Pulled Pork is a sure hit at our house. It tastes delicious, is easy to make, and can be used in everything from stews, sandwiches, tortillas, pancakes, and burgers.
4kgNeck FilletOr pork collar. I bought 2x about 2 kg to use for this dish
4lWater
225gramCoarse salt
125gramSugar
5pcs.Bay Leaf
20pcs.Peppercorns
Dry rub
96gramBrown sugar
42gramPaprika
7gramSmoked paprika
12gramCumin
36gramSalt
8gramOnion Powder
9gramGarlic Powder
14gramBarbecue Seasoning
8gramChili Powder
5gramCayenne Pepper
Instructions
Brine
My rule of thumb regarding brine is that it requires about 1 liter of water per 1 kg of meat. Therefore, I used 4 liters for this curing. When it comes to the salt and sugar balance, I believe I read (at Kvalimad.dk) that it's about 5% salt and 3% sugar in the mixture.
Boil the water together with salt, sugar, bay leaves, and peppercorns until the salt and sugar are dissolved.
I have a 10-liter soup pot I use for curing and typically make pulled pork in the cold half of the year, so the pot with the brine can "just" be placed outside for cooling. It usually takes about 5 hours to cool down.
Next, the meat needs to be placed in the water where it will be cured. I typically give it a minimum of 12 hours and a maximum of 24 hours, depending on how it fits into my daily schedule.
In this recipe, they got 24 hours in the brine.
Take the meat out and dry it thoroughly, removing any remaining peppercorns and bay leaves.
Place them in an ovenproof dish.
Dry rub
Mix all the ingredients well and thoroughly massage them into all the crevices of the meat. Be meticulous and take your time.
Cooking
Wrap the meat in aluminum foil and cook it at 110 degrees Celsius (230 degrees Fahrenheit) in a conventional oven for 14 hours.
Remove the liquid/fat from the dish and pour it into a pot.
Bring it to a boil and let it simmer, reducing it slowly.
I like a smoky flavor in my meat, so I typically finish my pulled pork on the grill, which is absolutely not necessary.
If you don't want to finish it on the grill, take your pulled pork out of the oven and turn the heat up to 225 degrees Celsius (437 degrees Fahrenheit) fan-forced.
When the oven is hot enough, remove the aluminum foil, and let the meat cook for 10-20 minutes until your dry rub forms a bark.
The meat is now ready to be shredded.
If you want to finish it on the grill, turn your grill to full heat and place wood chips in your smoker box.
Place the meat in aluminum trays and cook it for 10-15 minutes on the grill.
This gives a light smoky flavor and a good bark.
Shred the meat with two forks (it's tender enough to do so that way) and pour the slightly reduced liquid over the meat, distributing it evenly.
Serve the meat, for example, in a Pulled Pork burger.
Keep the display on
Notes
Freeze the meat in bags of about 3-400 grams each, so you have easy everyday meals.