Adapted from Bull BBQ with permission.
Winter BBQ Pulled Pork
Winter BBQ Pulled Pork
It's grey outside, the rain's hammering the patio, and all you want is a proper pulled pork sandwich — sauce dripping, meat falling apart, the kind of thing that makes everything feel a bit better. Good news: pulled pork is absolutely a winter BBQ dish. Low and slow on the grill while you stay warm indoors? That's our kind of cooking.
Ingredients
- 2–2.5kg pork shoulder, bone-in
- 2 tbsp rapeseed oil
Dry Rub
- 2 tbsp light soft brown sugar
- 1 tbsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp flaky sea salt
- 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp dried oregano
- ½ tsp cayenne pepper
BBQ Sauce (or use your favourite shop-bought)
- 200ml passata
- 3 tbsp light soft brown sugar
- 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp mild American-style mustard
- 1 tbsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- Salt and pepper to taste
To Serve
- Soft burger buns or brioche rolls
- Coleslaw
- Pickled jalapeños (optional)
Method
- The evening before, mix together all the dry rub ingredients. Pat the pork shoulder dry with kitchen paper, rub it all over with the rapeseed oil, then coat generously with the dry rub. Wrap tightly in cling film and refrigerate overnight — or for at least 4 hours if you're short on time.
- When you're ready to cook, take the pork out of the fridge and leave it at room temperature for 30 minutes while you set up the grill.
- Set up your BBQ grill for indirect cooking with a target temperature of 130–140°C. If your grill has a water tray, fill it and place it under the grate where the pork will sit — this helps keep things moist and catches the drips.
- Place the pork shoulder on the indirect side of the grill, fat side up. Close the lid and let it do its thing. This is a long cook — expect 8–10 hours at this temperature for a 2.5kg joint. Resist the urge to open the lid too often.
- After about 5–6 hours, the pork will hit a stall — the internal temperature will plateau around 65–70°C and seem stuck there. Don't panic and don't crank the heat. This is normal. The collagen in the meat is breaking down and the moisture is evaporating off the surface. It can stay here for an hour or two. Keep the lid shut and be patient.
- While you wait, make the BBQ sauce. Combine all the sauce ingredients in a small saucepan, bring to a gentle simmer over a medium heat, and cook for 15–20 minutes stirring occasionally until thickened. Taste and adjust seasoning. Set aside.
- When the pork reaches an internal temperature of 92–95°C, it's ready to pull. At this point the bone should wiggle freely and the meat will feel very soft when you prod it. Remove from the grill and wrap tightly in a double layer of aluminium foil, then wrap in a thick towel and rest for at least 45 minutes — up to 2 hours is fine, and it'll stay piping hot.
- Unwrap and pull the pork apart using two forks or your hands (clean hands work brilliantly). Discard any large pieces of fat or bone. Toss the pulled meat with as much BBQ sauce as you like — some people prefer it lightly sauced so you can taste the smoke, others like it drenched. You do you.
- Pile into soft buns with coleslaw, a drizzle more sauce, and pickled jalapeños if you like a bit of heat.
Originally published by Bull BBQ. Adapted for UK audiences by Cedar Kitchen in the Garden.
Cedar Tip
Use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature — you're aiming for 92–95°C before pulling, which is well above the FSA safe minimum of 75°C. The high temperature is what breaks down the collagen and gives you that melt-in-the-mouth texture. A Thermapen is brilliant for this — be a pro, get a Thermapen. Also: if you see a pink tinge inside the meat after pulling, don't worry — that's the smoke ring, a perfectly normal sign of good low-and-slow cooking, not undercooked pork.
🔥 You'll Need
