Pulled Pork

5 pounds fresh (not smoked) pork shoulder, bone-in (look for Boston butt)

3 cups homemade or bottled barbecue sauce (see note), plus more for serving

Rub

6 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons light or dark brown sugar

4 tablespoons salt

4 tablespoons ground cumin

4 tablespoons coarsely ground black pepper

4 tablespoons chili powder

8 tablespoons paprika

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Make the rub. (You can do this weeks ahead of time.) Spoon all ingredients into a bowl, whisk to mix. Transfer to a pint jar, cover and store at room temperature indefinitely. Makes 2 cups.

Heat oven to 250 degrees. (You can do this the night before you plan to serve, and cook the pork while you sleep.)

Trim the pork of any visible fat.

Line a baking pan large enough to hold the pork with heavy-duty aluminum foil. Put the meat in, and evenly sprinkle 1/4 cup of the spice rub onto all sides of the pork. Cover the pan with a tent of heavy-duty aluminum foil, folded over the edges to seal it. Roast 8 to 9 hours; you know it's done when you poke at the meat with a fork and it falls off the bone.

Allow the meat to cool enough so that you can handle it. Using your fingers, shred the meat, discarding any fat. (If not serving for several hours, cover and refrigerate the meat.)

In a large sauce pan, heat the barbecue sauce. Mix in the shredded meat and stir to coat. Serve warm on a dinner plate or on a sandwich roll, with extra, warm sauce on the side.

Serves 10 to 12.

Cook' note: For my favorite barbecue sauce recipe, e-mail me at MarialisaC@aol.com.

"River Run" by Jimmy and Maya Kennedy and Marialisa Calta (2001 HarperCollins)