This is my Rolls Royce of Pulled Pork recipes. A 24-hour brine injects flavour and locks in juices, then a 12-hour oven slow roast makes the pork more succulent than you ever imagined it could be!
Don’t have time for this version? I get it. Make my Slow Cooker Pulled Pork instead!
36-hour Pulled Pork
That’s right, 36 hours is what it takes to make my very best Pulled Pork recipe: A 24-hour dry-brine in a heavily-flavoured rub, followed by a 12-hour slow roast in the oven.
I would not share a 36-hour recipe though if I was not 100% sure it produces the very best results! I can assure you it really does, and the reasons are simple:
Brining overnight locks in juices and injects flavour all the way through the pork so every mouthful of pork is seasoned; and
Slow-roasting at a very low temperature means less moisture loss and in turn more succulent meat.
Cooking in this way also gets you that desirable “bark” on the surface that people love about traditional BBQ food. It’s my favourite part. It’s so tempting to lift the whole thing off and run away with it!
Check out the proof of epic bark:
And proof of ultra-tender, juicy meat:
My typical 36-hour Pulled Pork timeline
Here’s my basic game plan with timings to help you ensure your pork is ready for when you want to serve it, for either lunch or dinner.
2 days prior, anytime (usually evening) – Coat pork in rub and leave to brine/marinate for 24 to 48 hours in the fridge.
Evening before serving – Put pork in oven to slow-roast overnight.
Next morning (day of serving) – Remove pork from oven. Keep whole until required. Shred pork as close as possible to serving time, for optimum juiciness.
If serving for lunch – Time the cooking to finish within 2 hours of serving so the pork stays warm, and no need to reheat.
If serving for dinner (reheating whole pork) – Allow pork to fully cool on the counter, uncovered (if you cover, bark will go soggy). When cool, cover and refrigerate.
Remove from fridge 3 hours prior, leave on counter for 1 hour. Then cover loosely with foil and reheat in a 150°C/300°F oven for 2 hours or until the centre is hot, then shred as close as possible to serving time.
Microwave emergency – If you forgot to allow for reheating, you can microwave it uncovered in an emergency. It actually works well because it keeps the meat juicy!
What you need to make my best Pulled Pork
Here’s what you need for the Pulled Pork:
Pork butt / Boston butt (4 – 5 kg / 8 – 10 lb) – Also known as “butcher’s block” or “square cut shoulder of pork” in Australia, this is a big rectangular block of pork from the of the upper pork shoulder (not its butt!) It’s best for Pulled Pork because it’s well marbled and a uniform shape. It comes with a layer of fat on the surface, no skin (in Australia), and a bone inside.
Where to find it – Though widely available and very good value in the US, here in Australia it’s not available at everyday supermarkets. However, it IS sold at Costco! Otherwise, find it at good butchers.
What to ask for – Pork butt / Boston butt / butcher’s block / square cut pork shoulder. Describe it as a 4 to 5 kg rectangular block of pork shoulder. Insist / ask politely that it be bone-in, skinless, with some but not all the fat removed from the surface.
Best substitute – Regular pork shoulder works but it will need to be a minimum of 3 kg / 6 lb (including the bone). If it’s too small it will cook too fast and defeat the purpose of the 12-hour slow roasting that yields the ultra-juiciness of the meat. Usually here in Australia, pork shoulder is only about 2 – 2.5 kg / 4 – 5 lb (once the skin is removed).
Beer – This has multiple purposes. It’s used as (1) the liquid in the pan to prevent the pan from drying out during the slow-roasting, (2) for extra flavour on the pork flesh, and (3) making tasty pan juices which are later tossed through the shredded pork and stirred into the homemade BBQ sauce.
Beer type – You can use any beer other than very dark beers like Guinness. Dark beers can be a bit too intense and dominate the pan juice flavours.
Substitute with alcoholic apple cider (dry/hard cider), non-alcoholic beer or apple juice, which I’ve used in the past for similar recipes to great success (like BBQ pork ribs).
Rub ingredients – The sugar, salt, pepper and spices you see in the photo above are all for the rub. The seasonings (a good number from my 12 Essential Spices list!!) are for flavour, while the salt dry-brines the pork to make it juicier.
