this little plate

Epic Pulled Pork

Serves 7| Ready in 5 hrs 30 mins
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This mouthwatering slow cooked pulled pork recipe roasted with apple, garlic, smoked paprika, brown sugar and sage is full of flavour and incredibly tender.

Epic Pulled Pork

This pulled pork recipe is so easy to make and is such a crowd pleaser. Perfect for entertaining especially Christmas entertaining when the pressure is on, you can delegate all the hard work to your oven.

Serve with your fave BBQ sauce or even better, this homemade apple and whisky BBQ sauce goes perfectly with pulled pork.

Pulled pork is delicious on burger buns, on tacos, burritos or just as it is with a delicious salad, like this apple, kale and mint salad.

Frequently asked questions
What are some more ways I can use pulled pork?

On a sandwich, on a pizza, with fried rice even! It’s so versatile and elevates so many dishes.

Ingredients and substitutions

A group of ingredients including pork shoulder, apples, brown sugar, salt, spices, garlic, sage and olive oil
Pork shoulder
Or Boston butt if you can find it. Look for a good quality cut from a butcher
Olive oil
The binder
Spices
Smoked paprika, Garlic powder, Onion powder, Cumin, salt, pepper
Brown sugar
For a dark caramely sweetness
Apples
Your fave for baking. I used Jazz apples
Garlic
For added flavor depth
Water
To keep everything hydrated and prevent burning

How to make it - step by step!

Apples, sage and garlic
1. Get prepped

Preheat oven to 180 C / 356 F. Choose a size where the pork fits kind of snug. Lay the apples, garlic cloves and sage in the roasting tray.

Pork shoulder being seasoned with spices and sugar
2. Season your pork

Turn the pork upside down (not on the fat side) and drizzle over a little olive oil, then scatter over the spices, salt, pepper and sugar. Rub it all on the underside of the pork (this will mean the spices won’t burn in the cooking process).

Salt added to pork skin
3. Get the pork ready for roasting

Turn it right side up and place on the apples. Drizzle over a little olive oil onto the top skin area and then season with a good pinch of salt and pepper.

Water being added to roasting tray with pulled pork
4. Add water to the tray

Pour in the water to the tray (not over the pork).

Roasted pork
5. Roast the pork

Place in the oven and cook for 2 hours, then reduce the temp to 150 C / 302 F, cook for a further three hours, adding 1/2 cup of water and turning over the apples every hour for the last three hours. Make sure you add in a cup of water when it looks like it’s becoming reduced, to avoid burning within the pan, so ensure to check the pork every hour.

Crispy pork crackeling
6. Get crackling

Take pork out of the oven and remove the crackling with a knife running between the fat layer and the meat. Crank the oven to full whack, place the cracking on a tray with baking paper, and bake for 5-10 minutes to crisp up while you pull apart the pork. Keep an eye on it though so it doesn’t burn. Remove and cut into pieces with a knife. Taste and add more seasoning if needed.

Pull the pork with form
7. Pull the pork

Now with two forks, ‘pull’ apart the meat and shred it until it’s all pulled. Mix through the tray liquid. Taste and season with a little salt if it needs it.

Plate of pulled pork
8. Serve

Serve with your fave smokey BBQ sauce and a good fresh bun or fresh salad.

Watch the how to video

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Epic Pulled Pork

Cook Time
5 hrs 20 mins
Prep Time
10 mins
Serves
7
This mouthwatering slow cooked pulled pork recipe roasted with apple, garlic, smoked paprika, brown sugar and sage is full of flavour and incredibly tender.
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 3.5kg (bone in) or 2kg (bone out) pork shoulder / Boston butt
  • 3 apples, sliced into rings
  • 5 cloves of garlic, peeled
  • 2 cups water + extra
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp pepper
  • 1 tbsp brown sugar
  • ½ tsp cumin
Category - Entertaining
Cuisine - American inspired
Skill Level - Super easy
Other categories -
Christmas, Dinner, Entertaining, Main Dishes, Pork, Summer, Winter
Nutritional information
Calories 732.6 kcal37%
Carbohydrates 14.1 g5%
Sodium 663.3 mg29%
Magnesium 117.5 mg29%
Protein 94.2 g188%
Sugar 9.9 g11%
Calcium 87.2 mg9%
Vitamin A 4%
Fat 30.8 g47%
Fiber 2.2 g9%
Iron 6.4 mg35%
Vitamin C 5%

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