Ingredients
- 800 grams boneless pork shoulder
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 cups water
Sauce
- 1 cup passata sauce
- ¼ cup Worcestershire sauce
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons American mustard
- 2 teaspoons honey
To Serve
- burger buns
- coleslaw
Instructions
- Place the oil, paprika, garlic, vinegar, oregano and some salt and pepper in a large mixing bowl. Add the pork and mix well to coat. Cover with clingfilm and refrigerate for at least 4 hours (or overnight) to marinate.
- Preheat the oven to 160 °C. Place the pork in a baking dish and add the water to the dish also. Cover with foil and cook for 4 ½ hours, or until the meat is tender and falling apart.
- Remove the meat to a board and shred, discarding any fat.
- Combine all the sauce ingredients together in a saucepan. Heat over a low heat for 4-5 minutes, until slightly thickened.
- Add the shredded pork and the sauce to a bowl and toss to combine.
- Grill the burger buns and then top with some shredded pork and some fresh coleslaw to serve.
These pulled pork burgers are amazing, or at least, that is what I think every time I make them. It starts with amazingly tender pork, that just falls apart so easily. This shredded pork is then taken and mixed through a sweet barbecue type sauce to coat. Lastly, take the pork and combine it with fresh coleslaw and a soft burger bun and you will be in burger heaven.
Preparing the Pulled Pork
Typically, a pork shoulder is used for this recipe. The pork that I use typically comes wrapped in a net for roasting. I like to remove this, finding these not really a reason to hold the pork’s shape when you will be shredding in later on.
Start by placing oil, paprika, garlic, vinegar, oregano and some salt and pepper in a large mixing bowl. Add the pork and then mix well to coat everything. Cover the pork with cling film and then refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or overnight, to marinate.
Transfer the pork and any excess marinade to a baking dish and add in 2 cups of water. Cover with foil and bake at 160 °C for 4 ½, until the meat is tender and falling apart.
Remove the pulled pork from the sauce and then shred the meat, discarding any fat.
Many years ago, I was gifted a pair of fancy meat shredding tools that I use to shred the pork, it makes me think of wolverine when I get them out. A pair of regular kitchen forks works just as well to shred the meat if you aren’t wolverine in the kitchen. Try not to shred the meat too small, large chunks are great in the final product.
The Pulled Pork Sauce
The sauce is simple to make. Combine passata sauce, Worcestershire sauce, apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, American mustard and honey in a saucepan. Place over a low heat and then heat for 4-5 minutes, until slightly thickened.
Transfer the shredded pork and the sauce to a large bowl and then toss to coat the meat evenly with sauce.
Serving the Burgers
I like to keep the serving simple. Take your burger buns and give them a quick grill/fry. Add a generous serving of the prepared pork to the bun and then top with a simple coleslaw made using some shredded cabbage, grated carrot and small amount of mayonnaise. Some grilled pineapple can also make for a welcome addition to the burgers.
Don’t just stop at pulled pork burgers, here are a couple of the other ways I love using the pulled pork mixture:
- Add some pork to a soft taco shell, top it with some grated mozzarella cheese and then place it under a grill until the cheese is melted. Finish with your typical taco trimmings – such as shredded lettuce, onion, guacamole and sour cream
- Scatter some nacho chips across a baking dish. Add a generous amount of pulled pork mixture, along with some grated cheese. Grill and then add your classic nacho trimmings such as salsa and sour cream.
Leftover pulled pork can be broken up into individual servings and then frozen for easy on the go meal prep. Simply pull from the freezer when needed, defrost and then cook for 1-2 minutes in a fry pan for a quick meal option.