What is dry-brining? Brining exploits the effect of salt on muscle fibres so meat retains more moisture as it cooks. As a handy bonus, it also fully seasons the meat on the inside – great for large cuts like pork butt. Dry-brining is a type of brining where no water is used, just salt (contrasted with wet-brining where you soak protein in salted water). We get the same effects (juiciness and seasoning) except it’s even better because the flesh isn’t bloated with flavourless water, which dilutes meat’s flavour. It’s also convenient because you don’t have to deal with the logistics of keeping a giant piece of pork submerged in liquid in the fridge.
Bottom line: Dry-brining works better and is easier. It’s how I do my turkey every year. Dry brine, dry brine, I say!
How much pork do you need per person?
To figure out how many people your pork will serve, multiply each kilo of raw pork by 3 to get normal servings or by 2.4 for generous servings. Imperial measurements: Multiply each lb of pork weight by 1.5 for normal servings or 1.2 for large servings.
Example:
5 kg pork: 5 x 3 = 15 servings (normal portions) or 5 x 2.4 = 12 servings (large portions)
10 lb pork: 10 x 1.5 = 15 servings (normal portions) or 10 x 1.2 = 12 servings (large portions)
It might sound like a lot of pork per person (335g – 410g / 11 – 14 oz) but remember, pork loses about 40% of its weight once cooked!
What you need for homemade BBQ Sauce
Nothing groundbreaking here! All the usual classic BBQ sauce suspects are present:
Ketchup – The key ingredient in BBQ sauce. I know it’s totally un-Australian of me to say, but I really prefer ketchup over tomato sauce. Better flavour. Sorry Australia!! Best substitute – Well, tomato sauce!
Apple cider vinegar – For the tang in BBQ sauce. Substitute with white or red wine vinegar.
Molasses (light/true molasses, NOT blackstrap) – Adds sweetness, colour, gloss and flavour. Easy substitute: golden syrup!
Worcestershire sauce – For savoury flavour.
Tabasco – Optional, for a hit of heat!
Sugar – BBQ sauce is sweet, tangy and a bit savoury. This helps with the sweetness!
Mustard and garlic powder – The savoury seasonings. I prefer powdered garlic over fresh garlic, and powdered mustard over mustard spread because the powder versions have a more earthy flavour that I think works better for BBQ sauce.
How to make my best Pulled Pork
It might take 36 hours all up, but it’s actually very straight forward as a process. Also, the brining step, though recommended for truly the best results, can actually be skipped if you want. You still get plenty of flavour on the bark that gets mixed through the meat, as well as in the roasting pan juices that we toss through the meat. The BBQ sauce also adds a good load of flavour!
1. Brining
As mentioned above, a 24-hour dry brine locks in the juices as well as seasoning the flesh right to the middle of that considerable hunk of meat!
Rub – Mix the rub ingredients in a small bowl.
Coat the pork all over with the rub and use your hands to …well, rub it in. 😂 Get right into all those cracks and crevices. Yep, I know some people hate it / laugh when I write that, and I write it every time I use a rub. Have a giggle and rub away!!!
Get as much rub as possible to stick to the pork, being particularly generous on the top. You will end up with some excess rub loose on the tray, as you can see in the photo above. That’s OK.
Brine 24 hours – Position the pork fat side up (smoother side). Place the pork UNCOVERED in the fridge overnight. Uncovered is best because that way your pork will not sweat under cling wrap or similar. It also dries out the surface of the pork which is key to the best bark!!!
Can I brine for longer? Yep! I’ve done it for up to 48 hours. I actually didn’t notice a difference between 24 hours and 48 hours however, so there’s no additional benefit to brining for longer. More that if you forgot or the timing suits you, it’s no issue.
Post-brining – This photo shows what it looks like after brining. There will be some liquid in the pan, which is a bit of pork juices mixed with dissolved salt. Discard this liquid when transferring the pork to the roasting pan. We only want whatever stuff sticks to the pork.
