Pulled pork

Pull the pork

I have never been entirely sure why pulled pork is called pulled pork: I would definitely call it ‘shredded’.

But evidently in the Southern US, where the cooking method originates from, ‘pulling’ seemed to be the most descriptive language to capture the tenderness of the meat. You’ve pulled! Not a pig from a poke, presumably, in this instance.

How to pull?

There are many various cooking methods applied to achieve the shredding/pulling effect. Traditionally, a whole pig on a spit, also known as hog roast, is slowly turned over flames, the tender meat inside cooking underneath the crackling skin. A bit medieval, if you ask me.

Southern States have the smokehouse methods: cured pork is smoked both for the flavour and tenderising, then grilled or roasted.

Long roasting, with or without prior curing will also produce tender pork. But braising, which is the method I demonstrate below, is arguably the best for home cooking, lest you do have suitable arrangements for a hog roast, or own a handy smokehouse.

There’s the rub!

For this recipe I followed the immensely entertaining and educational (like all his videos) video by Kenji Lopez-Alt, and one of the crucial elements of it is the dry rub that he applies onto pork to give it flavour.

There are probably seasoning mixes you can buy from the shops, but nothing beats your own, unique combination, with just the flavours you love.

Sugar and salt are the needed ingredients for, respectively, tenderisation and caramelising. In addition to that, I think pork can’t be without cumin, fennel and coriander, as well as a large amount of smoked paprika, sweet or hot, to provide the smoky heat.

But if your flavour preference goes towards garlicky and peppery notes, go for it. Use powdered garlic rather than fresh unless you want to make a paste with fresh cloves. Don’t forget though, the two seasonings have different taste effects.

What pork cut for pulled pork?

I am a fan of pork shoulder, known in the US as pork butt (weirdly, as it’s the pig’s neck rather than its bum).

Arguably pork belly is the tenderest cut when subject to long braising, because it has so much intramuscular fat that the meat renders melting. But the amount of fat released is a bit too much in this instance, in my view.

Look for shoulder at the neck end, not the loin as the latter will be too dry. Some butchers sell that cut as pork collar or neck – and those ones, I think, know best what they’re doing with the piggy.

How to start the pork braise

The initial searing is not strictly necessary but it feels off, in my view, to just stick the meat in a pan and put it in the oven, pale, naked and miserable.

Contrary to myths, searing doesn’t seal any juices – evident a couple of hours later, when the pan will be full of pork juices – but it helps caramelisation and simply makes the kitchen smell divine.

And the best part of the searing process is flambéing the meat! Don’t be afraid of it: alcohol fumes don’t burn very hot and the flames die down quickly but certainly impart a gorgeous flavour – and it’s fun.

So at the end of the searing process pour tequila (or brandy, or whisky) around the meat and ignite with a candle or gas lighter. It will go whoosh! and let you take an amazingly Instagrammable picture.

Braising and shredding

After the momentary fireworks, the pork goes into the oven for about three hours, or until the meat feels tender to a jab of a pointy knife.

The final stage is about browning and crispening the top surface of the meat, even if the joint was skinless. That will take twenty-thirty minutes in the oven with the pan uncovered, adding a little water if the sauce had mostly cooked off.

Once it’s out of the oven, the most important step: the shredding, or pulling. And I realised the mistake I used to make every time I cooked pork like this: you are not supposed to take the pork out of the sauce rendered in the pan and shred it dry, but rather pull it apart with two forks in the pan and toss it around in the sauce.

That makes for the most absolutely delightfully juicy, moist meat which is easy to reheat and use in all kinds of preparations.

How to use pulled pork?

Obviously, you can serve it immediately as piles of shredded meat accompanied with baked potatoes, salad or greens. You can let it cool down and have an enormous supply of sandwich fillers, with pickles and sharp Cheddar.

You can use it in tacos, which is probably my favourite. Check Kenji’s method of reheating the meat in a frying pan à la carnitas, before wrapping taco shells around it.

And you can also add it to a tomato sauce for pasta, or to fried rice.

More pork recipes

Learn how to make this classic Filipino breakfast dish with my easy-to-follow recipe for pork tocino. Marinated in a sweet and savoury mixture, this thinly sliced pork is pan-fried to a caramelized perfection. Serve it with rice, fried eggs, and tomato slices for a hearty breakfast, lunch or dinner.

Pork shoulder steaks with sage butter, seared on a griddle and finished in the oven. Pork shoulder steaks are best cooked for 5-6 minutes on each side plus 10 minutes in the oven.

Porchetta, classic Italian pork roast, prepared with the easiest cut to handle: pork collar, also sold as neck or shoulder. Served usually cold in bread rolls, it is also gorgeous as a roast.

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