Pork shoulder, cooked low and slow for hours until the meat can be pulled apart with two forks, mixed with a smoky barbecue sauce and served in a soft bun. The American barbecue tradition in its purest form, and proof that time is the best spice.
Pulled pork
Region: Southern USA
Pulled pork
Region: Southern USA
Method
01
Apply the rub
Mix all the ingredients for the rub. Rub it generously all over the meat. Cover and marinate in the fridge for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight.
02
Prepare
Take the meat out of the fridge an hour before cooking. Preheat the oven to 130 °C.
03
Cook
Lay the meat fat side up in a roasting tin, cover tightly with foil and cook for 6–8 hours (allow approx. 3 hours per kilo), until the meat has a core temperature of at least 95 °C and falls apart effortlessly with two forks.
04
Make the barbecue sauce
Meanwhile, mix all the ingredients for the barbecue sauce in a small pan. Bring to the boil and reduce gently for 10 minutes to a glossy sauce.
05
Pull apart
Take the meat out of the oven and leave to rest for 15 minutes. If you like, remove the bone and any excess fat. Pull the meat apart with two forks into shreds.
06
Mix
Mix the pulled meat with some of the cooking juices and plenty of barbecue sauce.
07
Serve
Spoon into soft buns and serve with coleslaw and extra barbecue sauce on the side.
Tips & notes
Don't rush this dish: at 130 °C the collagen in the shoulder really needs 6 to 8 hours to turn into gelatine, which is what makes the meat so tender and juicy. A probe thermometer is worth its weight in gold here; that way you don't have to keep opening the oven to check. Keeps for 2–3 days in a sealed container in the fridge.
Variations
- Cook in a slow cooker on low for 8–10 hours as an alternative to the oven.
- Add a splash of liquid smoke to the barbecue sauce for extra smoky flavour without charcoal.
Contains:
Gluten
Sulphites
Fish
Serve with
- Coleslaw
- Cornbread
| Calories | 651 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 58 g |
| Carbohydrates | 19 g |
| Fat | 38 g |
| Fibre | 1 g |
Estimated values, calculated from standard nutritional values per ingredient.
