Classic pulled pork recipe

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Pulled pork is easy with our simple recipe. Smothered in a rich, flavoursome sauce, this pulled pork recipe is so tender and it just falls off the bone.

  • healthy
Serves8
SkillMedium
Preparation Time30 mins plus 2-3 hours to marinate meat
Cooking Time8 hours 8-10 in a slow cooker or 6-8 hours in an oven
Nutrition Per PortionRDA
Calories271 Kcal14%
Fat8 g11%
Saturated Fat2.5 g13%

Making classic pulled pork is easy thanks to this simple pulled pork recipe using your slow cooker. Smothered in a rich, flavoursome sauce, it's so tender and just falls off the bone. Plus, by leaving it to bake it in a slow cooker you can make the most of an inexpensive shoulder of pork - resulting in the meat being soft and absolutely delicious. Our easy slow cooker pulled pork recipe smothers the pork with a BBQ marinade so that it's bursting with flavour. As good as any restaurant version, your homemade pulled pork may take 6-8 hours to cook, but it will be more than worth the wait! This recipe serves 8 people so it's a great way to feed a crowd. The best part is that even though this slow cooker pulled pork recipe makes for an indulgent meal, like a pulled pork sandwich, it works out at only 271 calories per portion.

Read our tried and tested reviews of the best slow cookers.

Ingredients

  • 1.5-2kg (3-4lb) boneless pork shoulder
  • 2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
  • 8 tbsp tomato ketchup
  • 4 tbsp cider vinegar
  • 2 tbsp paprika
  • 2 tbsp dark muscovado sugar
  • 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • Baps, coleslaw and chips, to serve

WEIGHT CONVERTER

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Method

  1. To make the sauce: Place all the ingredients in a bowl and mix well.
  2. Spread the sauce thickly over the pork and put it in a bowl, cover with cling film and leave it to marinate in the fridge for at least 2-3 hours, or overnight.
  3. Put the pork and sauce into a slow cooker and place on the low heat setting for 8-10 hours, without opening the lid, or until the pork is very tender. Or, cook in a covered dish in the oven at 140°C/275°F/Gas Mark 1 for about 6-8 hours, or until the meat is tender, basting it occasionally with the sauce.
  4. Remove the pork from the slow cooker or oven and leave it to rest for about 10 mins.
  5. Pour the liquid into a small pan and skim off any fat. Boil to reduce and thicken slightly.
  6. Place the pork on a board and cut off the skin and any visible fat. Use 2 forks to shred the meat into small pieces and stir into the sauce. Serve the pulled pork hot in baps, along with coleslaw and chips
Top Tip for making Classic pulled pork

To save space whenmarinating the pork in sauce, put it in a freezer bag and seal: This also makes it easy to massage the sauce aroundthe meat so it’s evenly coated.

Food & Recipes writer

Sue McMahon is a former Food and Recipes Writer at GoodTo and Cooking Editor at Woman's Weekly. Her primary passion is cakes and Sue regularly travels the world teaching cake decorating. Her biggest achievement to date was winning the Prix d’honneur at La Salon Culinaire International de Londres beating over 1,200 other entries.