Pulled Pork Simmering Sauce

Stonewall Kitchen Pulled Pork Simmering Sauce for braising

Stonewall Kitchen Pulled Pork Simmering Sauce is the braising sauce in which a pork shoulder slowly breaks down over hours into tender pulled pork. Cane sugar, honey, and tomato provide sweetness, while apple cider vinegar and paprika oil counter this with acidity and mild heat.

Pulled Pork Simmering Sauce is the savory braising sauce from Stonewall Kitchen in York, Maine, crafted for pork shoulder and collar roast in a Dutch oven. Unlike typical barbecue sauces, it is not brushed on, but cooked along with the meat from the start until it has infused the pork.

Sweet, tomatoey, with a touch of warmth

Cane sugar is the first ingredient on the list, complemented by brown sugar and honey; this triple sweetness is the reason for the deep color after hours in the oven.

Tomato paste provides a hearty body, apple cider vinegar cuts through the sweetness, and mustard adds a subtle, grounding spice. The paprika oil delivers a heat that warms rather than burns, lingering on the finish.

Right off the spoon, it tastes thick and robust, almost like a finished barbecue sauce for the grill. However, it only truly fulfills its purpose in a covered pot, where it combines with the rendered meat juices.

How to master pulled pork in a Dutch oven

Place a pork shoulder or collar in a Dutch oven, pour the sauce over it, and let both cook at a low temperature for several hours until the meat yields on its own. Keep the lid on so that nothing dries out.

Afterward, shred the meat with two forks and stir the thickened liquid back in so that none of the flavor is left behind in the pot. Piled onto a soft bun with coleslaw, it makes a classic; the same filling works just as well in a wrap, on a baked potato, or over nachos.

For a glaze on ribs, use the Baby Back Rib Sauce, and discover other creations Stonewall Kitchen has mixed for the grill in our Grill and BBQ Sauce collection.

Why slow cooking makes meat fall apart

A pork shoulder is marbled with connective tissue that remains tough and chewy if seared quickly. Only when the internal temperature climbs to around 90°C (195°F) over several hours does the collagen convert into gelatin. This exact transformation is what makes the shoulder juicy and easy to shred.

Because this process takes a long time, the sauce in the pot must hold up for hours without turning bitter. The sugar in this bottle caramelizes slowly instead of burning, and the acidity from the apple cider vinegar additionally helps break down the connective tissue.

In North Carolina, the home of pulled pork, vinegar is traditionally used instead of tomato. Stonewall Kitchen bridges both traditions, bringing a long, slow Sunday into your kitchen without the need for a personal smoker.

A lazy Sunday and a long braising day

The Dutch oven has been in the oven since mid-morning, the house smells of sweet tomato and spices, and everyone has already asked for the third time when it will finally be ready. That is exactly the charm of such a day, where the oven does all the work.

Then, shredded meat is brought to the table, along with a dollop of coleslaw, a cold beer, and time to spare. Once opened, the jar from Stonewall Kitchen will keep for several weeks in the refrigerator, and any leftovers can be used to season beans the next day.