don’t have to make pulled pork in a smoker or grill to have a delicious tasting Pulled Pork BBQ sandwich. All you need is a Dutch Oven and you will have yourself some succulent and juicy pork in no time.
I am not a huge pork eater, but I definitely have my moments. Bacon is a gift from the food gods and, although I don’t eat it often, it’s a food that I consider a treat. Aside from bacon, I absolutely love Pork Carnitas, Crockpot BBQ Pork Ribs, and a good ole BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwich with some sweet and spicy BBQ sauce. On my blog, you will find that I have made Pulled Pork before in a slow cooker. So if you don’t have a Dutch Oven, then the slow cooker recipe will work out just fine for you.
Why cook the Pork in a Dutch Oven?
Cooking in a Dutch Oven or any heavy-duty cast iron is always better because the heat is more consistent if that makes sense. Cooking in a dutch oven, in general, circulates the heat from all sides on a consistent level meaning you don’t need a lot of energy to make whatever you’re making. Dutch Ovens also hold heat very well. When I made this pulled pork and pulled it out of the oven to cool, I let it sit for almost an hour and when I went to shred the pork it was still hot to the touch!
Overall, this is a simple pulled pork recipe that is perfect for the fall season. You have to top off these sandwiches with a simple and easy coleslaw that I made but added finely chopped Granny Smith apple for a little more sweetness to the sandwiches. You can use your favorite BBQ sauce or try my Strawberry Chipotle BBQ Sauce recipe. This pulled pork recipe makes a ton of pulled pork. Don’t be surprised if you have a ton left. If you do, you can make these easy Pulled Pork Mini Flatbread Pizzas get more usefulness out of the pulled pork. Enjoy!
- 8.5 lb. Pork Shoulder Butt
- 1 lb. Smoked Bacon, diced
- ½ tbsp. Kosher salt
- 2 tbsp. Seasoned salt
- 1 tbsp. Coarse pepper
- 2 tsp. Smoked paprika
- ½ tbsp. Onion powder
- ½ tbsp. Garlic powder
- 3 tbsp. Light brown sugar
- ¼ c. liquid smoke, divided
- ¼ c. apple cider vinegar
- ¼ c. apple juice
- 16 oz. Coleslaw Mix
- 2 Granny Smith Apples, peeled and finely sliced (julienned style)
- 1 c. mayo
- 1 ½ tbsp. Honey
- 1 tbsp. Apple cider vinegar
- ¼ tsp. Salt
- ¼ tsp. Pepper
- In a small bowl, combine both salts, coarse black pepper, smoked paprika, onion and garlic powder, and light brown sugar and stir using a fork. Set aside.
- Take the pork shoulder and rub with half of the liquid smoke all over. Next, take the rub and season the entire shoulder all over. Wrap in plastic wrap and allow to sit for, at least, 2 hours but preferably overnight.
- Preheat the oven to 325 Degrees.
- Take half of the diced bacon and place it in the bottom of the dutch oven, uncooked. Unwrap the pork shoulder butt and place it in the oven. Pour in the apple cider vinegar and apple juice around the pork. Place the rest of the uncooked bacon on top of the pork shoulder. Place the lid on top of the Dutch oven and cook in a preheated oven for 6 hours.
- Once the pork has cooked it should be fork-tender. Pour the rest of the liquid smoke over the pork shoulder butt. Allow sitting covered for, at least, 30 minutes before shredding.
- Use your hands, if you wish, or two forks and begin to shred the pork. Season with extra salt and pepper, if desired. Once the pork is shredded, leave in the oven with the remaining juices.
- To make the coleslaw, add the coleslaw mix to a mixing bowl, add the apple, mayo, honey, apple cider vinegar, salt, and pepper and stir until well mixed. Serve on top or on the side of the pulled pork. Serve as sandwiches using the buns.
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