In my last pork recipe post I mentioned that the advicemy father gavemewhen I left Perth for Sydney over 10 years ago was never to compromise on high quality ingredients when living away from home.
I always found this funny given the fact that this statement comes from a man who does not do any of the cooking in the household. But the more I ponder it, the more I realised that despite not doing the cooking at home he understood from his upbringing in country Italy, thathigh quality producealways delivered the best meals. He knew that I had been spoilt witha mother who cooked exceptional food with fresh produce grown in the garden, or bought from the Italian butcher.Since leaving homemy fridge has always been resourced in the way that my mother’s fridge was and it is likely that this led me to starting Chew Town.
I’m excited to bring you another pork recipe featuring wonderful produce from Murray Valley Pork. It is something I really have been wanting to cook for a while – Slow Roasted Pulled Pork. The recipe is incredibly easy but needs a little bit of time and patience. Perfect for wintery weekends spent at home as the slow burn of the oven will also help to keep you warm and cosy.
To read more about Murray Valley Pork, head to their website where you can find a list of butchers stocking their exceptional pork products – seriously, this is the best pork I’ve ever had the pleasure of cooking with. For this recipe, you will need to buy a shoulder cut off the bone. Here is Chew Town’s handy pork cuts guide if you missed it last time.
Also, because I can’t help myself, in the time it took to slow roast this pork, I also made spelt flour buns, coleslaw and roasted tomato sauce to turn this slow cookin’ bad boy into pulled pork and slaw sambos – there are a few photos of those lovelies at the end of the post. I’ve already shared the roast tomato sauce recipe and I hope to perfect the spelt flour buns soon (they didn’t rise as much as I would have liked this time so need to recipe test a little more).
But for now, this pulled pork is exceptionalentirely by itself. It starts with a spice rub that you grind and coat the pork in (see below), then all it takes is 5 hours in the oven with a bottle of cider and it comes out the other endjuicy, tender and incredibly flavourful. It couldn’t be easier.
Slow Roasted Pulled Pork
- 2kg shoulder free-range pork, off the bone
- 2 tablespoons fennel seeds
- 1 tablespoon black peppercorns
- 3 whole dried arbol chillies, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- Handful fennel frond salt (or normal sea salt flakes)
- 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 355ml bottle dry apple cider
Preheat oven to 220° Celsius.
Remove the skin from the pork and either discard or use for crackling (I would always save to make pork scratchings - John from He Needs Food has a great recipe here)
In a mortar and pestle grind fennel seeds, peppercorns, chillies, garlic, coriander, cumin, smoked paprika and brown sugar until coarse and well combined - this will form your dry rub. Set aside.
Sprinkle the pork generously with fennel frond salt. Heat olive oil a large oven-proof casserole over medium high heat, and brown the pork on all sides. Remove pork from the casserole andusing your hands, coat the pork in the dry rub making sure that you cover all surface area of the pork and get into all the little notches.
Drain the olive oil from the casserole and add the pork back in. Pour over the apple cider and then bake in the oven for 20 minutes uncovered. After 20 minutes, reduce the heat to 140° Celsius and cook for a further 5 hours or until the meat is incredibly soft and pulls apart when you touch it. If you need to add more liquid during the cooking, you can add more cider or water.
Remove from the oven and transfer to a large board. Taking a large fork, or two small forks, pull the pork apart till it is shredded.
Serving suggestions:
1. Serve as is on a bed of mashed potato
2. Stirroasted tomato saucethrough the meat and serve in a fresh bun with coleslaw.
3. Use as a pie filling by putting in a pie dish withpuff pastryand baking till golden
4. Go old school and useas a jaffle filling toasted with tasty cheese
Chew Town was not paid to develop this recipe, but was giftedthe Pork from Murray Valley Pork,with thanks. If you would like to learn more about Murray Valley Pork visit the website or visit here for a list of butchers.To read Chew Town’s disclosure policy please visit theAboutpage.
FAQs
Cooking the pork low and slow makes it incredibly tender. If you'd prefer to make this in the oven, see our oven pulled pork recipe.
What is the best liquid to cook pulled pork in? ›
Transfer everything to a large slow cooker and add a splash of liquid — water is great, but so is broth, apple juice, or beer if you have them handy. Cover and cook on low until the meat is tender and pulls apart easily.
Do you trim fat off pulled pork before slow cooking? ›
Remove some of the fat. Pork shoulder has a decent amount of fat on the surface. It's a good idea to cut away this excess fat prior to cooking, but do leave a small amount as it adds to the flavour.
