This is my Rolls Royce of Pulled Pork recipes.
Dont have time for this version?I get it.
Make mySlow Cooker Pulled Porkinstead!
My best pulled pork shown with BBQ sauce (recipe below),corn bread muffins,coleslawand ice cold beer!
Its my favourite part.
Its so tempting to lift the whole thing off and run away with it!
Evening before serving Put pork in oven to slow-roast overnight.
Next morning (day of serving) Remove pork from oven.
Keep whole until required.
Shred pork as close as possible to serving time, for optimum juiciness.
Close up look at the terrific bark on this Pulled Pork recipe. You can’t achieve this same quality bark using aslow cooker, we need the oven. Long and slow!
When cool, cover and refrigerate.
Remove from fridge 3 hours prior, leave on counter for 1 hour.
It actually works well because it keeps the meat juicy!
Every strand of pork is seasoned thanks to the overnight brine.
Its best for Pulled Pork because its well marbled and a uniform shape.
However, itISsold at Costco!
Otherwise, find it at good butchers.
What to ask for Pork butt / Boston butt / butchers block / square cut pork shoulder.
Describe it as a 4 to 5 kg rectangular block of pork shoulder.
Beer This has multiple purposes.
Dark beers can be a bit too intense and dominate the pan juice flavours.
The seasonings (a good number from my12 Essential Spices list!!)
are for flavour, while the salt dry-brines the pork to make it juicier.
Bottom line: Dry-brining works better and is easier.
Its how I domy turkeyevery year.
Dry brine, dry brine, I say!
How much pork do you need per person?
Imperial measurements: Multiply each lb of pork weight by 1.5 for normal servings or 1.2 for large servings.
What you need for homemade BBQ Sauce
Nothing groundbreaking here!
All the usual classic BBQ sauce suspects are present:
Ketchup The key ingredient in BBQ sauce.
I know its totally un-Australian of me to say, but I really prefer ketchup over tomato sauce.
!Best substitute Well, tomato sauce!
Apple cider vinegar For the tang in BBQ sauce.
Substitute with white or red wine vinegar.
Molasses(light/true molasses, NOT blackstrap) Adds sweetness, colour, gloss and flavour.
Easy substitute: golden syrup!
Worcestershire sauce For savoury flavour.
Tabasco Optional, for a hit of heat!
Sugar BBQ sauce is sweet, tangy and a bit savoury.
This helps with the sweetness!
Mustard and garlic powder The savoury seasonings.
The BBQ sauce also adds a good load of flavour!
Rub Mix the rub ingredients in a small bowl.
Coatthe pork all over with the rub and use your hands to …well, rub it in.
Getright intoall those cracks and crevices.
Have a giggle and rub away!!!
Get as much rub as possible to stick to the pork, being particularly generous on the top.
Thats OK.
Brine 24 hours Position the pork fat side up (smoother side).
Place the pork UNCOVERED in the fridge overnight.
Uncovered is best because that way your pork will not sweat under cling wrap or similar.
It also dries out the surface of the pork which is key tothe best bark!!!
Can I brine for longer?Yep!
Ive done it for up to 48 hours.
More that if you forgot or the timing suits you, its no issue.
Post-brining This photo shows what it looks like after brining.
We only want whatever stuff sticks to the pork.
12-hour slow-roasting
Liquids for cooking Transfer the pork into a roasting pan.
This is to ensure the pan doesnt dry out during the slow roasting time.
It means the pork will be even juicier (nice and steamy environment!)
Slow roastthe porkuncoveredfor 12 hours at 110C/230F (both fan-forced and standard).
I found that 110C/230F is the minimum temperature for the middle of the pork to peak at 95C.
At this temperature, the meat will be tender enough to shred with no effort.
Cooking at a temperature lower than 110C/230F, I found the pork never became fall-apart-at-a-touch.
This part is everyones favourite!
Its also super-handy to do the slow-roasting overnight because its entirely hands-off.
The cooked pork reheats perfectly so I can serve it anytime the next day.
d) OVEN AUTO-OFF Many ovens, including mine, will automatically turn off after 12 hours.
This is for safety reasons.
So be sure to see if yours has an auto-off function (check the manual)!
If it does, firstly preheat the oven, put the pork in then turn it off.
Immediately turn it back on (to restart the 12-hr clock, so to speak).
Now youre good to go.
Slow-roasted pork After 12 hours, the pork should be fall-apart-tender with a thick, almost black crust.
Pick a bit off and have a nibble cooks treat!
There should still be some liquid remaining in the pan.
Transferthe pork to a different pan, large enough for shredding.
Rest the meat for 20 minutes before shredding.
Just because we slow-cooked the meat does not mean we can skip the essential step of resting the meat!
During this time juices inside the meat are reabsorbed back into the meat fibres = juicier!!
Shredthe pork using two forks or tongs.
Its so tender it will be effortless!
Shred into strand sizes you desire.
Some people like superfine, others like chunks.
Im sort of in-between.
and some BBQ sauce.
Just enough of both to juice up the meat a bit, not drown it!
Serve Now serve with remaining BBQ sauce on the side!
Pictured above with soft buns and coleslaw, to make Pulled Pork Sandwiches.
YESSS!!!!
Prevent screen from sleeping
(Some more serving suggestions below).
Homemade BBQ Sauce
Just briefly, the BBQ sauce.
Its a plonk-and-stir, simmer-for-45-minutes job.
It can be made at any time that suits you as it keeps and reheats perfectly.
now THIS is my kind of food.
I know this is totally un-lady like.
Im not the dainty sort, not in my food choices, nor in how I barrel through life.
But boy does it make for a tasty life!!!
Case in point, Pulled Pork Sandwiches,drippingwith pork juices mingling with BBQ sauce.
Try one of these!
So, have I convinced you its time for a BIG PULLED PORK feast this weekend?
Oh, not this weekend?
So next weekend??
Nagi x
12 hour roast not for you?I get it.
Try my easySlow Cooker Pulled Porkinstead.
Long standing reader favourite!
Too much Pulled Pork.
