Pulled Pork

If you want some love in your life, make pulled pork. Husbands and sons People will bow down at that temple, I'm telling you. Oh, and anything made in a disposable foil tray -Yeah, that goes down really well with a certain man that I live with, which is not surprising seeing as how he washes dish after dish after dish around here. Oh and there's the bun. Anything in bun is totally (totally!) approved of with a big gold stamp. And let's not even talk about the smell of slow-roasting meat smothered in a spicy rub that fills the house for hours and hours... okay, then let's... lots of warm fuzzy feelings coming your way right there people. Yep, if you mention that you might make pulled pork, expect cheerleaders to suddenly appear.

Pulled Pork

from Kevin and Amanda
Serves 8

NOTE: This recipe requires brining the pork for at least 8 hours, then long, slow roasting so it's best to start it at least the day before.

1 x 2.5kg Pork Shoulder, bone in and with a good layer of fat on top

For the Dry Rub:
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon Maldon salt
1 tablespoon ground pepper
1 tablespoon paprika
1/2 cup brown sugar

Mix well and store in an air tight container.

For the Brine Solution: 
1/2 cup Maldon salt
1/2 cup brown sugar
8 cups cold water
2 bay leaves
3 tablespoon dry rub mix

Add salt to cold water and stir very well until all the salt is completely dissolved. Then add the brown sugar, dry rub, and bay leaves and stir well to combine.

Prepare and Roast the Pork:
Rinse the pork shoulder and place in a large container (I used a large zip-lock bag, then put the sealed bag into a large roasting pan for insurance in case of leaks), pour in the brine solution until the shoulder is completely covered. Cover the container (or seal the bag)  and place in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours. Then remove pork shoulder from brine solution, pat dry with paper towels, place in baking pan that is bigger than the shoulder by at least a couple of centimeters in length and width and at least 6cms deep (I used a disposable foil tray - saves on washing up and husbands with dishpan hands). Sprinkle dry rub onto the surface of the shoulder and massage in such that it adheres to the surface. Coat all sides. Make sure the fat layer on the shoulder is facing up before cooking! Place baking pan uncovered in a 110 degrees C oven on the middle rack. Insert a probe thermometer into the centre or thickest part of the shoulder, but not touching the bone. Monitor the temperature throughout cooking. Do not remove from the oven until the center of the shoulder reaches 94 degrees C (mine took 8 hours). When the shoulder has reached 94 degrees C, turn off the oven and let the roast cool for a couple of hours before removing from the oven. If the bottom of the pan is dry (or crusted with dried spices) then cover the pan with foil to retain internal moisture of the meat during the cooling period. When the temperature drops to 76 degrees C or slightly lower, remove from oven. Place on a large, clean work surface such as a cutting board, and remove the large sheet of crusted fat on the top (I know, I cried too). Pull apart with two forks, it will pull apart very easily.

I served mine in soft hamburger buns with a red cabbage slaw and Spiced Warm Corn Salad to a round of applause.