Rob Ray Recipe: BBQ Pork Butt and Beer BBQ Sauce

Yet another great summertime recipe. Here, chef Rob Ray explained to Oxford Beer Fest VIP attendees how to integrate beer into BBQ pork butt and beer-based barbecue sauce.

Ballistic Blonde Braised BBQ Pork Butt from Rob Ray at McEwen’s Oxford

• 4T Kosher Salt
• 3T Fresh Ground Pepper
• 2tsp Toasted Ground Mustard Seeds
• 2T Chili Powder
• 1T Ground Cumin
• 1T Garlic Powder
• 1T Toasted Ground Coriander Seeds
• 1Orange, Zested and Juiced (keep the peels)
• 8 pounds Pork Butt
• Olive oil for cooking pan
• 3c Lucky Town Ballistic Blonde
• 6 Garlic Cloves, Chopped

Combine salt, pepper, mustard seeds, chili powder, cumin, coriander, garlic powder and orange zest in a bowl and mix well. Rub all over pork butt. Wrap in plastic wrap or vacuum seal and refrigerate for at least one hour, up to 12 hours. Preheat oven to 500 degrees F. Drizzle olive oil in a large roasting pan or Dutch oven and braise pork (uncovered) for one hour, until a dark brown color appears across the pork. Remove from oven and lower oven to 325 degrees F. Pour the beer and orange juice over the pork and place the garlic cloves and orange peels around the pork. Cover the pan with foil, poking five pen-size holes in the foil–one in each corner and one in the middle. Cook for 3 hours, until meat falls off the bone.

Beer Barbecue Sauce to accompany Ballistic Blonde Braised BBQ Pork Butt 

• 1T Butter
• 1/3c Onion, Chopped
• 3T Garlic, Minced
• 2T Worcestershire sauce
• 2c Ketchup
• 2T Yellow Mustard
• 2T Sorghum
• 1T Brown Sugar
• 1/2tsp Salt
• 1tsp Fresh Ground Black Pepper
• 2T Apple Cider Vinegar
• 1tsp Cayenne Pepper
• 1tsp Hot Sauce
• 2c Lucky Town Ballistic Blonde

Add butter, onion and garlic to a saucepan over medium heat; sweat onions until soft and translucent. Add Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, mustard, sorghum, brown sugar, salt, black pepper, vinegar, cayenne pepper, hot sauce and 1 cup of beer. Turn up the heat to med-high and bring to a boil, then simmer uncovered for 30 minutes. Remove from heat, purée and add remaining beer.

The Oxford Beer Fest’s VIP Chef/Beer Pairing area was organized by EatingOxford.com. If you’d like information on how to hold a similar event at your venue, contact Liz@EatingOxford.com.