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Begin by mixing together all of the ingredients for the dry rub well.
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Rub all over the surface of the roast, cover and let sit in the refrigerator for several hours or overnight.
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There are two ways to approach beginning to cook the pork. A stove top method and a BBQ smoking method. I of course prefer the smoked version but in the winter months, I will be using the stove top method.
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OVEN METHOD
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Heat 4 tbsp oil in a large heavy bottomed skillet over medium heat and brown the roast lightly on all sides. Transfer the roast to a covered roasting pan.
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BBQ METHOD
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If you are using your gas grill to barbeque, place the meat on one side of the grill and use the burner or burners on the opposite side so that it is not directly over heat. Regulate the gas to keep the temperature at about 250 for slow barbequed flavor. The same technique can also be used with a charcoal grill, just keep the charcoal on one side and the meat on the opposite side.
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You can add smoke flavor by soaking hardwood chips like mesquite, apple, cherry or hickory in warm water for about a half hour. A couple of handfuls will do. Wrap the soaked wood chips in a double layer of heavy duty aluminum foil and poke only two holes in the foil, one at either end to allow the smoke to escape. I place the foil packets in a vegetable grill pan so that the packet is not sitting directly on the gas burner. The packet can be directly placed on the coals if you are using a charcoal barbeque. Smoke for only a only an hour or so, you don't want to heavily smoke the pork too much in this particular recipe. After an hour, transfer the roast to a covered roasting pan.
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To the roasting pan, along with the roast, add all of the ingredients mentioned above.
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Cover with aluminum foil then the lid of the roasting pan. Roast in a 300 degree oven for several hours ( approximately 4-5) until the meat is very tender and falling off the bone.
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Remove the braising liquid to a saucepan, skim all the excess fat and reduce the liquid if necessary until it slightly thickens. At this point you can puree the sauce with an immersion blender or in a food processor to smooth it out and incorporate the cooked onions and apples. Serve over the pulled pork, tossing it well to completely coat the pieces of meat..