Pulled pork
Pork shoulder rubbed with brown sugar and smoked paprika, roasted low and slow until it falls apart, then tossed in a tangy vinegar sauce.
Method
- 1
Pat the pork dry with kitchen paper.
- 2
Mix the 2 tbsp brown sugar, paprika, 1 tbsp salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, mustard powder and cayenne in a small bowl.
- 3
Rub the mixture all over the pork, pressing it into every crevice.
- 4
Leave the pork at room temperature while the oven heats to 150°C.
- 5
Set the pork fat side up in the casserole and pour the 120 ml vinegar and the water around it, not over it.
- 6
Cover tightly with the lid or a double layer of foil and roast until the meat is very tender.
- 7
Uncover and roast until the outside is dark and crusted and the thickest part reaches about 93°C.
- 8
Meanwhile, simmer the sauce ingredients in a small pan, stirring, until the sugar dissolves and the sauce is glossy.
- 9
Rest the pork, loosely covered, until cool enough to handle.
- 10
Pull the meat into shreds with two forks, discarding any soft lumps of fat.
- 11
Skim the fat from the pan juices and stir the juices back through the meat.
- 12
Toss the pork with half the sauce and pile it into the toasted buns, with the rest of the sauce on the side.
Notes
- Shoulder is tough and fatty, which is exactly why it suits long cooking. It is ready when a fork twists into it with almost no resistance.
- A bone-in shoulder of about 3 kg needs another 45 to 60 minutes.
- Leftovers freeze well with some of their juices. Reheat gently, covered, with a splash of water.
Equipment
Large casserole with a lid or deep roasting tin with foil, Small saucepan, Two forks, Meat thermometer