2. 12-hour slow-roasting
Liquids for cooking – Transfer the pork into a roasting pan. Then pour the beer and water around it, using additional water to top up as needed so that the liquid level is 2.5 cm / 1″. This is to ensure the pan doesn’t dry out during the slow roasting time. It means the pork will be even juicier (nice and steamy environment!) as well as ensuring we end up with some roasting pan juices that we toss through the pork at the end + stir into the BBQ sauce (it’s free flavour!).
Slow roast the pork uncovered for 12 hours at 110°C/230°F (both fan-forced and standard). Some notes on the slow cooking part:
a) Low temperature – We want to use lowest temperature possible to cook this pork at because the lower the temperature, the less moistures is lost from the flesh of the pork which in turn means juicier pork meat. I found that 110°C/230°F is the minimum temperature for the middle of the pork to peak at 95°C. At this temperature, the meat will be tender enough to shred with no effort. Cooking at a temperature lower than 110°C/230°F, I found the pork never became “fall-apart-at-a-touch”.
b) Uncovered – The pork is cooked uncovered so we get that desirable, intensely-flavoured bark on the surface all over the pork. This part is everyone’s favourite!
c) Overnight roasting – At such a low temperature and with the amount of liquid we put in the pan, I feel perfectly safe sleeping with the oven on. It’s also super-handy to do the slow-roasting overnight because it’s entirely hands-off. The cooked pork reheats perfectly so I can serve it anytime the next day.
d) ⚠️ OVEN AUTO-OFF – Many ovens, including mine, will automatically turn off after 12 hours. This is for safety reasons. So be sure to check if yours has an auto-off function (check the manual)! If it does, firstly preheat the oven, put the pork in then turn it off. Immediately turn it back on (to restart the 12-hr clock, so to speak). Now you’re good to go. Also, how handy that your oven will now turn itself off bang on 12 hours when your pork is ready!
Slow-roasted pork – After 12 hours, the pork should be fall-apart-tender with a thick, almost black crust. Pick a bit off and have a nibble – cooks’ treat!
There should still be some liquid remaining in the pan. How much depends on a lot of things, like the size of your pork, your oven and so on, but usually there is around 1.5 – 2 cm / 3/4″ of liquid.
Transfer the pork to a different pan, large enough for shredding. Rest the meat for 20 minutes before shredding. Just because we slow-cooked the meat does not mean we can skip the essential step of resting the meat! During this time juices inside the meat are reabsorbed back into the meat fibres = juicier!!
Shredding
We come to the best part – because you get to pick and nibble throughout the whole process!
Shred the pork using two forks or tongs. It’s so tender it will be effortless! Shred into strand sizes you desire. Some people like superfine, others like chunks. I’m sort of in-between.
Pan juices and BBQ sauce – Pour over some roasting pan juices (it’s got tons of flavour, we are NOT wasting it!) and some BBQ sauce. Just enough of both to juice up the meat a bit, not drown it! I prefer to serve BBQ sauce on the side so people can use as much or as little as they want.
Toss well.
Serve – Now serve with remaining BBQ sauce on the side! Pictured above with soft buns and coleslaw, to make Pulled Pork Sandwiches. YESSS!!!! (Some more serving suggestions below).
Homemade BBQ Sauce
Just briefly, the BBQ sauce. It’s a plonk-and-stir, simmer-for-45-minutes job. Very easy! It can be made at any time that suits you as it keeps and reheats perfectly.
Honestly, that sight … a big pan of juicy meat that’s had my love and attention for the last 36 hours … (albeit I’ve been asleep for most of that time, but that’s not the point!)… now THIS is my kind of food.
I know this is totally un-lady like. I’m not the dainty sort, not in my food choices, nor in how I barrel through life. But boy does it make for a tasty life!!!
Case in point, Pulled Pork Sandwiches, dripping with pork juices mingling with BBQ sauce. Oh and look, Coleslaw joining the party too:
Or, try a big Southern dinner spread by adding classic sides that you’d swear were invented just to serve alongside Pulled Pork!
Great Southern sides to serve with Pulled Pork
As for dessert? Try one of these!
Desserts. Because we ALWAYS have room for dessert!
So, have I convinced you it’s time for a BIG PULLED PORK feast this weekend? Oh, not this weekend? So – next weekend?? 😉 – Nagi x
12 hour roast not for you? I get it. Try my easy Slow Cooker Pulled Pork instead. Long standing reader favourite!
