The patience dish: pork shoulder taken low and slow to 95°C, where collagen surrenders completely and the meat pulls into smoky threads.
What you need
Ingredients
Servings
8
2 kg
🍖 Pork Shoulder ›
bone-in if possible
3 tbsp
🟤 Brown Sugar ›
2 tbsp
🧂 Kosher Salt ›
1 tbsp
🌶️ Smoked Paprika ›
1 tbsp
🟤 Cumin ›
1 tsp
🌶️ Cayenne ›
200 ml
🍎 Apple Cider Vinegar ›
8
🍔 Burger Buns ›
300 g
🥬 Cabbage ›
slawed
Add all to shopping list
Mise en place
Before you start
20m
Prep
420m
Cook
440m
Total
8
Serves
Equipment
Large skillet
Chef's knife
Cutting board
Prep checklist
Pork Shoulder — bone-in if possible
Cabbage — slawed
3 steps
Method
1
Rub the shoulder and rest overnight, uncovered, in the fridge.
Learn the technique ›
2
Smoke or oven-roast at 135°C until the internal temperature reaches 95°C and a probe slides in like warm butter — 6–8 hours. There is a stall around 70°C; wrap in foil to push through it, or simply wait it out.
💡
Not 74°C — 95°C. Pulled pork is the one meat you deliberately "overcook": that's where collagen becomes gelatin.
3
Rest 45 minutes wrapped. Pull with forks, splash with vinegar, season, and pile onto buns under slaw.
From the chef
Notes
Taste before serving and adjust salt and acid — the last 30 seconds of seasoning matter more than any single ingredient.
Afterwards
Keep, reheat & pair
Storage
Refrigerate in an airtight container up to 3 days; reheat gently with a splash of water.
Freezing
Freezes well up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
Reheating
Reheat gently: covered in a 160°C oven for 15 minutes, or in a pan over medium-low with a splash of water or stock. The microwave works at 50% power in short bursts — full blast toughens proteins.
Make ahead
Most braises and sauces improve overnight. Sear-and-serve dishes: do every step up to the final cook, then finish fresh.
Wine pairing
Match the weight of the dish — ask the AI Chef for a specific bottle.
Beer pairing
Match intensity: lagers for delicate dishes, amber ales for roasted flavors, stouts for the rich and braised.