Recipe
BBQ pulled pork (oven method)
Low and slow, no smoker needed: a rubbed pork shoulder roasted at 140°C until it collapses at 90°C inside, then shredded and tossed in BBQ sauce. Plan a day ahead - the wait is the recipe.
BBQ pulled pork (oven method) takes about 320 minutes and makes 6 servings. Each serving has 860 kcal.
- Preparation
- 20 minutes
- Cooking
- 300 minutes
- Total time
- 320 minutes
- Servings
- 6
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 860 kcal
- Protein
- 55 g
- Carbohydrates
- 48 g
- Fat
- 44 g
Ingredients
- Pork shoulder2 kg
- Dijon mustard2 tbsp
- Brown sugar3 tbsp
- Paprika2 tbsp
- Garlic powder1 tbsp
- Ground cumin2 tsp
- Salt1 tbsp
- Pepper1 tbsp
- BBQ sauce250 ml
- Burger buns6 pcs
Instructions
- 1
Mix the rub: brown sugar, paprika, garlic powder, cumin, salt and pepper.
- 2
Pat the pork dry, brush it with a thin layer of mustard, and massage the rub firmly into every surface.
- 3
Wrap tightly and refrigerate overnight, 8–12 hours.
Tip: Overnight, the salt travels deep into the meat. In a pinch two hours will do, but the flavor stays near the surface.
- 4
The next day, let the pork sit at room temperature for 1 hour while the oven heats to 140°C.
- 5
Set the pork fat-side up in a snug roasting dish, cover tightly with a lid or a double layer of foil, and roast for 4 hours.
- 6
Uncover and roast about 1 hour more, until the bark is dark and the center reads around 90°C.
Tip: 90°C is not overcooked - that is where the collagen melts. If the probe still meets resistance, give it another 30 minutes.
- 7
Rest the meat loosely covered for 30 minutes; keep every drop of the pan juices.
- 8
Shred the pork with two forks, discarding any large pockets of fat.
- 9
Toss the meat with the BBQ sauce and a few spoonfuls of the pan juices until glossy.
- 10
Pile onto toasted buns and serve warm.
Cooking methods
On the stove
This is an oven dish; the stove only toasts the buns and warms the sauce. If your oven runs hot, check with an oven thermometer - at 160°C instead of 140°C the shoulder dries out before the collagen melts.
On induction
The oven does the work; use the cooktop on 6 of 9 just to toast the buns and warm the BBQ sauce with the pan juices. An induction-friendly cast-iron casserole is ideal because it moves straight from cooktop to oven.
Over an open fire
This is the dish's ancestral home: bury a heavy Dutch oven in a bed of embers, lid on, and refresh the coals every hour or so for 5–6 hours. The target stays the same - around 90°C inside and meat that yields without a fight.
Recipe questions
- How long does this recipe take?
- Plan for about 320 minutes from start to finish.
- How many servings does this recipe make?
- This recipe makes 6 servings.
- Can I cook this recipe on induction?
- Yes. The oven does the work; use the cooktop on 6 of 9 just to toast the buns and warm the BBQ sauce with the pan juices. An induction-friendly cast-iron casserole is ideal because it moves straight from cooktop to oven.
- Can I cook this recipe over an open fire?
- Yes. This is the dish's ancestral home: bury a heavy Dutch oven in a bed of embers, lid on, and refresh the coals every hour or so for 5–6 hours. The target stays the same - around 90°C inside and meat that yields without a fight.
In the app
Cooking the way it should feel
One step on screen, a timer that keeps going, and clear progress until the dish is done.
