It was only when we arrived in London that we discovered this amazing thing called Pulled Pork. (Very slow, I know.) Roasted for like… forever, pulled pork is super tasty, super soft, and super easy to pull apart, hence its name. Important thing we discovered is that the pulling is done AFTER the pork is cooked, and not before. Pulled pork is commonly piled in a burger together with some rockin’ slaw or pickled veggies; other times it’s in a wrap, or even on some rice!
This thing of beauty makes the most out of a joint of pork that is occasionally thought to be difficult to cook. Some cuts of pork can become tough and dry when cooked, but this particular way of cooking capitalises on the denser grain of meat, converting it into delicate strands of tender pork heaven. In this recipe, the cut of choice is pork shoulder, because we think it has the right amount of fat and lean in it, coupled with the perfect texture.
This pulled pork recipe is practically foolproof, so incredibly easy to do, and most importantly, rewarding beyond your wildest dreams. No need for long queues at hard-to-get-to hipster markets, nor expensive prices for measly portions. When you make your own, you can have as much as you want, together with your favourite burger accompaniment!
Sarah bought me a Kuhn Rikon pressure cooker for my last birthday, which is our chosen apparatus for this recipe. Clean, easy, and FAST. But of course, doing it in an oven works fine as well!
Ingredients list:
- 1 kg pork shoulder joint
- 1 small white onion, quartered
- 2 stalks of spring onion
- 1 tsp butter
- 1 tsp smoked paprika powder
- salt and black pepper
- 1 can / 330ml cola
- 3 tbsp double concentrated tomato puree
- 1 heaped tsp dark brown sugar
- 1.5 tbsp (apple cider) vinegar
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 2 large clove garlic, minced
- 1 pinch hot chilli powder
1. Get your ingredients ready. Cut out excess bits of fat and pat the pork joint dry with a paper towel. Season all over with salt, pepper and smoked paprika powder.
2. In the pressure pot, sear the pork joint all over using the butter.
3. When the pork joint is browned, flip it fat-side up. Then add all the other ingredients to the pot. Give it a good mix up and put the lid on.
4. Cook it on the high setting for 50 minutes before releasing the pressure.
5. Remove the joint carefully and pull the entire joint into shreds with two forks.
6. Transfer the cooking liquid to a skillet and add the pulled pork to stew for a further 5 minutes before serving.
(Alternatively, if not using a pressure cooker, roast the joint in a large baking dish together with the rest of the ingredients, covered (with foil) in a 150ºC oven for 4 hours. During which, baste every half hour or so. Remove the lid after 4 hours and let it roast further to lightly char the joint. Then same as above, remove the joint carefully and pull the entire joint into shreds with a fork, before returning it back to the cooking juices to stew.)
Good luck! And don’t forget the printable, iPad friendly recipe card below!
x, Nigel
Whisk & Knife 