Winner-winner pulled pork dinner! My pulled pork recipe is so easy, juicy, satisfying and is jam-packed with flavour. It’s coated with my super-simple smokey and sweet spice rub, which uses everyday ingredients that you have stashed away in your pantry, and is roasted to perfection. People always say good things take time and this pork is no different. Cooking the pork in the oven, low and slow, is really the key here - it produces fall-apart tender and juicy meat.
This recipe definitely feeds a crowd and is great for a long weekend gathering, game day, dinner party or as a weeknight meal. You can repurpose any leftovers and make my Mouthwatering Pulled Pork Sandwich, tacos, quesadillas, or add it as a topping to your plate of nachos. Serve it with my Homemade "Dill Pickle" Coleslaw, grilled corn on the cob, mashed potatoes or fries. Enjoy!
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 5 hours and 25 minutes
Total Time: 5 hours and 30 minutes
Serves: 12
Ingredients:
Pork
7 lbs pork shoulder or pork butt
Bottled barbecue sauce, as a topping
Spice Rub
1 Tbsp kosher salt
1 Tbsp granulated sugar
1/2 Tbsp garlic powder
1/2 Tbsp paprika
1/2 Tbsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground pepper
1 tsp ground coriander
Instructions:
Preparing the Pork: Preheat the oven to 300F. While the oven preheats, remove the pork from the refrigerator and let it come to room temperature for at least 30 minutes.
Using a sharp knife, cut the pork shoulder or pork butt into 2 equal pieces or 3.5lbs portions. This will help to reduce the overall cook time. Pat it dry with a paper towel and transfer it to a large roaster. Then, score the skin.
Making the Spice Rub: In a small bowl, add the salt, sugar, garlic powder, paprika, cumin, pepper and coriander and mix well.
Liberally season all sides of the pork with the spice rub, cover and then transfer the roaster to the oven.
Cooking the Pork: Cook the pork for 5 hours at 300F. Then, remove the cover, crank up the heat to 400F and cook for an additional 25 minutes. This will allow the skin to crisp up, leaving with you with a beautiful bark. Your pork is done when it is tender and falls apart easily when pierced with a fork.
Using two forks, shred the pork, give it a good mix and let it stand for 10 minutes.
Serve it on its own, add it to nachos, use it as the protein in tacos or quesadillas, or top it with your favourite barbecue sauce to make a pulled pork sandwich. Enjoy!
Notes:
Preparing the Pork: You want to give the uncooked pork shoulder or pork butt ample time to come to room temperature prior to roasting. This will allow for even cooking and produce tender meat. Cooking the pork straight from the refrigerator can lead to uneven cooking, a longer cook time and produce drier meat.
Crispy Pork Skin: To achieve the crispiest skin, make sure that you pat the pork dry with a paper towel. This will remove extra moisture, which is the enemy here, and allow the skin to crisp up.
