Oven BBQ Pulled Pork (adapted from Cooks Illustrated)
1 cup salt
1/2 cup sugar
2 Tb brown sugar
4 Tb plus 2 tsp liquid smoke
1 boneless pork butt (4-5 lbs), cut in half horizontally
1/4 cup yellow mustard
2 Tb ground black pepper
2 Tb smoked paprika (see note)
1 tsp cayenne pepper
Dissolve salt, 1/2 cup sugar, and 4 tablespoons liquid smoke in 4 quarts of cold water in large container. Submerge pork in brine, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 2 hours.
While pork brines, combine mustard and remaining 2 teaspoons liquid smoke in small bowl; set aside. Combine black pepper, paprika, brown sugar, and cayenne in second small bowl; set aside. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees.
Remove pork from brine and pat dry with paper towels. Rub mustard mixture over entire surface of each piece of pork. Sprinkle entire surface of each piece with spice mixture and pat it into the mustard. Place pork on wire rack set inside foil-lined rimmed baking sheet or roasting pan. Place a piece of parchment paper over pork, then cover with sheet of aluminum foil, making sure the edges are well sealed. (The parchment keeps the mustard from eating through the foil. Crazy, huh?) Roast pork for 3 hours.
Remove pork from oven; remove and discard foil and parchment. Carefully pour off liquid in bottom of baking sheet into fat separator and reserve for sauce. Return pork to oven and cook, uncovered, until well browned, about 1½ hours. Transfer pork to serving dish, tent loosely with foil, and let rest for 20 minutes.
When it's done resting, shred your pork. What you do with it next is up to you! The Geologist loves the meat plain at this point, but we usually toss it with the de-fatted pork juices. You can also mix about 1/2 a cup of the juices with your favorite BBQ sauce and mix it all together. We serve sauce separately because only half of us like it.