Indoor Pulled Pork

[DesertRose]

And here's the pork:

Indoor Pulled Pork
Modified from Cook's Illustrated

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup (240 mL) table salt
½ cup (120 mL) sugar
3 tbsp (45 mL) liquid smoke
4 qt (4 L) cold water
1 (2.5-3 lbs/1.2-1.3 kg) boneless pork butt, cut in half horizontally (hold knife parallel to cutting board, press one hand flat against the pork while cutting)
¼ cup (60 mL) yellow mustard
2 tsp (10 mL) liquid smoke
2 tbsp (30 mL) ground black pepper
2 tbsp (30 mL) smoked paprika
2 tbsp (30 mL) granulated sugar
2 tsp (10 mL) salt
1 tsp (5 mL) cayenne pepper

INSTRUCTIONS:
Dissolve 1 cup (240 mL) salt, ½ cup (120 mL) sugar, and 3 tbsp (45 mL) liquid smoke in 4 quarts (4 L) cold water in large container.  Submerge pork in brine, cover with plastic wrap (cling film, across the Pond), and refrigerate 2 hours.

Combine mustard and remaining 2 tsp (10 mL) liquid smoke in small bowl; set aside.  Combine black pepper, paprika, remaining 2 tbsp (30 mL) sugar, remaining 2 tsp (10 mL) salt, and cayenne in small bowl.  Set aside.

Adjust oven rack to lower middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit/170 degrees C.

Remove pork from brine (after 2 hours) and dry thoroughly with paper towels.  Rub mustard mixture over entire surface of each piece of pork.  Sprinkle entire surface of each piece with spice mixture.  Place pork on wire rack set inside foil-lined rimmed baking sheet.  Place piece of parchment paper over pork, then cover with sheet of aluminum foil, sealing edges to prevent moisture escaping.  Roast pork for 3 hours.

Remove pork from oven.  Remove and discard foil and parchment.

Return pork to oven and cook, uncovered, until well-browned, tender, and internal temperature registers 200 degrees Fahrenheit/95 degrees C on instant-read thermometer, about 1½ hours.  Transfer pork to serving dish, tent loosely with foil, and let rest for 20 minutes.

Using 2 forks, shred pork into bite-sized pieces. 

You can add barbecue sauce if you like; I didn't bother this time because I didn't have any in the house and was too lazy to try to make any, LOL.  Honestly, it's so tender from the long slow roast and so flavorful from the brine and the rub that it doesn't really need sauce, IMO.

If you're making the sweet potato fries to go with the pork, start the prep about 30 minutes before the pork comes out of the oven so that the sweet potatoes and the pork are ready to eat at about the same time.