Stage 3 - Building your fire
I’ve been fortunate enough to work with a great chef who schooled me in the art of BBQ (he knows who he is). This coupled with a great cookery book called “LOW & SLOW” by Neil Rankin, which I cannot recommend enough. It goes into great detail on how to build your fire, how to feed it, how to moderate your heat during the cooking process for many different styles of BBQ as well as the science behind cooking meat and some great recipes. I use a kettle-style BBQ and prefer wood over charcoal, but charcoal is easier to manage and more suitable for beginners. This is not a quick process, it can take between 6 - 8 hours from smoking to being ready to pull so make sure you have adequate time and attention to do your pulled pork the justice it deserves. Make sure you are prepared. You will need to feed your fire during the cooking stage, so if your using wood make sure you have enough and that it's chopped small enough to burn quickly.
What you will need
Kettle style BBQ (or any BBQ with a lid, vents and thermometer) Wood or coal Smoking chips* Digital thermometer Foil takeaway style trays x 2 Tinfoil Baking sheet Marinated pork shoulder. *Note - soak your smoking chips in water at least 30 mins before you need them and drain them before you start sealing your pork*
Stage 4 - Sealing your pork
First thing you must do is say a little prayer to the BBQ gods. “Allmighty BBQ gods please watch over my BBQ today, grant me the patience to leave my meat alone, keep the rain away, make sure my pork is tender & moist amen ” To start you will have to seal/char your pork shoulder. For this, you will need a nice layer of embers that have finished burning and are glowing orange with a very hot grill. If you have airflow vents on your BBQ, you will need them fully open for this stage. Start your fire and place your grill over the flames. Once the flames have died down and the grill is hot place your pork on the grill and rotate. When all the pork is nicely sealed (charring helps add to the flavour so don’t be afraid to let it char), take the pork off the grill and set aside ready for smoking.
Stage 5 - Smoking your pork
You should still have hot embers left after you have finished sealing your pork (if you haven’t just make another fire and wait for the flames to die). Push your hot embers to one side of your BBQ you will need space for a water tray. Use a tin foil takeaway tray with water (I like to use 2 inside each other to help them stay rigid) and place your drained smoking chips on the hot embers they should smoulder. Place your pork on the grill over the water tray on the opposite side of the embers, away from the direct heat. Stand a second water tray next to the pork directly over the embers and shut the lid. The water trays will help the smoking process by making the smoke heavier, which in turn will keep the level of the smoke around the meat. It will also help to regulate the temperature whilst smoking and later when slow cooking your pork. Ideally, you want your temperature between 150 & 170 degrees celsius but don't be too worried if it's higher as long as it doesn’t go above 200 degrees. You can cool the BBQ by lifting the lid occasionally. How smokey you want your pork depends on how long you leave it on for and the intensity of the smoke. Too long and too intense you could end up with acrid flavour. You can open your top vent slightly or open the lid occasionally if the smoke is too intense. I like to leave my pork on for 10 - 15 minutes but as with most things, you will discover your preferences through trial and error. Once you have achieved the level of smokiness you're happy with, set your pork aside.
Stage 6 - Slow cooking your pork
One key component to tender, moist and easy to pull pork is patience. It can't be rushed!!! My secret to the perfect pulled pork is to wrap the pork in baking paper and tinfoil for the cooking process. You will need to fully wrap your pork like a parcel in 2 layers of baking paper and 3 layers of tin foil (this does depend on the size of your pork). It will help keep your pork moist, seal in all the juices and flavour. Feed your fire, wait for the flames to die and place your pork back in the BBQ. Close the lid ideally you want the temperature between 150 - 170 degrees celsius. You will need to repeat this process every 30 mins (once the temperature falls below 150 degrees celsius) for between 4 - 6 hours so set yourself a timer. You can use a chimney starter for this, but I just do it in the BBQ. Once your pork reaches an internal temperature between 85 - 95 degrees celsius it's ready to come off and be pulled. When you unwrap your pork make sure you do it in a tray, so you catch all the juices. Take 2 forks and start pulling if all has gone right and the BBQ gods have smiled upon you it should just fall apart easily with little pressure. It is best to pull your pork while it's hot.
Once you have pulled your pork mix in all the juices and half a bottle of good store-bought BBQ sauce and the heavenly feast is ready to eat. I love my pork in brioche buns with American sliced cheese and Korean carrot salad or green apple slaw (comment if you would like these recipes).
Although this does take time and attention, it is worth it! You will be rewarded with an explosion of smokey, sweet and spicy flavours that will put a smile on any carnivores face. Feel free to drop a comment/ message or get in touch with social media if you have any questions.
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