Even though I am originally from Texas where beef barbecue is king, I attended graduate school in South Carolina and developed a serious appreciation for pulled pork with mustard based sauce.  This recipe contains a decent amount of mustard and vinegar for a REALLY tangy taste which is something I love.  The ancho chile powder and tomato paste mellow out the mustard a bit which gives the sauce a unique flavor. Additionally, almost every barbecue sauce you find in the grocery store is full of high fructose corn syrup. Eating Paleo means eliminating sugar as much as possible so this recipe contains no sugar without sacrificing flavor. Another benefit is cost.  The pork shoulder and pork butt are fairly inexpensive cuts of meat.  I purchased the 9 pound pork shoulder I used for this recipe at $1.29 per pound.  This Paleo barbecue recipe makes more than 12 servings which means it is seriously economical.

Dry Rub

• 2 tablespoons ancho chile powder
• 2 tablespoons course sea salt
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 1 tablespoon dry mustard
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Pork

• 1 (7-9 pound) pork roast, either shoulder or butt
• 1/4 cup water

Cider-Vinegar Barbecue Sauce

•  1 1/2 cups apple cider vinegar
• 1 cup yellow mustard
• 6 ounce can tomato paste
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• Liquid from the cooked pork

Instructions

Mix the ancho chile powder, sea salt, paprika, onion powder, dry mustard and cayenne pepper in a small bowl.Rinse the pork and pat dry with a paper towel.Rub the entire pork with the spices.  Place the seasoned pork shoulder in a large crockpot and add 1/4 cup water. Cook on high for six hours or on low for up to 9 hours.

While the pork is cooking prepare the barbecue sauce.  Combine the vinegar, mustard, tomato paste, garlic, salt, cayenne and black pepper in a saucepan.  Heat at medium, and simmer and stir for about 10 minutes.  Remove from the heat and set aside.

When the pork is done drain the liquid into a large bottomed pan, skim off some of the fat and simmer until reduced by about half. Pour the reduced liquid into the pan with the barbecue sauce and cook for about 5 minutes.Once the pork has cooled off a bit you should remove any bones and as much of the large pieces of fat as reasonably possible.  Using two forks, “pull” the pork until it is nicely shredded but not destroyed into mush.

Pour half of the prepared barbecue sauce over the pork and stir until well coated. Serve the pulled pork with a side of the remaining sauce.  I also recommend serving the pork with some sort of coleslaw.  When my garden is in full swing I shred cabbage, carrots, onions and raw beets and toss with an oil and vinegar dressing. (Recipe to follow) Whatever you do, remember this is the Paleo Diet and therefore NO BUNS are allowed. Enjoy!

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