BBQ Pulled Pork

About This Recipe

Pulled pork is a cornerstone of American BBQ culture, originating in the American South where whole pigs were slow-cooked over wood smoke for community gatherings. The dish became synonymous with the barbecue traditions of North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Georgia, each with their own sauce style. At its core, pulled pork is a triumph of low-and-slow cooking: tough, collagen-rich pork shoulder transforms over many hours into silky, easily shreddable meat as the connective tissue melts. This recipe uses a bold dry spice rub and can be made in a slow cooker or Dutch oven for home cooks without a smoker.

Ingredients

Serves 8

• 2 kgpork shoulder(bone-in)
• 2 tbspsmoked paprika
• 2 tbspbrown sugar
• 1 tbspgarlic powder
• 1 tbsponion powder
• 1 tspcumin
• ½ tspcayenne pepper
• 2 tspsalt
• 1 tspblack pepper
• 100 mlapple cider vinegar
• 300 mlBBQ sauce
• 8brioche buns(to serve)
• 1 to servecoleslaw

Instructions

1. 1

   Apply the rub

   Mix paprika, brown sugar, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, cayenne, salt and pepper. Rub all over pork shoulder.

2. 2

   Add to cooker

   Place pork in a slow cooker or Dutch oven. Add cider vinegar and half the BBQ sauce.

3. 3

   Slow cook

   Slow cooker: cook on low 8 hours. Oven: cover and cook at 150°C for 4.5–5 hours until falling-apart tender.

   The longer the slow cook, the more tender. Overnight in the oven at 130°C is excellent.

4. 4

   Shred

   Remove meat and shred with two forks, discarding bone and excess fat.

5. 5

   Sauce and serve

   Mix pulled pork with remaining BBQ sauce and some cooking juices to taste. Pile into toasted brioche buns with coleslaw.

Variations

• •

  Add 1 tsp liquid smoke if you don't have a smoker for extra smokiness.

• •

  Serve over nachos or in quesadillas for a fun twist.

• •

  Use pork tenderloin for a leaner version (reduce cook time to 2 hours at 160°C).

• •

  Vegetarian: swap the protein for roasted king oyster mushrooms, smoked tofu or cooked chickpeas — adjust seasoning slightly upward to compensate.

Storage

Pulled pork keeps in the fridge for 5 days or freezes for 3 months.

Frequently Asked Questions