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United States, Americas · BBQ Pulled Pork

Crispy-Edge Pulled Pork with Beer-Braise Glaze

Overnight dry-brined pork shoulder, seared and braised in beer, then pulled and roasted until the edges crisp in its own reduced glaze.

ServingsServes 2
Total cooking time3 h 45 min
Dry-brining in the fridge (at least 4 hours, ideally 12)+ 12 h
DifficultyHard

Method

  1. Pat the pork dry with kitchen paper and brush it with a thin layer of mustard. Mix the rub ingredients and press them onto every surface. Set the meat on a rack and refrigerate it uncovered; the surface dries out, which later gives you a darker crust.

    Add in this stepPork shoulder (one piece) 700 gYellow mustard (to help the rub stick) 1½ tbspSalt 1¼ tspBrown sugar 3 tspSmoked paprika 2 tspGround cumin ¾ tspCoarse black pepper 1 tspGarlic powder 1 tspCayenne pepper ¼ tsp

  2. Take the pork out 30 minutes before cooking and heat the oven to 150°C. Heat the oil in a 22 cm ovenproof cast-iron pot over medium-high heat. Sear the pork until every side is deep brown, about in total, then lift it onto a plate. A little smoke is normal.

    Add in this stepVegetable oil 1 tbsp

    medium-high heat

  3. Turn the heat down to medium heat, add the onion and garlic and fry for 2–3 minutes, then pour in the beer and vinegar. Simmer for , scraping the browned bits off the bottom with a wooden spoon. When the pork goes back in, the liquid should come about a third of the way up the meat.

    Add in this stepOnion, sliced 150 gGarlic cloves, crushed 3Beer (lager) 250 mlApple cider vinegar 50 ml

    medium heat

  4. Cover with the lid and cook in the oven at 150°C for , turning the meat once halfway. It is ready when the centre reads 93–95°C and a fork twisted into it splits the meat effortlessly along the grain.

    oven

  5. While the pork cooks, make the slaw: toss the shredded cabbage and carrot with the slaw vinegar, sugar and salt, squeeze lightly with your hands and refrigerate. After 30 minutes it softens slightly and turns crisp and tangy.

    Add in this stepCabbage, finely shredded 160 gCarrot, finely shredded 40 gApple cider vinegar (for the slaw) 2 tbspSugar (for the slaw) 1 tspSalt (for the slaw) 1 pinch

  6. Move the pork to a board, cover loosely with foil and rest it for . Meanwhile strain the pot liquid, spoon off the fat from the top, stir in the tomato paste and molasses and boil over medium-high heat for . The glaze is ready when it thinly coats the back of a spoon.

    Add in this stepTomato paste 1½ tbspMolasses (or brown sugar) 1 tbsp

    medium-high heat

  7. Turn the oven up to 230°C. Pull the pork into shreds with two forks, toss with half the glaze and spread it thinly on a baking tray about 25 cm long. Roast on the top shelf of the oven for , until the tips turn dark brown and crisp. Watch the last 1–2 minutes, as it catches quickly.

    oven

  8. Toast the cut sides of the buns in a dry pan, pile on the pork, drizzle with a little more glaze and top with the slaw.

    Add in this stepBurger buns (brioche if possible) 4

Cook's tip

Dry-brining lets the salt reach the centre, so the meat holds on to more juice. Apple juice or chicken stock can replace the beer. A probe thermometer is the most reliable test: pulled before 93°C, the meat feels tough.

Cooking it at camp

One Dutch oven handles the searing and the braise: 10 coals on the lid and 6 underneath keep it around 150°C; top up the coals every hour. For the crisp finish, spread the pulled meat in a cast-iron pan on the grill over hot coals for a few minutes.