Slow-cooked meat is no new thing, but there’s something about pulled pork that has piqued our appetites in a big way. Truth be told: when you need to feed a crowd, pulled pork recipes are always up for the task. A pork shoulder, slow-cooked and pulled into succulent little shreds, can become an endless list of different meals. You can mix in some barbecue sauce and make pulled pork sandwiches, scatter the pork over pizza, or toss it into a sauce for pasta. And that’s just to start!
What cut should you get?
Pork shoulder or pork butt is definitely the cut you should be using to make pulled pork. You can choose the bone-in or boneless for your recipes. It really doesn’t matter. The only thing to remember is that bone-in shoulders take a little longer to cook.
Slow cooking the pork
The secret to really good pulled pork is cooking it low and slow. Put the meat in a Dutch oven or other heavy pot, pour in just enough liquid so the meat is partially submerged, then cover it and let the pork cook slowly in a low oven for a few hours. The pork is done when it’s so tender that it literally flakes apart when you poke it with a fork and falls off the bone.
Seasoning
The taste comes from the seasoning it gets. Combine brown sugar, salt, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and cumin, then season with black pepper. Rub all over pork. This should be done the night before.
Pulling the pork
If you follow all the steps the way you should, this last step should be a breeze. Here’s an important tip though: separate your cooked meat using two forks, pushing the meat from the centre outwards. Discard any fatty bits and be careful not to over-shred it.