The pork was the star of the meal, but we also had grilled corn, chicken wings, cole slaw, plenty of La Crema Monterey Pinot Noir, and burgundy pie with the last of the goat cheese and blackberry ice cream. It was a good meal – and it turned out to be the first of several over the course of the long weekend, including an extravagant dinner out in Newburyport and steak tips and peach sangria at my cousin’s BBQ on Monday. But what’s Labor Day for if not for a final hurrah of summer eating and drinking?
Pulled Pork with Blackberry Pinot BBQ Sauce
Author: Katie Morris
Recipe type: Pork
Cuisine: American
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 8
Ingredients
For the pork:
- 4-5 lb Boston butt (pork shoulder)
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tbsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp sweet paprika
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp mustard powder
- 1 tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ¼ tsp cayenne powder
For the BBQ sauce:
- 1 tbsp canola oil
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, diced
- 10 oz. fresh or frozen blackberries
- 6 oz. tomato paste
- ½ c. brown sugar
- ¼ c. molasses
- ¾ c. La Crema Pinot Noir
- ½ c. apple cider vinegar
- 1 chipotle in adobo, chopped finely, plus 1 tbsp adobo liquid
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Mix all of the rub ingredients together (brown sugar through cayenne powder) in a small bowl until evenly combined. Rub all over the pork butt to thoroughly coat. Place in a non-reactive dish, cover with plastic wrap, and let sit in the fridge overnight.
- Preheat a gas or charcoal grill to about 300F. Cook the pork directly on the grill, checking and rotating every 10 or so minutes to keep from burning, until pork is browned all over, about 45 minutes to 1 hour. At this point, place the pork in disposable aluminum pan that can go directly on the grill grates. Cover the pan with tinfoil. Place the pan on the grill, preferably not directly over the heat. Turn the pork every 10-15 minutes. Once it begins to become tender, shred the pork in the pan to the extent that you can, and continue to grill, checking and shredding more every 10-15 minutes. Do this until the pork is completely tender and fully shredded, another 2 to 3 hours.
- To prepare the sauce, heat the canola oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and saute until transparent and fragrant, about 5 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients (blackberries through vanilla) and cook on medium heat until blackberries have dissolved and sauce has an even consistency, about 15 minutes. Taste the sauce and adjust the seasoning as desired. Transfer the sauce to a blender and blend for 20-30 seconds or until smooth. (Use caution when blending hot liquids). Set sauce aside.
- Serve pork hot on rolls with BBQ sauce.
Dining and Cooking