Watch how to make it
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My best Pulled Pork
Ingredients
- 4 – 5 kg / 8 – 10 lb pork butt / Boston butt / square cut pork shoulder (skinless, bone in, fat cap on, Note 1)
- 1 1/2 cups beer , any except dark beers like Guinness (Note 2)
- 1 cup water
RUB (Note 3):
- 6 tbsp brown sugar
- 2 tbsp paprika powder
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp onion powder
- 1 tbsp mustard powder
- 2 tsp cumin powder
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper (can omit)
- 2 tbsp cooking/kosher salt* (Note 4)
- 2 tsp black pepper
BARBECUE SAUCE:
- 1 cup apple cider vinegar (Note 5)
- 3 cups ketchup (or Aussie tomato sauce)
- 1 cup water
- 3 tbsp molasses (original, not backstrap, Note 6)
- 2/3 cup brown sugar
- 4 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tsp Tabasco (optional spiciness)
- 4 tsp mustard powder
- 3 tsp garlic powder (sub onion powder)
- 2 tsp cooking/kosher salt (Note 4)
- 2 tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Dry brine overnight (Note 7) – Pat the pork dry and place in a large ceramic dish. Mix Brine ingredients in a small bowl and rub it all over the pork, being sure to get into the cracks and crevices. Turn it fat side up (smoother side) covered with as much rub as possible. Refrigerate uncovered for 24 hours.
- Preheat oven to 110°C (both fan-forced and standard) / 230°F.
- Prepare for roasting – Transfer pork to a roasting pan (do not wipe the rub off) with the fat side up. Discard any liquid and residual rub left in the brining dish. Pour beer and water around the pork, topping up with extra water as needed so the liquid level is 2.5 cm / 1" (insurance against pan going dry).
- Slow roast 12 hours (Note 8) – Roast, uncovered, for 12 hours, or until the internal temperature reaches 95°C/203°F and the meat falls apart effortlessly using two forks. ⚠️ Make sure your oven does not automatically turn off mid cook, many have auto-off functions that kick in at 12 hours (also factor in oven pre-heating time)!
- Shred – Transfer the pork to a large pan (reserve juices in roasting pan). Rest for 20 minutes then shred with tongs / forks – it will be effortless! You can discard the fat cap at this stage if you want. I leave some, it makes the shredded pork even juicier.
- Sauce it – Pour 3/4 cup of the juices from the roasting pan and 1 cup of Barbecue Sauce (see below) over the pork, and toss.
- Serve Pulled Pork with remaining Barbecue Sauce on the side so people can help themselves. Either make a big Southern feast with a side of cornbread, coleslaw and potato salad or macaroni salad. Or make Pulled Pork buns with soft rolls stuffed with coleslaw, Pulled Pork and the BBQ sauce!
Barbecue sauce:
- Place ingredients in a large saucepan and whisk to combine.
- Simmer 45 minutes: Bring to simmer on medium heat, then reduce to a low simmer for 45 minutes. Stir occasionally.
- Add pork juices: When the pork is cooked, add 1/2 cup of the juices from the roasting pan into the BBQ sauce and simmer for 5 minutes. Use water to control thickness – it should have a thick syrupy consistency. Serve warm or at room temperature (not fridge cold).
Recipe Notes:
- Garlic powder and onion powder – substitute with more of the other
- Mustard powder – same amount of dijon mustard spread
- Oregano leaves – omit
- Brown sugar – white sugar or honey
- 5 kg pork: 5 x 3 = 15 servings (normal portions) or 5 x 2.4 = 12 servings (large portions)
- 10 lb pork: 10 x 1.5 = 15 servings (normal portions) or 10 x 1.2 = 12 servings (large portions)
Nutrition Information:
Life of Dozer
In digestion mode. Too much Pulled Pork.
Cheryl says
Hi Nagi,
Just received your new recipe book in the mail!
It looks amazing and well worth the effort you put into creating it.
I am really delighted to see that Dozer has a major role not just ” cameos” and that he got to enjoy the hamburger, at least!!! Take care and keep on smiling. You have done some really amazing work over the last couple of years.
CONGRATULATIONS!!
I love receiving your emails..
