Pulled pork recipe

 

For about 6 generous sandwiches

Recipe : Marinated pork shoulder (Marinade adapted from Bon Appetit magazine, June 2011)

1 6lb pork shoulder with bone

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup orange juice

1/2 tbsp Sriracha sauce

1/2 tbsp pomegranate molasses

2 star anise

1 inch piece ginger, peeled and chopped

2 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly slice

Mix all the marinade ingredients together and pour over the pork, cover and refrigerate for 24 hours, turning several times.

Remove the pork from the marinade and place on a clean dish, cover and refrigerate again or cook straight away. Pour the marinade into a dish, cover and refrigerate.

Preheat the oven to 425oF and cook the pork, uncovered, for 30 minutes.

After this time, reduce the oven heat to 325oF. Remove the pork onto a board.

On a fresh baking sheet, (there may be some residual marinade that has burnt on the original sheet), lay 1 onion, sliced into thin rounds, 1 leek, sliced into thin rounds and 1 carrot, peeled and sliced into rounds, along with a bay leaf or two. Place the pork on top and cover with a double layer of foil. Roast in the oven for a further 3.5 - 5.5 hours. (Check how tender it is after 3.5, it may be good enough).

When you are happy with the pork's tenderness, remove from the oven and transfer all the pork to a plate, cover and set aside.

Recipe : Barbecue sauce

The remaining marinade

The juices and vegetables from the pork roasting dish

1 tin plum tomatoes

4 tbsp sour cream

Pour the marinade, juices, vegetables and tomatoes into a heavy based pan over medium - high heat and let it cook, bubbling away until it is thickened. Keep stirring to prevent it sticking to the bottom of the pan. This can take up to one hour, so keep an eye on it. 

Taste the sauce. It should be very rich and flavourful. If you feel it needs mellowing, add some or all of the sour cream to your taste. (Remember the meat will be mixed with it, which will dilute the taste slightly).

Using two forks, pull the pork into strands and mix well with the barbecue sauce.