pulled pork

Nagi Maehashi’s pulled pork slowly cooks a spice-rubbed pork butt before the meat is pulled into strands and coated in her barbecue sauce. It is her slow-cooker home version, presented separately from the overnight smoked preparation she describes.

The selected cut is bone-in pork butt with its fat cap left on. Brown sugar, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, mustard powder, cumin, salt and black pepper make the rub, and beer is the selected braising liquid.

After slow cooking until the pork shreds easily, this version takes Maehashi’s optional oven-browning step. Fat from the reserved cooking juices is spooned over the meat during roasting, and the thick top fat layer is removed before the second roasting stage.

Her sauce simmers apple cider vinegar, ketchup, water, ordinary molasses, brown sugar, mustard powder, garlic powder, Worcestershire sauce, salt and black pepper, with Tabasco optional. Some reserved pork juices are then added to bring the sauce to a syrup-like consistency.

Two forks separate the pork into tender strands, which are tossed gently with the sauce so their texture remains distinct. Maehashi suggests soft-roll sliders with coleslaw or a Southern barbecue plate with sides such as cornbread, macaroni and cheese and vegetables.