BBQ pulled pork

Contains pork – recipe is for non-Muslims only

An American classic, the meat is slow-cooked then shredded or ‘pulled’ and layered with BBQ sauce, pickles and slaw in a soft brioche bun

Prep:10 mins
Cook:5 hrs 10 mins

Easy

Nutrition per serving

kcal 251
fat 16g
saturates 5g
carbs 0g
sugars 0g
fibre 0g
protein 26g
salt 0.8g

Ingredients

2½ kg boneless pork shoulder, skin removed
3 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp Spanish paprika (pimentón)
2 tsp mustard powder
1 tsp garlic salt
1 tsp onion salt
1 tbsp liquid smoke (optional, see tip, below)
16 brioche bun (see 'goes well with')
Tangy cabbage slaw, homemade chipotle molasses BBQ sauce (see recipes in 'goes well with') and sweet-and-sour pickled cucumbers from a jar, sliced

Tip

Liquid smoke

If you want to add slow-cooked American barbecue flavour to your food, but don’t have time for hours of smoking, this is just the ticket. Liquid smoke is essentially flavoured wood smoke that has been distilled into a liquid. Various types of wood are smoked to produce different flavours, including the popular hickory or more obscure apple & mesquite. Add a dash to marinades, stews, sauces and salad dressings, or simply brush over food before cooking.

Method

Heat oven to 150C/130C fan/gas 2. Rub the pork with 2 tbsp of the olive oil. Heat a large non-stick pan until very hot and sear the pork on all sides until golden brown.
Place the meat on a wire rack in a roasting tin. Mix the paprika, mustard powder, garlic and onion salt, and some black pepper with the liquid smoke, if using. Brush all over the meat.
Add 1 cup of water to the roasting tin, cover very tightly with foil and cook for 5 hrs or until almost falling apart.
Drain the juices from the meat into a measuring jug. Shred the pork using 2 forks, discarding the fat.
Skim off the fat from the juices. Mix 125ml of the juices with 4 tbsp BBQ sauce (see recipe in 'goes well with') and pour over the meat. Keep warm until serving, or reheat.
To assemble, pile the meat into the halved brioche buns, spoon over the BBQ sauce, top with coleslaw and pickles, and sandwich together.