If you want to pull focus at mealtime, here’s a tried-and-true trick.
Step 1: Serve pulled pork.
That’s it. That’s the trick! Pulled pork – especially juicy, falling-off-the-fork pulled pork – always gets everyone’s attention, and that’s because it’s utterly delicious.
In fact, pulled pork is right up there with pork ribs and crispy roast pork with crackle (which luckily we make super easy for you to simply pick up from your nearest Coles deli) as one of the top-rated, all-time favourite pork dish that pork lovers will drool over every time.
So, here are the actual steps involved in achieving pulled pork perfection.
Grab your apron, pop on your favourite playlist, and let’s get cooking.
Step 1: Choose your meat
The best cut of meat for pulled pork is generally considered to be the shoulder. The shoulder is a fatty, cheaper cut of pork meat which thrives under slow-cooking conditions.
Getting more specific, the top portion of the shoulder, also known as the collar butt, is where pulled pork perfection truly lies.
Step 2: Preparations
Although there is more than one road on the path to perfection, it is agreed by most that drying your pork with a paper towel and then rubbing it with salt and leaving it for a while or even refrigerating overnight, uncovered, will lead to the best results.
This approach draws out any excess moisture and prepares the pork for its juicy transformation.
Step 3: Long and slow wins the race
The best approach to creating tender, juicy pulled pork is to start with a blast of high heat (200C) to brown the fat, followed by a long, slow session in the oven at about 125C. And when we say long and slow, we’re talking 5 or 6 hours.
By using the oven over a slow cooker, which also works well, you get the added bonus of the delicious browned “burnt bits’ which frankly just add to the overall experience.
Your nostrils will also enjoy this part of the process as much as your tastebuds will later.
Step 4: Relax
Even though you might be eager to get involved in your creation, now is the time to take it easy.
Rest the pork in foil, which will help it to further steam and soften, for as long as your mouth will permit.
Step 5: Enjoy!
Add a good helping of your favourite BBQ sauce, mix it in with the pork and serve extra for dipping. Season to taste, assemble your sides, gather the tribe, and you’re good to go!
Hint: we recommend serving pulled pork in soft white rolls with freshly made coleslaw.
Check out this recipe for further pork-spiration.