Cheryl
Bon Tak says
I’ve got your book from Amazon today.
Really enjoy every page
So happy for you 😀😃😄
Very nice quality and you should be proud of your achievements💪
Lorraine says
Hello I’m not commenting on this recipe as I haven’t made
But I’m too excited to say
I just received my recipetin eats cookbook via Amazon
And I’m so so so excited
Trying to sneak in pages at work
I’m so happy
Thanks so much Nagi
We all love you from home to you
Wesley Bielinski says
Lucky you. In the US – This title will be released on February 21, 2023.:-(
Cate says
Hi. When reducing the quantity from serving 15 to serving just 4, will there still be enough liquid during the long cooking process or should that be increased?
Cate says
Sorry this is for the pulled pork recipe!!
Carla-Monique Cameron says
I need a recipe for prawn, avocado and quinoa salad that involves walnuts. I have salad greens and lemons and grapeseed oil. Any suggestions Nagi?
Nagi says
Hmm! Oh yes, I know! Try the Prawn Mango Avocado Salad but use quinoa instead of risen/orzo. https://www.recipetineats.com/creamy-avocado-ranch-pasta-salad/ Or try the corn salad with avocado and add quinoa and prawns https://www.recipetineats.com/corn-salad/ (YUM that would be really lovely). OR make prawn cocktails with avocado bits in it and serve it on a bed of quinoa! N x
Cher says
Hi Nagi, thank you for your delish pulled pork recipe, can’t wait to try. Love Dozer ❤️ , he is truly cute ❣️
Nagi says
Hope you do get a chance to try it Cher! Dozer ain’t too much of an eye sore, is he.. 😂 N x
Danielle says
I have just bought and pre ordered your book Nagi! I can’t wait to put it to good use, waiting 5 more days for my pre order from big W will be hard!
But worth the wait your recipes are always beautiful 😍
Nagi says
I’M SO EXCITED!! MY ORDER IS COMING TODAY!!! N xx
Jessie says
If doing half that size of pork, do I need to adjust any of the times, or good to go? 🙂 xxx
Nagi says
Hi Jess! I think it would be around 8 hours but I’d still allow for up to 10 hours because there’s a minimum time it takes for meat fibres to break down until super tender 🙂 N x
Suzy Charto says
is there any cut of beef that can be substituted – thanks
Gloria says
What a Ham!!! He looks so comfortable and stylish.
Christy says
Hello Nagi,
For months, it’s been impossible to save your recipes on Pinterest. Will it be possible soon?
I have to thank you for your wonderful work. There is not a single recipe that we did not like xxxo
Nagi says
Hi Christy! I’m sorry to hear that, let me get an IT guru on it right away! N xx
Ronnie says
I am having the same problem. They won’t copy to Pinterest. I just preordered your book here in the US. Can’t wait to get it. Love your recipes
Nagi says
You found the pre-order link!! ☺️ I am about to announce it today!! Sorry about the problems with Pinterest, IT is looking into it now! N x
Karen Dunn says
Could this be done with chicken breasts?
Dave says
I don’t like to be that person who changes a wonderful recipe but I have a question. I would love to try this but would love to add smoke flavor to it. So do you think this would work in a smoker for 12 hours? Or would the addition of liquid smoke and keep it in the oven work? Thank-you
Mae says
I was wondering the same thing, if I could use my Traeger to smoke it.
Raelene says
According to Meathead, you can definitely smoke this. Once you have dry brimmed the pork, insert a leave in digital thermometer into the meat making sure it about an inch away from the bone. Put the meat on the grate, not in a pan. Your water pan sits below the meat. Keep your smoker around 225 degrees F. The meat may stall at 150 degrees, but don’t give up. The surfaces dries up giving you the bark. When the digital thermometer reaches 203 degrees F. remove it from the smoker. You will have a wonderful smoke flavor, but won’t have the pan juices to add to your BBQ sauce.
