Description
Bobby Flay’s pulled pork recipe delivers mouthwatering Southern-style barbecue with tender, smoky meat. Slow-cooked and seasoned perfectly, you’ll savor each rich, flavorful bite of this classic comfort dish.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2.5 kg (5.5 lbs) boneless pork shoulder
- 2 tsp smoked paprika
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 2 tsp pepper
- 2 tsp brown sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 500 ml (2 cups) cider (plus more if needed)
- 240 ml (1 cup) smoky barbecue sauce (plus extra for serving)
- 8 soft white rolls
- 2 cups coleslaw
Instructions
- Spice Blend Preparation: Craft a robust spice mixture by blending smoked paprika, ground cumin, black pepper, brown sugar, and kosher salt in a small bowl, creating a complex flavor profile.
- Meat Seasoning: Vigorously rub the spice blend into every crevice of the pork shoulder, ensuring comprehensive and uniform coverage for maximum flavor penetration.
- Initial Cooking Setup: Arrange the seasoned pork shoulder skin-side up in a deep casserole dish, surrounding the meat with apple cider to initiate a moisture-rich braising environment.
- Sealing and Slow Cooking: Hermetically seal the dish with a tight lid or aluminum foil, then transfer to a preheated 150°C (300°F) oven for a gradual, transformative cooking process that will render the meat supremely tender.
- Liquid Maintenance: Periodically check the dish every 90 minutes, replenishing apple cider as needed to prevent drying and maintain a succulent cooking environment.
- Doneness Verification: After 4-8 hours, assess the pork’s readiness by testing its ability to effortlessly separate with two forks, indicating perfect tenderness.
- Resting and Preparation: Allow the meat to rest briefly, then transfer to a cutting board and meticulously shred, simultaneously skimming excess fat from the reserved cooking liquid.
- Flavor Refinement: Incorporate barbecue sauce and select cooking liquid into the shredded meat, adjusting seasoning to create a harmonious and delectable pulled pork mixture.
- Serving Presentation: Present the pulled pork on soft white rolls, complemented by crisp coleslaw and additional barbecue sauce for an irresistible culinary experience.
Notes
- Spice Blend Secrets: Mix dry ingredients thoroughly before applying to ensure even, powerful flavor distribution across the entire pork shoulder.
- Moisture Mastery: Keep liquid levels consistent by checking every 90 minutes, adding apple cider to prevent meat from drying out and maintain tenderness.
- Resting Ritual: Allow meat to rest after cooking to help juices redistribute, ensuring each bite remains incredibly moist and flavorful.
- Sauce Strategy: Incorporate reserved cooking liquid when mixing barbecue sauce to enhance depth of flavor and prevent dry pulled pork.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 8 hours
- Category: Lunch, Dinner, Snacks
- Method: Roasting
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 8
- Calories: 510
- Sugar: 12 g
- Sodium: 890 mg
- Fat: 20 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 58 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 28 g
- Cholesterol: 100 mg