BBQ Pulled Pork Bowl
Involved · 200 min · Serves 4 · American
Dietary: gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free
Slow-roasted pork shoulder rubbed with paprika and brown sugar, shredded and tossed in smoky barbecue sauce, then piled over fluffy rice with a crisp, creamy slaw.
Ingredients
For 4 servings
Pork
- 1 kg pork shoulder
- 1 tbsp paprika
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 200 ml barbecue sauce
Rice
- 300 g rice
Slaw
- 200 g cabbage, finely shredded
- 1 carrot, coarsely grated
- 2 tbsp mayonnaise
Steps
Pork
- Heat the oven to 160°C (325°F), or 140°C fan. Pat the pork dry with paper towel. Mix the paprika, brown sugar and salt and rub it all over the meat.
- Sit the pork in a deep roasting dish or casserole that fits it fairly snugly and pour about 100 ml (scant ½ cup) of water into the base. Cover tightly with a lid or a double layer of foil, so the steam stays in and the meat braises rather than dries out.
- Roast for 3 to 3½ hours, checking every hour or so and adding a splash more water if the base looks dry, until the pork is meltingly tender and pulls apart easily with a fork. If it still resists, give it another 30 minutes.
- Lift the pork onto a board and rest it for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, skim the excess fat off the juices left in the dish.
- Shred the pork with two forks, discarding any large pieces of fat. Toss it with all but about 3 tablespoons of the barbecue sauce and a few spoonfuls of the pan juices, until glossy and moist.
Rice
- About 30 minutes before the pork is done, cook the rice according to the packet and keep it covered and warm.
Slaw
- Close to serving, toss the cabbage and carrot with the mayonnaise and a pinch of salt until evenly coated; made too far ahead, the slaw goes limp.
To serve
- Divide the rice between 4 bowls, top with the pulled pork and a pile of slaw, and drizzle with the barbecue sauce you kept back. The pork can be made a day ahead: keep it in its juices in the fridge and reheat gently.