Make-Ahead Smoky Pulled Pork for the Freezer

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

A big Sunday batch of oven-braised pork shoulder, shredded and tossed with a tangy brown-sugar barbecue sauce, then frozen flat in portions. Fatty pork and a vinegar-tomato sauce are the two things that survive the freezer best, so this reheats juicy and glossy instead of dry or watery. Twelve ingredients, one pot, and four weeknight dinners waiting in the drawer.

Ingredients

• 4 lb boneless pork shoulder
• 3 tbsp light brown sugar, divided
• 1 tbsp smoked paprika
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• 2 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 large yellow onion, thickly sliced
• 1 cup chicken broth

• 3/4 cup apple cider vinegar, divided
• 1 cup ketchup
• 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tbsp yellow mustard

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 300F. Pat the pork dry and cut it into 4 large chunks. Stir together 2 tablespoons of the brown sugar, the smoked paprika, garlic powder, salt, and pepper, then rub it all over the pork.
2. Scatter the onion over the bottom of a Dutch oven or deep roasting pan and set the pork on top. Pour in the chicken broth and 1/4 cup of the vinegar. Cover tightly with a lid or a double layer of foil and roast for 3 to 3 1/2 hours, until the pork shreds with almost no pressure from a fork (internal temperature about 200F).
3. While the pork rests, whisk the ketchup, remaining 1/2 cup vinegar, Worcestershire, yellow mustard, and remaining 1 tablespoon brown sugar in a small saucepan. Simmer over medium-low for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring now and then, until slightly thickened. Set aside.
4. Lift the pork onto a board and shred with two forks, discarding large fat chunks. Skim and discard the fat floating on the braising liquid, then strain out the onion if you like. Return the shredded pork to the pot and toss with about 1 cup of the braising liquid plus two-thirds of the barbecue sauce, so the meat is wet and loose, not dry.
5. Cool the pork completely before freezing: spread it on a sheet pan for 30 to 40 minutes, or set the pot in a sink of cold water and stir occasionally, until it is no longer steaming. Warm pork in a bag makes ice crystals and a watery reheat.
6. Divide into 4 portions in freezer bags or containers, spooning the remaining sauce and any leftover braising liquid over each so the meat is coated. Press flat, squeeze out the air, label, and freeze for up to 3 months.
7. To reheat from frozen: tip a block into a skillet with 2 tablespoons water, cover, and set over medium-low for 12 to 15 minutes, breaking it up and stirring as it thaws, until steaming hot (165F). Or thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat covered at 350F for 20 to 25 minutes, or microwave 3 to 4 minutes, stirring halfway. Uncover for the last 2 minutes if you want the edges a little sticky.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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