I'm sure there are differences, but a regular electric wall oven can be used to make decent pulled pork and you don't need the water.

1. Buy a Boston Butt, not a Picnic, and make sure it's bone-in.

2. Use a good dry rub and let the butt sit in the fridge overnight.

3. In a large skillet melt some butter and get it good and hot. Sear the butt on all sides and the ends.

4. Wrap the butt in foil, place it in a throwaway pan, and bake in the oven at 225 degrees until the internal temperature of the thickest muscles reaches 180 degrees.

5. Unwrap the butt and reserve the juices. Mix the juices with some barbecue sauce. Let it continue cooking at 225 degrees until it reaches 195, basting with the juice/sauce mixture every few minutes.

This plan should work just fine in your roaster oven.

A roaster oven heats from the sides. Not from the top and not from the bottom. All you have to do is to rotate the meat every 1/2 an hour or so. You will have great pulled pork.

dcarch

Testing.

arghhh... been trying to post a comment for hours! keep getting errors... trying again....

Thanks, Ricky, but I was asking specifically about dealing with a roaster oven.

That's it, dcarch! I told BF and he immediately knew that's the right answer! Thank you!!!

So, perhaps for the next time (I think changing one thing at a time makes for more successes), he could try cutting down on the water and putting the lid on. In his method, some would be needed for steaming (or beer!), but if the steam isn't venting or dissipating in the roaster, it might be good with little to no liquid.

I make pulled pork in the Nesco regularly, but I leave the lid on. I usually have to add luqid too, as the lid on mine has a small vent hole and that takes care of extra moisture.

I usually turn it once, but not always, and I cook it at about 250F until it reaches at least 185F, Elery likes it a bit more, closer to 200F internally. You can tell if it is fork tender by, well, sticking a fork in it.

I also often use a liquid besides water. Pineapple juice is a favorite here if we're going to use BBQ sauce, but root beer, Dr. Pepper, apple juice, even hard cider has been used, then the meat shredded into the liquid on the bottom to soak up the extra flavor, with no extra sauce required.

Annie

In mine, I prefer to pat it good and dry, season it with a good rub and brown it slightly (like a pot roast) if there's time and patience. Cook at 250° until it's about 200° internal with a cup or so of beer in the bottom, replenish if needed. It takes a long time to get it good and tender and that's my problem, I'm usually not patient enough so I need to be distracted or do it a day or so ahead of time so it cooks long enough. Once cooked and shredded I add a little sauce and some more seasoning and slow cook it a little while to blend.

I use "country style ribs" which are really pieces of the shoulder (butt). Sprinkle them liberally with a Memphis style rub or use whatever you'd like. Put them in a shallow pan and let them sit for 8-24 hours. I add about 1/4 cup of chicken stock, cover tightly with aluminum foil, and them them go in a 275° F oven for 2-2½ hours. After their done, pull the meat, and add some BBQ sauce, some of the drippings (skimmed for fat), and if it seems like a needs it, a splash or two of chicken stock.

Obviously a smoker and a whole butt roast would be better, but I don't have a smoker or that much free time in most days.