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Pulled Pork Recipe (For Slow Cooker or Oven)

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Pulled Pork01

The cold weather down under here in Australia reminds me to draw out my slow cooker to make some comfort and flavoursome dishes. Well, if you're living in a warmer area, this dish is also a good choice for you to put on your menu. Nothing can beat the tender and succulent meat that has taken up all the fragrance and flavours of the spices and seasonings after the long hours of cooking at lower temperature in my slow cooker. We used the shredded pork to make sandwiches, burgers, sometimes simply put on rice or combine with noodles with loads of yummy sauce. All the dishes tasted wonderfully.

You won’t go wrong with this no-brainer dish. All you need to do is to put the pork with all other ingredients in a slow cooker. There you go. Enjoy a really tasty meal after a few hours of sit-back-and-relax time. If a slow cooker is not handy to you, you can still make this dish with an oven. Please check out the notes below the recipe.

Pulled Pork Recipe (Printable recipe)

Prep time:
Cook time:
Yield: 5 to 6 serves

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Ingredients:
  • 1.4 kg pork shoulder
  • 2 tsp sea salt
  • black pepper, to taste
  • 2 tsp garlic powder
  • 2 tsp cumin powder
  • 1 tsp coriander powder
  • 2 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 ½ tsp cayenne powder
Sauce:
  • 20 ml (2 Tbsp) tomato paste
  • 200 ml chicken stock (homemade or store-bought)
  • 3 tsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 10 gm (1 Tbsp) brown sugar
How To Make Pulled Pork

Method:
  1. Rinse the pork shoulder and wipe dry. Generously season with salt and black pepper.
  2. Use a large mixing bowl, combine the garlic powder, cumin powder, coriander powder, smoked paprika, cayenne powder. Roll the pork in the bowl and get it evenly coated with the mixture.
  3. Select the “sauté” function of a slow cooker on high with some heated oil. It helps bring up the flavours and fragrance of the spices. (If no sauté function can be selected, you can sauté the pork in a frying pan over medium-high heat on stove.) Pour in the sauce. Slow-cook on high for 6 hours. The meat will be very tender. (If using a frying pan, transfer the pork into your slow cooker, then follow the remaining steps.)
  4. Drain out the pork from the slow cooker. Use two forks to shred the meat. If the sauce in the slow cooker is more than 2 cups (oh yes, the pork will release juice while being cooked), turn on the sauté function and cook until it’s reduced to about 2 cups. Test the taste. Season with salt if needed. Serve on bread rolls or rice, drizzling sauce on top.
Pulled Pork02

Notes:
  • You may use collar butt, instead of pork shoulder, that’s for making Chinese BBQ pork. It’s best to get the lean part though, as you’re not going to roast or grill it. The lean meat will turn very tender and moist. That’s the magic of slow cooking.
  • All the spices are available at Asian grocers or supermarkets.
  • Keep the leftover pork and sauce separately in a freezer, up to 3 weeks or so. When needed, simply reheat the pork and drizzle heated sauce on it.
  • If a slow cooker is not at hand, you can use a conventional oven instead. After searing the pork in a frying pan, transfer it into a Dutch oven or cast-iron container, or a casserole pot. Pour in the sauce, plus one cup of water. Bake in a preheated oven at 160C / 320F for 4 to 4 ½ hours, or until the pork turns tender and can be easily shredded. Along the way of cooking, turn the pork every hour, and replenish some boiling water if needed.

7 comments :

  1. I always to make pulled pork with slow cooker...now I really have no excuse because it's not as difficult as I thought. Thanks for sharing, Christine.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Sounds yummy! But do you think I could use my pressure cooker and if so, do you know how long it would take? I don't have slow cooker. We already have way too many kitchen gadgets at home... Lol ^-^

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    Replies
    1. Hi Eva,

      Pretty understand. I haven't tested this recipe with my pressure cooker, so no exact record of cooking time.

      But if you want to give it a go, try cooking 30 to 35 minutes, supposed that your pressure cooker is heated on stove. Then test if the pork meat is softened enough or not. If not, cook anther 10 minutes.

      Delete
  3. Christine, what size is your instant pot? I looked at Amazon UK there are two sizes. I am considering going for the 8L. We are a family of 6. thanks

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    Replies
    1. Hi Mavis,

      Mine is 6L. I just love it, and use it nearly everyday.
      Yes, here's the 8L one, good for your family of 6.

      Delete
  4. Do I need to remove the skin/fat from the pork shoulder before cooking?

    ReplyDelete
  5. Hi Tammi,
    Remove the skin if you like. If too much of fat, you can remove it too.

    A bit of fat can make the meat more tender and juicer. You can remove the grease on the surface of the sauce after cooking.

    ReplyDelete