I’m a guy, which means I think I am genetically predisposed to love to cook things over fire! When I was a bachelor living in Clearwater Beach, Florida, I never turned on my oven in my years living there. I was the master of a little hibachi grill on my deck. I was blessed to have a fresh fish store within a block of my apartment, where I could grab fresh fish. I loved mahi mahi, grouper, marlin, and tuna. In my self taught grilling exploration, I learned that basically the same ingredients in a margarita were also great items to season grilled fish or chicken. Tequila, Cointreau, Lime, and Salt.
Living in the south also exposed me to several different types of regional styles of BBQ. From the Vinegar and Mustard based sauces of South Carolina to Texas Dry Rub, I tried them all and loved them all. When it comes to BBQ and heart health, this was going to be a challenge. So many areas of BBQ are rife with hidden salt. From the meat or poultry, and how it it is cured or prepared, to the sauces and rubs. To keep BBQ in your heart healthy diet, you definitely need to hack the salt.
Texas Style BBQ – Dry Rub & Sauce
The recipe I am giving you today leans to the Texas style of BBQ. It means that you will be creating a dry rub. and then making a sauce to add on. This can be used on all sorts of ribs, chicken, etc. I did this with Pork. Fresh Pork butt or shoulder is low in sodium. You should ask your butcher to make sure it wasn’t washed in a saltwater brine, etc. Fresh pork has about 57 milligrams per 3 oz. (about the same size as a deck of cards Let me know in the comments what you think, and what is your favorite style of BBQ!
Recipe for Low Sodium BBQ Pork
Low Sodium BBQ Pork
Ingredients
- 3 lbs Pork Butt grilled or roasted
Dry Rub
- 1/2 cup turbinado sugar raw
- 1/4 cup Hungarian paprika
- 2 TBS granulated garlic
- 2 TBS granulated onion
- 2 TBS black pepper
- 1 TBS salt free chili powder
- 1 TBS cayenne pepper
Low Salt BBQ Sauce
- 35 oz bottle of ketchup - Hunt's salt free
- 2 cups of light brown sugar
- 1 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 cup apple juice
- 2 TBS Worcestershire sauce or cut salt here by using the same amount of salt free liquid smoke
- 1 TBS granulated garlic
- 1 TBS granulated onion
- 1 TBS black pepper
- Cayenne pepper to taste I like some kick
Instructions
To grill or roast:
- I do this on the grill, but you can also do in the oven.
- Mix the dry rub and coat your pork.
- Wrap the coated pork in cling wrap and let it sit for at least an hour in the fridge (I do it 24 hours to let it all meld in).
- The trick to cooking is low and slow.
- Use a pan with 2 inch sides to catch the drippings.
- You want to plan on cooking about an hour and a half per pound.
- Either in the grill or oven, cook the first hour at about 300 degrees f. to get a crust started.
- Then pull it out and cover the pan with tinfoil.
- Lower the temp to 225 degrees f. and keep cooking.
- After a couple hours start checking the internal temp.
- When it hits 180 degrees f. lose the foil and coat it with a brushing of the sauce.
- Cook it to in internal temp of 205 degrees f. Take it out and let it rest for fifteen minutes.
- Shred the pork with a fork or your fingers and cover with the remaining sauce and mix until it is all covered.
Notes
Nutrition