We don’t often eat pulled pork in Texas. This isn’t to say that pulled pork isn’t delicious, but when you go to a Texas barbecue joint you order beef—be it brisket, shoulder, sausage or ribs. And if you do see pulled pork at a Texas barbecue joint you might inquire about the provenance of the pit master as pulled pork is just not found in our usual repertoire of smoked meat.

Yep, Texas is cow country and that’s why our barbecue is based on beef. But we certainly do eat pork—tender pork ribs are always on a barbecue menu; crisp, succulent carnitas fill countless tacos and a bowl of slow-simmered fiery red posole is a fine way to welcome in the New Year.

So why is pulled pork less available?

I don’t know the answer to this question. And while my first barbecue love will always be moist brisket piled high with pickles and onions, having traveled to other barbecue regions in the South that showcase the pig, I have come to appreciate a pulled pork sandwich. How could you not enjoy tender strands of lightly sauced meat that’s been topped with cole slaw and stuffed into a bun? It’s a fine sandwich indeed.

So, if Texas barbecue joints did have a pulled-pork tradition, how would it taste? I decided to do some experiments. Now, please keep in mind that I’m working with an oven and no smoke so this isn’t true barbecue. But I have discovered that when you cook meat in a coffee rub with plenty of chipotle powder and smoked paprika for heat and smoke, if you close your eyes you just might swear you’re in Texas. I decided to apply this rub to a bone-in pork shoulder in an attempt to make a pile of Texas pulled pork.

Much consultation led me to the conclusion that the best way to cook pulled pork in an oven was to cook it dry at a low temperature for a long time. I was dubious at first, but there’s so much fat in a pork shoulder that it keeps the meat moist. And the lack of extra liquid insures that that you’ll get a nice bark, which is fun to chop up and mix in with the juicy soft strands of meat.

I usually eschew sauce with my barbecue, but I thought a smoky chipotle sauce brightened with a bit of lime would enhance the flavor of the meat. (Note that many barbecue places in the South—namely Eastern North Carolina—simply toss their pulled pork with apple cider vinegar and chili flakes—this is tasty as well.) Tangy cole slaw and homemade buns completed the meal.

Will Texas barbecue joints ever embrace pulled pork? I don’t know the answer to that question, but I reckon probably not—we are beefeaters after all. But if you do get a hankering for pulled pork with the flavors of Texas, this is a good place to start.
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4.84 from 6 votes

Texas pulled pork with coffee-chipotle barbecue sauce

Servings 8

Author Lisa Fain

Ingredients

For the coffee-chipotle rub:

1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup black pepper
1/4 cup finely ground dark coffee
1/4 cup smoked paprika
2 tablespoons kosher salt
1 tablespoon chipotle powder
2 teaspoons granulated garlic
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 teaspoons cumin
2 teaspoons allspice

For the pulled pork:

1 (4-pound) bone-in pork shoulder

For the chipotle-coffee barbecue sauce:

1 teaspoon canola oil
1/2 half a medium onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups ketchup
1/4 cup yellow mustard
1/4 cup molasses
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1/4 cup brewed coffee
2 canned chipotles chiles, chopped
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup lime juice
Salt
Black pepper

Instructions

To make the coffee-chipotle rub, combine the brown sugar, black pepper, finely ground dark coffee, smoked paprika, salt, chipotle powder, granulated garlic, cinnamon, cumin, and allspice.
Take the pork and coat on all sides with the coffee-chipotle rub. Wrap pork in plastic, place on sheet or large plate and refrigerate for 8 hours.
Take the pork out of the refrigerator and let it come to room temperature, about half an hour. Preheat the oven to 250° F.
Place pork in a lightly oiled (either a few squirts of spray oil or about 1 teaspoon of canola oil) roasting pan or dutch oven and cook uncovered, fat side up 8 hours or about two hours a pound.
To make the chipotle-coffee barbecue sauce, heat the oil in a saucepot on medium and cook the onions for 10 minutes or until translucent. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Add the ketchup, mustard, molasses, cilantro, coffee, chipotle chiles, Worcestershire sauce, and lime juice. Turn down the heat to low and cook for half an hour, stirring occasionally. Transfer the sauce and puree until smooth. Taste and add salt and black pepper. The sauce will keep in the refrigerator for 2 weeks.
After the pork has cooked, remove the meat from oven and let it sit for an hour. Do not be alarmed by how black it is–it’s not burnt that’s bark that’s been formed by the coffee rub. Pull meat into strands and toss with as much or as little sauce as you prefer. (I like to do it with 1 cup and then serve the extra on the side.) And be sure and chop some of the bark and mix it with the tender interior meat.

Notes

Goes well with cole slaw, jalapeño pickles and soft buns, though you could certainly eat it on its own as well.

92 Comments

For serious, you are my culinary soul mate. I'm a yankee from Massachusetts, but everything you put up drives me wild and goes into regular rotation in my house. I just got a smoker, and tried this on my first go with a pork butt and the magic rub, but i messed it up and it only came out ok. Now that i understand how to use the smoker a little better, i got some st. louis ribs [the first time i've ever tried to cook these puppies] and gave it a good rub down with your coffee-chipotle rub, let it hang out in smokey land for about 3 hours, and it has changed my life. We did things to those ribs that no decent folks would ever do. Honestly, it's lucky we didn't eat the bones. Holy moly. Keep those recipes coming! Between Bacon Jam, carnitas and recently learning that you can make your own butter out of heavy cream & a jar, i'm pretty sure i'm 10 lbs heavier than i should be…but what a way to go!

I just became a big fan of pulled pork about a year ago. Now I love collecting pulled pork recipes. Thanks for posting this!

Thanks so much for this fantastic recipe. I left the coffee out of the rub, because for some reason it terrified me. And I could only find boneless pork shoulders, so I used two of those. Baked in my oven overnight for eight hours, and the smell was heavenly. The pork basically fell apart, and was so delicious neither my husband nor I could stop eating it even though it was only 8AM when we were pulling it. We served it with a variation on your sauce: no coffee (again, the fear), no cilantro, no lime, a bunch more vinegar and a few different spices. It went over smashingly at my family gathering… so tender and flavorful. One other note: I was a bit of a chicken about putting too much of the bark in with the finished pulled pork, but I wish I hadn't been. Next time I won't throw any of that gorgeous stuff away. Thanks for making this Mainer's weekend with your Texas Pulled Pork!

I have a question. If I were to make this a day ahead, how would I go about reheating this to serve at a party? Should I just take it out of the refrigerator and let it come to room temperature? Just wondering if you have any thoughts on that. Thanks!

Beth–You could bring it to room temperature, or you could splash a little bit of water on it to keep it moist, cover it with foil, and then cook in an oven set at 350 for 15 minutes or until warm.

Texas pulled pork with coffee-chipotle barbecue sauce