Pulled Pork Sandwiches with Homemade BBQ Sauce

Ingredients

• 1 pork shoulder roast (Boston Butt or Picnic roast), about 6 to 8 pounds
• 4 teaspoons Essence, recipe follows
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• Homemade Barbecue Sauce, recipe follows
• 10 to 12 sandwich buns

Directions

Remove the pork from the refrigerator and let it come to room temperature before proceeding. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.

Line a roasting pan with aluminum foil. Season the roast well on all sides with the Essence, salt, and cayenne pepper. Place a roasting rack inside the roasting pan and place the seasoned pork on the rack, fat side up. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 4 hours.

Remove the foil from the roast and continue to bake until the roast is very tender and will pull apart easily with a fork, about 2 hours longer. Remove the pork from the oven and set aside to cool slightly. Remove any excess fat from the roast and discard if desired; I just love the crunchy bits of skin left on top! Using 2 forks or your hands, shred the pork into bite-sized pieces. Serve with sauce and buns to make sandwiches.

Emeril's ESSENCE Creole Seasoning (also referred to as Bayou Blast):

2 1/2 tablespoons paprika

2 tablespoons salt

2 tablespoons garlic powder

1 tablespoon black pepper

1 tablespoon onion powder

1 tablespoon cayenne pepper

1 tablespoon dried oregano

1 tablespoon dried thyme

Combine all ingredients thoroughly.

Yield: 2/3 cup

Recipe from "New New Orleans Cooking", by Emeril Lagasse and Jessie Tirsch

Published by William and Morrow, 1993.

Homemade Barbecue Sauce:

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 1/2 cups finely chopped onions

6 cloves garlic, finely chopped

2 1/4 teaspoons sweet paprika

2 teaspoons Essence, recipe follows

2 teaspoons dry mustard

1 1/4 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste

1 1/2 cups water

3/4 cup cider vinegar

6 tablespoons dark brown sugar

In a medium non-reactive saucepan set over medium-high heat, add the butter and, when melted, add the onions and cook until they are very soft, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic, paprika, Essence, ground mustard, salt, crushed red pepper, black pepper, and cayenne pepper and cook for 2 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring frequently, for 2 minutes, or until the tomato paste begins to brown. Add the water, cider vinegar, and dark brown sugar, and stir to combine. Reduce the heat to low and cook until the sauce has thickened and the flavors have come together, about 15 to 20 minutes.

Set aside to cool before using. The sauce may be made up to 1 week in advance and refrigerated in an airtight, non-reactive container.

Yield: about 3 cups sauce