Yes, you read that correctly! Pork shoulder — or pork butt, whichever the label happens to say — is on the menu. Plan ahead for this, so the pork can brine overnight. Imagine the flavours of bourbon and smoke sneaking into tender meat, and you will understand why the effort is totally worthwhile.
Stir together the quick-cooking brine the night before, allow the pork to soak in all that deliciousness, throw it in the crockpot next morning, and by the time you are starving and ready for supper, it will be ready to WOW.
Our local grocery store had pork shoulder on sale buy-one-get-one-free. No kidding! I think I went to the store at least 3 times that week to pick up pork. Thank goodness for massive chest freezer! Over the next few weeks, I played around with a variety of recipes. To be honest, I’ve never had pulled pork that was disgusting. However, some times pork just tastes . . . . . . . bland. This is one of the best solutions.
Three batches later, I’m still hoping for leftovers.
Typically, lean meat benefits from brining. Brine adds moisture. Typically, marinades include an acid, a sweetener, and some oil. Marinades flavor and tenderize the meat. And this is where I break the rules:
- Pork shoulder is fatty and cooks up juicy.
- Pork shoulder does not need to be tenderized.
- Pork and bourbon are the best of friends.
- Bourbon helps carry the flavors deep into the meat.
And so, bourbon brined pork shoulder is tender, moist, and every single bite is flavorful.
Even though this pork doesn’t actually need sauce, give smoky rhubarb sauce — made with bourbon — a try! Dinner will be a party!
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Bourbon Brined Pork Shoulder
- Total Time: 10 hours 10 minutes
- Yield: 8 1x
Description
Take pork to the next level with this overnight bourbon brine
Ingredients
1/2 cup kosher salt
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
4 cups water
1/2 cup bourbon
1/2 cup molasses
1 Tbsp worcestershire sauce
2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp whole peppercorns
1 tsp whole allspice
1 tsp liquid smoke
6 whole cloves
1 bay leaf
7–9 pound pork shoulder
Instructions
Combine 4 cups water, brown sugar, and kosher salt in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, and cook until sugar is completely dissolved. Stir in remaining ingredients.
Cut pork into manageable pieces — approximately fist-sized — and place in a deep bowl. Pour brine over the pork. Add 4 cups of water, or until meat is just covered in liquid. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
Scoop out 1/4 cup brining liquid and pour into the bottom of a crockpot. Remove pork pieces from brine and place in crockpot. Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours.
Shred pork and serve as desired — on rice, with salad, on bread — it’s all good!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 hours
