BBQ Pulled Pork – Three Ways

Three simple ways to serve sticky BBQ pulled pork. We’re up for spending as much time outside as possible this year, so if you’re anything like us slow cooking pork for 4 hours over your fire pit will not phase you. Roo Hasan “womaned” the fire pit and created some simply stunning pork and served it in three unique ways. Roo at PomPomCooks has shared the recipes with us and we 100% recommend them.

Here’s how to cook 2kg of perfect pulled pork over fire…

  1. The day before cooking the meat, mix together the dry rub ingredients and rub all over the meat, massaging it into all sides. Cover and leave to marinade in the fridge overnight.
  2. Take your pork out of the fridge and allow to get to room temperature – about 2 hours.
  3. Get your fire pit with Rotisserie fired up, using logs; build a large fire and let it reduce to hot embers. Split these to one side and leave your burning logs to the other; never cook over direct flame. Keep feeding your hot embers from the burning logs to maintain heat. Skewer your pork loin onto the spit fork.
  4. Place the Rotisserie above your fire on the middle or highest slot, place a cast iron drip pan beneath the pork.
  5. Cook the pork for up to 4 hours ensuring the fire is constantly fed and the rotisserie is turned regularly. Use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature of the pork aiming for between 88 and 92 degrees.

The ingredients for Roo’s dry rub varies slightly between recipies. However, the base is composed of salt, brown sugar, onion granules, garlic granules and black pepper.

Pulled Pork Burger with Yoghurt Sauce

Slow-cooked until pull-apart tender and rubbed in a blend of fragrant herbs, this pork is perfect stuffed into burger buns with a light, fresh yoghurt sauce and pickled cabbage to cut through the richness of the pork.

Ingredients:

2kg boneless pork shoulder
4 tbsp vegetable oil

Dry Rub:
1 tbsp salt
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp fennel seeds
1 tbsp ground coriander
1 tsp onion granules
1 tsp garlic granules

Quick Pickled Cabbage:
1/2 head red cabbage, core removed
40g sea salt
350ml cider vinegar
75g granulated sugar
2 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp peppercorns

Yoghurt Sauce:
250ml full-fat Greek yoghurt
1 tsp fennel seeds
1/2 tsp garlic granules
Small handful fresh mint leaves

To Serve:
Burger buns
2 Little Gem lettuce heads

Method:

Use the above method to cook your pork. As your port is cooking you can prepare the quick pickled cabbage and yoghurt sauce.

1.Put the cabbage and salt in a bowl, mixing well with your hands – set aside for 2 hours. Drain off the moisture by tipping into a colander. Rinse the cabbage thoroughly with cold water, draining thoroughly by squeezing out as much moisture as you can. Tap dry with kitchen paper.

2.Put the vinegar, sugar, spices and 150ml water into a pan. Heat gently to dissolve the sugar and then allow to cool slightly.

3.Fill 2 large sterilised jars with the cabbage, tightly packing it as you go. Pour the pickling mixture over the cabbage until it is submerged. Seal and refrigerate until ready to use.

4.To make the yoghurt sauce, mix together the yoghurt, fennel seeds, garlic granules and a pinch of sea salt. Finely chop the mint leaves and stir through.

5.Carefully remove the pork and allow to rest in foil for half an hour, reserving the juices in the drip pan.

6.Once rested, pull the pork apart with two forks, adding the drip juices. Heat the shredded pork through on a hot plate.

To serve, slice the buns in half, spread a generous layer of yoghurt sauce on the base, top with lettuce leaves, pulled pork and pickled cabbage.

