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Pulled Pork
Pulled pork is one of those dishes that gets you hooked on BBQ, and once you
learn to make it you’ll be surprised at how easy it is. The 2 key things here are
preparation and patience, pulled pork is easy as long as you keep this in mind.
Whilst it may take a long time to prepare it’s well worth the wait for that tender
porky goodness. We usually start a cook in the morning, marinating at around
10am but not putting the butt on until midnight, and it’s normally ready for
lunchtime the next day. We recommend using a ‘bone in’ pork shoulder (butt) for
this recipe.
Step 1
First pour about 2 cups of cola or fruit juice (apple or mango are best)
into a tall glass or cup and use your marinade injector to inject the juice into the
pork, until it’s all gone, try to get in from every angle. If you don’t have a marinade
injector, you can soak the butt for 12 hours in cola or juice beforehand.
Step 2
Smother it in mustard, all over, followed by your choice of BBQ rub, wrap it
in film and leave for 6 hours in the fridge, before injecting another 2 cups of your
sugary drink and putting it back into the fridge – take it out about a ½ hour before
you want to put it on.
Step 3
Around 14 hours before you’re planning on serving light your fire, and get
a nice base of coals, and fill your water pan with warm to hot water - as full as
possible.
Step 4
Put your “butt” on the smoker at 225-250°F/105°C-120°C, and add your
smoking wood. If you have them, set your digital thermometers for a smoker
temperature of 200°F min. 280°F max, and your meat for 195°F. Check the smoker
every four hours to make sure the fire is still lit and the water pan is still full.
Step 5
When the shoulder gets between 195 and 200°F, take it off, wrap it in
heavy duty foil and let it sit in a cooler-box or sealed container for an hour, before
pulling it apart by hand or using forks. The bone should slip out easily, just shred
the rest, put in a bun with some ‘slaw and BBQ sauce and enjoy!
If you’d like to give this a try without making a huge amount, ask your butcher
for a pork collar and try the same recipe. Note the cooking time on these are 6-8
hours, but the internal temperatures are the same.