How many hours per pound to slow cook pork shoulder? ›
In my experience, a 4 lb. bone-in pork shoulder typically takes 6-8 hours on the low setting and 3-4 hours on the high setting in my manual slow cooker. One that's twice the size (7 to 8 lbs.) will take twice as long (12-14 hours on low and 6-8 hours on high).
Why add apple cider vinegar to pulled pork? ›
Why add apple cider vinegar to pulled pork? Pulled pork relies on both the vinegar's acidity and the low-and-slow cooking process to tenderize the meat, breaking down the protein to give the dish its signature moist, fall-apart texture. Cider vinegar also provides a tangy counterpoint to the fatty pork.
Why do you put vinegar in pulled pork? ›
After you've pulled your pork butt, drizzle over the meat and combine. The vinegar adds contrast to the smoky flavor and cuts through the fat in the meat. It also helps mellow out the darker, gamier-tasting parts of the butt. This makes enough for a 8 pound pork butt/shoulder.
How do I get more flavor in my pulled pork? ›
We use brown sugar, onion powder, garlic powder, cumin, smoked paprika, a good amount of salt & pepper, and a pinch of cayenne! Make sure you use all of the seasoning! Also, really rub it into the pulled pork, get all of the nooks and crannies!
What does orange juice do to pork? ›
In addition to tenderizing the pork, the added orange juice also serves another purpose -- caramelization. The fruit's sugars inspire the Maillard reaction, creating a crisped, delicious crust on the outside of the meat.
Should you flip pork shoulder in slow cooker? ›
Close the Proofer and allow the pork to cook for a total of 10 or 11 hours. Midway during the slow cook process you can turn the pork over once. After 10 hours check the interior of the pork with a thermometer. We recommend a temperature of 195-200 °F / 90-93 °C for tender, juicy pork which pulls apart easily.
How long should pork roast rest before shredding? ›
The minimum time you should rest a pork butt is about 30 minutes. Keep in mind that the internal temperature of the pork will continue to rise as it rests. You may see a 10-degree rise from when you remove the roast when you shred it.
45 minutes is the sweet spot for pulled pork
The Bearded Butchers recommends a minimum rest time of 15 minutes for a six to eight-pound piece of pork, though they say 45 minutes is their sweet spot. The BBQ Host also says that 30-45 minutes is the optimum time to let the meat rest before shredding.
When should I start shredding pulled pork? ›
You could eat it at a lower temperature, but the magic number is between 200 and 205 degrees. This is the best temperature for pulling the pork apart. Take it out of the oven and let the pork rest. Just like when you cook a steak, you should let any meat rest so you don't lose the juices by cutting into it too early.
Is pork butt the same as pork shoulder? ›
Both come from the shoulder of the pig, but pork butt is higher on the foreleg, while pork shoulder is farther down. As relatively tough and fatty cuts, both benefit from long, slow cooking methods such as roasting, stewing, and braising. But the cuts are different enough that we generally prefer pork butt.
How long does a 5 lb pork shoulder take? ›
A 4- to 5-pound pork butt will take around four hours or longer to cook. The best temperature for cooking pork butt is 350°F. Pork butt is a large piece of meat, and has the bone intact, so it takes a while to cook until it's tender.
Can you slow roast pork for too long? ›
It's not easy, but yes, you can overcook pork shoulder! It becomes tough, chewy and dry when it's cooked for too long or at too high a temperature.
Does pulled pork get more tender the longer you cook it? ›
Cooking pulled pork for a longer time can help to break down the collagen and connective tissue, making the meat more tender, but there is a point at which the meat can become overcooked and dry out.
Why is my pulled pork still tough? ›
The number one tip is to make sure you give the pork plenty of time to cook. If the meat is cooked too quickly, the fat, connective tissues, and muscle fibers won't have a chance to break down, so the meat will be full of gristle and tough.
How do Chinese make pork so tender? ›
How do you tenderise pork for stir fry? Velveting is a Chinese technique that helps keep meat tender during stir frying. Adding cornstarch and bicarb to your meat during the marinating process helps to coat your meat, giving it a velvety feel that makes the meat feel extra soft.
What is the easiest way to tenderize pork? ›
A brine is essentially just salt and water. It helps prevent moisture loss during cooking, and the salt also helps tenderize the meat from the inside out. If you want an extra juicy piece of pork, brine it before cooking. You can make an effective brine just with salt and water, but additional seasonings do help.