Phil says
Me too. But I’ll go ahead and try it anyway in my pellet smoker next weekend. Plenty of bbq focused sites and recipes out there, but I love all of Nagis recipes so will give this a shot on the smoker 🙂
Nagi says
Hi Mae and David! I am not an expert at smoking but I am going to reach out to a chef I know who is a master at smoking meats! His name is Tom from Carved Catering. Let me get back to you! N x
Dave says
Thank-you that is very kind. Also thanks to Raelene. I have smoked pork butt before with good results. But I was wondering how I could transfer this exact recipe to a smoker. Not sure it will work with a 12 hour smoke but I anxiously await your reply.
Raelene says
Dave, I am guessing it will take about 12 hours, but can’t say exactly. There are too many variables, weight, thickness of meat, outside temperature, and kind of smoker. I always use a digital thermometer with a remote that gives me the smoker temperature and the meat temperature. The one that comes on the smoker (no matter how much you pay for your smoker) is not very reliable or accurate. So, I always smoke by temperature. The temperature for smoking is similar to Nagi’s baking time, and using that as a gage, it stands to reason that the timing will be similar. Hope that helps.
Nagi says
PS This is the website for Tom Sarkis’ catering business. I have used him for several occasions and I always ask for his smoked beef ribs!! Better than ever I’ve had in Australia, even at the smoked meats event I attended a few months ago. THANKS FOR YOUR HELP with this recipe Tom!!! http://www.carvedcatering.com.au
Nagi says
I’m back! With help from a Chef I know, Tom Sarkis, who specialises in smoked meats plus gathering intell from other smoking gurus I know! The cook time should be the same if you can control the temperature at 230°F/110°C – that’s the trick with smoking well. Because the air in smokers is drier than ovens, be sure to spritz the pork every hour with a spray bottled filled with apple juice. After 4 to 5 hours, it should have a good bark on it. Spritz one more time then cover with foil and keep cooking for another 7 to 8 Horus (so the same 12 hrs) but do not spritz. You are looking for an internal temp or 203°F/95°C right in the middle – that is the temp at which the meat is beyond well done and becomes shreddable-at-a-touch. Attack your pork and think of me sitting here with an ordinary electric oven, intensely jealous of your smoked pork!! N xx
Mariëtte says
Can’t wait to try it!! Here in South Africa we don’t even have power for 12 consecutive hours…🤣 We had to totally change our mindset with food preparation in terms of energy cost and availability.
John Marshall says
Hi Nagi, this is deffo one I will make. 2 questions please.
1) Is the apple cider vinegar the one with the mother. It is stronger and more astringent.
2) If I use a half shoulder do I halve the time or same time.
Thank you.
John M (in the UK)
Jane Reynolds says
Hi
Due to electricity prices in uk can I do this in my slow cooker.
Ps love just love your recipes and looking forward to buying your book when it’s available in the uk
Kath says
I had the exact same thought! What is the slow cooker conversion time on low? Or even high?
SaraB says
In Nagi’s slow cooker pulled pork recipe it’s 10 hours on low – maybe try that, but check the meat weights are similar?? That version also looks tasty 😀 https://www.recipetineats.com/pulled-pork-with-bbq-sauce/
Nagi says
Hi Sara! For a pork this size it would be closer to 12 hours I’d say, if not 14! N x
SaraB says
👍 absolutely why I mentioned the meat weight – may be better to start with that other recipe and adapt 😀 also looks lovely!
Any news on our UK release of the book 🤞
Laura says
I thought the same thing! With energy prices as they are, running the oven for 12 hours & hob for 45 mins is a serious extravagance these days!
Pam says
Hi Nagi
If I buy a pork shoulder about 3 kg, would I still brine and slow cook the same times..?
Looks gorgeous, can’t wait to try it !
Ambre says
Hi Nagi, I love your recipes thank you for sharing. Would the pulled pork shoulder work in a bbq smoker? Would the timing be the same? Thank you
Sam says
Pulled pork makes me think of Hawai’i and the beat mac and cheese that was like the old kraft mac and cheese with bacon bits in it 🤤🤤 I wouldn’t be upset if you discovered how to make that as a side lol
Mulloes says
Could I freeze portions of this Nagi. There’s so much I’d hate to see it go to waste 🥮
Nagi says
Absolutely! Storage notes in recipe, this freezes so so well. 🙂 N x
Mulloes says
Thanks Nagi. Like Dozer, I couldn’t wait to read to the end 😂