Beer Braised BBQ Pork Butt

For the dry rub:
2 tablespoons salt
About 40 grinds black pepper
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon garlic powder
2 teaspoons ground coriander
2 teaspoons ground mustard seed

12 ounces good ale or dark beer, such as Bass or Newcastle
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 5-pound pork butt (shoulder of the animal)

Combine rub ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Rub all over pork butt. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight (or at least 1 hour if you are in a hurry).

Preheat oven to 500 degrees F. Unwrap pork and place in a roasting pan. Cook 45 minutes until dark browned and even blackening in places. Remove from oven.

Lower oven to 325 degrees F. Pour beer over the top and add chopped garlic around the pork. Cover tightly with heavy duty aluminum foil, poke about 10 holes all over the top of the foil. Cook pork butt 3-4 hours longer until so tender that it comes away very easily from center bone. Cook longer if pork butt is bigger. I usually cook a 7.5 lb pork butt 5-6 hours.

When the pork is falling off the bone, it is done. Shred it using two forks.

At this point you can either eat the pork plain (it tastes great) or combine it with one of the following sauces:

• My chili-based BBQ sauce
• My eastern NC BBQ sauce
• Your favorite sauce

If none of those sound good, here's an old standby that's guaranteed to be a crowd pleaser:

Pour the leftover pan juice into a saucepan. To the pan juices add:

1/2 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons whole grain Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons Worchestershire sauce
1/3 cup dark brown sugar

Bring to a simmer until reduced by half and thick, about 20 minutes. Pour the sauce over the pulled pork and work through until fully absorbed.

Optional: To make BBQ spicier mix in 1/2 tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes.