On Monday, we made the most of the bank holiday by inviting friends and family for lunch, and more friends for dinner. We had our first meal sat around the table in our back garden. Although we had been busy over the weekend visiting a museum, experimenting in the kitchen and going to a gig, I was determined to try a new recipe.
As my cousin Maxime was trying to have a rest on the sofa, I started searing and marinating a pork shoulder at 00.46 a.m. (as you do). We had just seen Paul McCartney live and I was full of energy. I had also forgotten to cook the pork earlier. Bread rolls and crisps would have made a meagre meal for our guests! It took me less than half an hour to think it through, get the ingredients, cook the pork and get ready for bed. Ten hours later, the pork was coming apart beautifully and smelling incredible.
A few days before, we had received a nice hamper full of ideas for making pulled pork, but I chose to start with a recipe from Katryna (hi lovely!). She has the cutest twin girls I have ever seen and I have no idea how she can tell them apart!
If you know me at all, you will probably guess that even after going shopping, I did not have all the ingredients I needed to make Katryna’s pulled pork, so I sort of improvised here and there.
I had no cooking to do on the day and it was all really relaxed. When our guests arrived, my friend Cé volunteered to pull the meat apart and it smelt amazing! Beanie kept coming back for more, and she declared, “I can’t stop eating it!”
If you like pulled pork, have a go! You will not regret it. It is fragrant but not overpoweringly so, healthy and most importantly, incredibly easy to put together.
In fact, it was so good that a couple of days later, as we were packing to go and visit my father-in-law in Devon, I decided to pack the slow cooker at the last minute (I know, mad!) so I could make it again.
Our bank holiday Monday was really the perfect #FreeFromFeast, with our delicious pulled pork sandwiches.
The adults sat at the table, the little ones had a picnic,
and Wriggly enjoy pulled pork with corn on the cob in her high chair.
We went back inside after that and had an indoor picnic for dessert. We also had champagne, just because!
Here is the recipe. If you would rather cook along with me, you can head over to my first ever vlog.
Perfect Pulled Pork Recipe
Ingredients
- 1.5 kg boneless pork shoulder / joint
- Fleur de Sel de Guérande or Maldon Salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons rapeseed oil
For the marinade:
- 1 cup apple juice 250ml
- 4 small shallots
- 4 cloves garlic
- 9 cm piece of ginger 2'
- 2 teaspoons Chinese five spice
- 4 tablespoons brown sugar
- ½ cup apricot jam 120g
- 4 tablespoons soy sauce
Instructions
- Take the pork out of the fridge and leave at room temperature for 10 minutes.
- Remove the strings and pat dry all over. Rub salt and pepper all over the pork joint.
- Heat the oil over a high heat in a large frying pan.
- Sear the pork on all sides until it is golden brown all over.
- In the meantime, chop the shallots, crush the garlic and grate the ginger.
- Using two forks, place the pork in the slow cooker set to ‘low’.
- To make the marinade, pour half the apple juice in the pan and scrape all the leftover browned bits from the pork with a wooden spoon.
- Once the liquid has reduced by half, add the shallots, garlic and ginger and stir. Let the sauce bubble for a couple of minutes and add the rest of the juice.
- A couple of minutes later, add the spices and turn the heat down to low. Add the sugar, apricot jam, soy sauce. Stir.
- Pour the marinade over the pork and turn it a few times to make sure it is covered in the flavoursome sauce. Cover and leave the pork to cook on ‘low’ for 10 hours.
- When you are ready to eat, remove the pork from the slow cooker with two forks.
- Shred the pork using two forks and stir in some of the sauce.
- Serve with bread and condiments.
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I love pulled pork. I might have to give this recipe a try. Although, I would definitely replace the apple juice with cider.
Oh that’s a great idea! I might do that next time.
Sounds delicious hon, I love pulled pork! Also love that French sea salt, and how it is still wet when they pack it 🙂
Me too! The salt is just something else, isn’t it? I also find that you tend to use less Fleur de Sel than you’d use table salt. Win, win!
Oooooh Mel that looks soooo tasty!! I’ve only done pulled gammon in the slow cooker, what cut of pork did you use? Shoulder? X
I used pork shoulder my lovely, but it would work just as well with gammon. It is yummy! x
One of the best meal I have had! My mouth was watering when I read your post! I am going to borrow that slow cooker of yours 😉
Of course you can! Do you want me bring it on Wednesday? x
Miam, ca a l’air bon ! J’hesite depuis un moment a acheter un slow cooker, faute de place dans la cuisine ! Des conseils ou ca n’a pas d’importance ? On demenage donc peut-etre vais-je enfin sauter le pas 🙂
Vous déménagez! Toujours en Angleterre ou vous retournez en France?
Pour le ‘slow cooker’, moi j’aime vraiment bien le mien (large Russell Hobbs), mais si tu as un plat avec couvercle (type Le Creuset) qui va au four, tu peux l’utiliser aussi (four au minimum).
Pas tout de suite pour la France, même si on aimerait bien. On n’est pas très loin de là où on était avant, on a juste plus grand – youpi !
Excellent! Il faudra qu’on vienne vous voir!
Looks amazing and it’s making my very hungry too. 🙂
It really is the perfect dish to make when you’ve got friends coming round: no cooking when they’re around! I love it.
I love Pulled Pork, it’s new to my food likes list but it’s great and this is a fab recipe 😀 #TastyTuesday
Thanks! This recipe is so simple it makes it even more worth trying!
This sounds delicious Mel! My middle child is a bit of a meat-aholic, like my husband. I am pretty sure they will devour this when I make it.
#TastyTuesday
Pulled pork is my secret for stress free entertaining too! This looks darn perfect to me 🙂
I love pulled pork! I can’t wait to try your recipe…(btw, your little ones are darling! xo)
It is such a simple yet tasty combination. I’m sure you’ll love it!