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Slow-roasting pork shoulder brings out the best, most tender version of itself—ideal for tossing with your favorite BBQ sauce, just like Sunny's grandma.

Try one of Sunny's favorite sauces, Apricot BBQ Sauce or Carolina Pork Sauce.

Adapted from Sunny’s Kitchen: Easy Food For Real Life by Sunny Anderson. Copyright © 2013 by Sunny Anderson. Used with permission by Clarkson Potter. All rights reserved.

Ingredients

For the pork roast:
  • One 9-pound boneless pork shoulder, skin trimmed
  • 8 cloves garlic, smashed
  • 2-3 cups vegetable stock
For the rub:
  • ½ cup Old Bay Seasoning
  • 1 tablespoon onion powder
  • 1 tablespoon garlic powder
  • 1 tablespoon sweet paprika
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
For serving:
  • Your favorite BBQ sauces
  • Bread and butter pickles
  • White bread

Yield

Serves: 8 to 10

Preparation

For the pork: With the tip of a knife, make eight 2-inch-deep pockets all around the pork and insert a smashed garlic clove in each.

For the rub: Put the Old Bay, onion powder, garlic powder, sweet paprika, and olive oil in a small bowl. Stir to combine, then rub the seasoning all over the pork. Rest at room temperature for 2 hours.

Preheat the oven to 250°F. Fill a roasting pan with vegetable stock 1 inch deep. Add the pork and cover with several layers of aluminum foil. Getting the seal tight is key because this locks in the steam, which helps break down the pork so it’s pull-worthy. Roast in the oven for 2 hours covered, then pull back the foil a bit and prick the pork with a fork. If tender and jiggly, remove the foil and roast for 1 more hour. If not, re-cover and cook for at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour more, adding more stock if needed. Once you remove the foil, the liquid can evaporate a bit.

Remove the roast from the oven, cover loosely with foil, and rest so the juices redistribute. Chop into small chunks. Divide in half and toss with desired sauces, or leave dry and ladle sauce over top. Serve with bread and butter pickles and white bread.