Pork and barbecue sauce were made for each other, but we don’t have a grill or a smoker yet, so we usually get our fix at Beaver’s. Lately we’ve been slow-cooking pork at home and now it’s all I can think about.
I have used my mother’s country-style ribs recipe in the past, but it can be hard to find that cut of pork. I recently learned that they’re not ribs at all, but shoulder portions cut into rib-like shapes. Pork shoulder is sometimes labeled ‘Boston butt.’ I don’t know why they have to make this so complicated, but now I know what to look for.
This is one of the easiest things we make, and it feeds us hearty portions for two nights. Everything is cheap — a 4-5 lb pork shoulder is about $8, two nights’ worth of green beans are about $4, a large sweet onion is no more than $2, and you can go cheap or gourmet with the barbecue sauce. We also like to buy a loaf of fresh rosemary sourdough ($2.50) and eat it over the two nights. Best of all, you get to eat in your pajamas.
So here we go: slice a sweet onion and line the bottom of the crock with it. Rub the pork shoulder with salt and pepper, and set it on top of the onion. Pour your sauce of choice on top, and cook on low for 8 hours. It’s easiest to serve with tongs, since it will be falling apart. Pour some more sauce on your portion. We put the leftovers in foil and reheat them the next night (with a little more sauce) at 350 for about 45 minutes, and cook the rest of the beans.
Try it and see what you think!