Pulled Pork Bánh Mì

Classic Vietnamese Bánh Mì, meets American Southern-style pulled pork in this impressive barbecue dish. Spiced, aromatic meat is slow-cooked over fire then shredded and finished in an aromatic BBQ sauce, mayonnaise and Bánh Mì pickles in a Vietnamese style baguette. Crack open a beer as you prepare yourself for this recipe which is a labour of love – perfect for sunny Sundays in the garden. Allow a day to marinade the meat and feel free to prep the dry rub, BBQ sauce and quick pickles the day before so you can concentrate on nothing but fire-cooking on the day

Ingredients:

2kg boneless pork shoulder
4 tbsp vegetable oil

Dry Rub
2 tbsp cracked black pepper corns
1 tbsp ground ginger
1 tbsp ground coriander
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1 tbsp salt
1 tbsp brown sugar

Spiced BBQ sauce
275ml tomato ketchup
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp tamarind concentrate
1 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp honey
1 lime – juice of
1 tbsp brown sugar
4 tbsp chilli powder
1 tbsp ground ginger
2 tbsp sesame oil

Quick Pickles
2 carrots, cut into matchsticks or ribbons
1 cucumber, deseeded and cut into matchsticks or ribbons 6 tbsp rice vinegar
6 tbsp caster sugar

To serve:
6 Personal Baguettes
Mayonnaise
1 bunch fresh coriander
1 bunch fresh mint

Method:

1. Use the above method to cook your pork, as this is cooking you can prepare prepare the BBQ sauce and quick pickles.

2. To make the BBQ sauce, put all the ingredients in a small saucepan and cook over a medium heat for approximately 20 minutes.

3. For the pickles, mix together the sugar and vinegar in a jar until dissolved. Pack the carrots and cucumber into the jar with the liquid and seal.

4. Carefully remove the pork and allow to rest in foil for half an hour, reserving the juices in the drip pan.

5. Once rested, pull the pork apart with two forks, adding the drip juices, along with the BBQ sauce. Heat the shredded and sauced pork through on a hot plate.

To serve, slice the baguettes in half, spread a generous layer of mayonnaise on the base, top with pulled pork, pickles and a handful of fresh mint and coriander leaves.

Mexican Style Pulled Pork Tacos

Great for a summer party, these Mexican-style pulled pork tacos make great entertaining food as people can assemble them as they please. The pickled cabbage can be made a couple of days in advance and the pulled pork freezes well so the majority of the prep can be done ahead of time. Experiment with the heat and flavour by finding specialist Mexican chillies to add to the dry rub.

Ingredients:

2kg boneless pork shoulder
4 tbsp vegetable oil

Dry Rub:
1 tbsp salt
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp ground cumin
1 tbsp ground chilli powder
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp onion granules
1 tsp garlic granules
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp hot smoked paprika
Juice 2 oranges

Quick Pickled Cabbage:
1/2 head red cabbage, core removed
40g sea salt
350ml cider vinegar
75g granulated sugar
2 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp peppercorns

To Serve:
24 corn tacos
150ml sour cream
2 Little Gem lettuce heads
1 bunch fresh coriander
Tabasco or hot sauce of your choice

Method:

Use the cooking method above for your pork, while this cooks you can prepare the Pickled cabbage.

1. Put the cabbage and salt in a bowl, mixing well with your hands – set aside for 2 hours. Drain off the moisture but tipping into a colander. Rinse the cabbage thoroughly with cold water, draining thoroughly by squeezing out as much moisture as you can. Tap dry with kitchen paper.

2. Put the vinegar, sugar, spices and 150ml water into a pan. Heat gently to dissolve the sugar and then allow to cool slightly.

3. Fill 2 large sterilised jars with the cabbage, tightly packing it as you go. Pour the pickling mixture over the cabbage until it is submerged. Seal and refrigerate until ready to use.

4. Carefully remove the pork and allow to rest in foil for half an hour, reserving the juices in the drip pan.

5. Once rested, pull the pork apart with two forks, adding the drip juices, along with the freshly-squeezed orange juice. Heat the shredded and sauced pork through on a hot plate.

To serve, fill the taco shells with a couple of lettuce leaves, dollop of sour cream, pulled pork, pickled cabbage, fresh coriander leaves and a few drops of hot sauce.