I can absolutely, positively, without a doubt state that I will NEVER turn down a meal consisting of falling-off-the-bone pork butt! If you bring me some spicy carnitas tacos, or a toasted bun filled with slow-roasted pulled pork, jalapeños and tangy coleslaw, or a crispy hunk of hickory smoked pork butt, I’ll flat-out love you forever. No questions asked. (None answered, either.)

And what with the majority of peeps I know being glued to the boob-tube watching this whole 2015 NCAA Basketball March Madness thing, I reckon that a beer-braised pulled pork sandwich (I love me some Stone Brewing Co Arrogant Bastard Ale for braising) is just the thing to plop down in front of those hoops-crazed folks. It just so happens that our hometown San Diego State Aztecs will be battling the #1 seed Duke Blue Devils today, and while it’s rather improbable that the Aztecs will be moving on to the Elite 8 after this matchup, I’ll be serving up some “Bastard Butt” sandwiches along with a few ice cold brewskis (for the “21 and over) Aztec fanatics in this house.

Bastard Butt Braised Pork Sandwiches

Adapted from Tyler Florence’s Oven Roasted Pulled Pork Sandwiches and Dave Lieberman’s Beer Braised BBQ Pork Butt recipes

(Serves 8)

Total Time: 6-1/2 hours (30 minutes prep and 6 hours cooking) 

Dry Rub:

• 1 Tablespoon black pepper
• 1 Tablespoon garlic powder
• 2 Tablespoons packed dark brown sugar
• 1 Tablespoon dry mustard
• 3 Tablespoons Paprika
• 1 Tablespoon Kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

5 to 6-lb. Boston Butt (aka Pork Shoulder) Roast

Mix all dry rub ingredients in a small bowl. Score the fat cap with a few “X”‘s, then coat the pork shoulder roast with dry rub, tightly cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least two hours, or preferably overnight.

Barbecue Sauce:

• 1-1/2 cups apple cider vinegar
• 1 cup yellow mustard
• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon Kosher salt

Combine all the ingredients in a saucepan over medium heat, and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the sugar is dissolved and the ingredients are completely blended. Set aside until ready to use. (The sauce can be made a day in advance and refrigerated. Just be sure to re-warm the sauce prior to using.)

Additional Ingredients:

• 12 ounces of Stone Brewing Company “Arrogant Bastard Ale”
• 8 white hamburger buns
• 1 quart of prepared Coleslaw
• Pickled Jalapeño slices (optional)
• Dill Pickle Spears for accompaniment

About an hour before you’re ready to roast the pork, remove it from the refrigerator. Preheat your oven to 285 degrees. Remove the plastic wrap from the pork shoulder and transfer it to a large roasting pan (fat side up) that has been lined with heavy duty foil. Pour about 12 oz. of Arrogant Bastard Ale (or your preferred beer; however, you may have to rename the recipe to … say … Bass Ass if you happen to choose Bass Pale Ale.)

Cover the pan with foil and roast for approximately 5 hours – expect about an hour of cooking time per pound of meat – until the meat is becoming fork-tender. Remove the foil cover, mop a nice layer of the Apple Cider-Mustard sauce over the top and sides of the meat, and roast for another hour, until the top of the pork has formed a crisp, dark caramel-colored crust. (An instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the roast should register 170-180 degrees.)

Remove from the oven, tent with foil to retain the moisture, and let the meat rest for a good half hour. I should probably warn you that the aromas will now make you slightly crazed, and you’ll want to dive in to your Bastard Butt immediately. But I really need for you to wait that long, arduous 30 minutes before beginning the shredding process. Please trust me here, ‘cuz the flavors just keep getting happier and the meat just keeps getting tender-er.

After you’ve finished shredding the meat, pour half of the barbecue sauce over it and mix well to coat. Then slide the pan under the broiler for a a few minutes to crisp up the top layer for added texture.

While the pork is resting, cut the rolls in half and toast them under a broiler. Divide the pork among the bottoms of buns. Drizzle a little of the remaining sauce over, layer on a spoonful of coleslaw and top with a slice or two of pickled jalapeños, if using.

Cover the sandwiches with the tops of the buns, grab a crisp dill pickle and an ice cold beer, find a seat in front of the boob-tube, and promptly devour your Bastard Butt sandwich while cheering on the Aztecs (or whatever team you’d like, I suppose.)