Ingredient: bone-in pork shoulder

Slow cooked meat is definitely not a new thing. Truly authentic pulled pork is actually a barbecue dish, cooked for hours over a charcoal pit until it falls apart, ready to be easily shredded or ‘pulled’ apart to serve.

I’m sure most of us have attended a classic Hawaiian Luau at one time or another in our lives. The main course of this Hawaiian feast is always the ‘kalua’ roast pork. Kalua is a traditional Hawaiian cooking method that utilizes an ‘Imu’, a type of underground steam oven.

My experience, was that it was definitely pull-apart tender but far too greasy for my liking. It has taken a lot of years for me to want to make even a North American version of this pulled pork idea. To my surprise, it didn’t turn out greasy and was pretty tasty.

The idea that it has to be roasted in an outdoor pit is really not true. It can be made easily in a standard domestic oven. Of course the seasonings, temperatures and serving methods are all open to debate.

Pork shoulder is ideal for pulling purposes, either bone-in or boneless. It has an optimum fat content that yields to create tender, ‘melty‘ meat, but its essential to cook it slowly to allow the protein to break down properly. Using a dry rub will also help create tenderness and flavor.

There are numerous ways you can serve pulled pork such as on some fresh brioche buns, with cornbread or in tacos. We are going to have ours in corn tortillas with some kohlrabi coleslaw and roasted rhubarb sauce.

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Pulled Pork w/ Roasted Rhubarb Sauce

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Rating: 5
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Course

Main Dish

Cuisine

American, Cuban, European

Keyword

pulled pork w/ roasted rhubarb sauce

Servings

MetricUS Imperial

Ingredients

Dry Rub for Pork Shoulder

• 2 kg bone-in pork shoulder
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp EACH allspice, garlic powder, coriander & salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• Grated zest of 1/2 large orange

Roasted Rhubarb Sauce

• 4 cups rhubarb, coarsely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 cup water, more if needed
• 3 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup ketchup
• 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 Tbsp chili powder
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• dash of cayenne pepper
• salt & pepper to taste

Kohlrabi Coleslaw

• 2 cups kohlrabi, peeled & shredded
• 1 cup carrots, shredded
• 1 1/2 Tbsp cider vinegar or seasoned rice wine vinegar
• 1 Tbsp oil
• 1 1/2 tsp sugar
• salt & pepper to taste
• 12- 6-inch corn tortillas

Course Main Dish Cuisine American, Cuban, European Keyword pulled pork w/ roasted rhubarb sauce Servings MetricUS Imperial Ingredients Dry Rub for Pork Shoulder 2 kg bone-in pork shoulder 2 Tbsp olive oil 1 tsp EACH allspice, garlic powder, coriander & salt 1/2 tsp pepper Grated zest of 1/2 large orange Roasted Rhubarb Sauce 4 cups rhubarb, coarsely chopped 3 cloves garlic 1 cup water, more if needed 3 Tbsp balsamic vinegar 1/2 cup brown sugar 1/4 cup ketchup 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce 1 Tbsp chili powder 1/4 tsp cinnamon dash of cayenne pepper salt & pepper to taste Kohlrabi Coleslaw 2 cups kohlrabi, peeled & shredded 1 cup carrots, shredded 1 1/2 Tbsp cider vinegar or seasoned rice wine vinegar 1 Tbsp oil 1 1/2 tsp sugar salt & pepper to taste 12- 6-inch corn tortillas

Votes: 1 Rating: 5 You: Rate this recipe!

Instructions

Pork Shoulder

1. Drizzle pork with 2 Tbsp of oil; sprinkle with spices & orange zest & rub into meat. Place in a plastic zip-lock bag & refrigerate overnight (about 24 hours).
2. Bring meat to room temperature. Preheat oven to 275 F. Place meat in a roasting pan & bake until thickest part registers 170 F. on a meat thermometer. Basically, roast until it's falling apart. Remove roast from oven & transfer to a large platter. Allow the meat to rest for about 10 minutes. While still warm, take 2 forks & 'pull' the meat to form shreds. Keep warm until ready to assemble tortillas.

Roasted Rhubarb Sauce

1. Prepare sauce on the day you START to marinate meat.
2. Preheat oven to 425 F. Line a baking sheet with foil & spray generously with non-stick cooking spray.
3. Place chopped rhubarb & garlic cloves on the prepared baking sheet. Roast for 15-20 minutes, or until rhubarb is soft.
4. Transfer the rhubarb & garlic to a food processor or blender. Puree with one cup of water until smooth.
5. Pour the puree into a medium saucepan. Add remaining ingredients & mix well. Add additional water, as needed, until sauce is desired consistency.
6. Bring to a simmer over medium-low heat. Simmer for 10-15 minutes. Cool before pouring into a small glass pitcher. Refrigerate any leftovers when meal is finished.

Kohlrabi Coleslaw

1. Prepare dressing in a screw-top jar; combine vinegar, oil, sugar, salt & pepper. Cover & shake well. In a bowl, combine kohlrabi & carrots; drizzle with dressing.

Assembly

1. During the roasting time of the meat, prepare kohlrabi coleslaw. When everything is ready, lay out warm tortillas, top with coleslaw & pulled pork shreds. Drizzle with prepared rhubarb sauce. Fold or roll tortilla & enjoy!

Recipe Notes

• Instead of drizzling the rhubarb sauce, you can put your shredded pork in a bowl with some rhubarb sauce & combine. I find that distributes the sauce more evenly ... just a personal preference.