Host a Tasting! {Pulled Pork}

One of the goals on my list for 2012 was to open our home to guests more often.  I love to cook, and sharing a meal with an acquaintance is a great way to get to know people better.

While I love having guests, I don't want to be stuck in the kitchen distracted by meal preparations while everyone is socializing.  So, when I saw a friend's post about hosting a tasting I knew that would be the format for our next gathering.

For this first attempt I chose pulled pork.  It's popular in the south and each region has it's own unique sauce.  And, (bonus!) it can be prepared in advance.

 

I started a day before our tasting with a bone-in pork shoulder/butt roast, and rubbed it with McCormick's GrillMates Barbecue rub.  It cooked all day in the crockpot, literally falling off the bone.  I put the roast, falling apart as I moved it, onto a cookie sheet and used two forks to pull it off the bone and shred it up a little.  I saved a little of the juice and fat to pour over the meat to keep it moist.

 

The day of the tasting I put the pork with the juices into a foil pan (no clean up!) and let it heat in an oven at 250 degrees while I finished the rest of the meal.

 

We set up our meal buffet style with five varieties of BBQ sauce and some little 3 oz. cups for dipping.  Everyone from ages four to forty (-one) loved it!

 

Now I'm thinking of other ways I could apply this fun dinner idea!  Suggestions?