Pulled pork buns
Prep time: 25 minsTotal time: 
Pulled pork buns
Prep time: 25 minsTotal time: 
Linda Tubby
A food writer and stylist for numerous food publications, Linda is also an established author with a plethora of cookbooks to her name, on everything from barbecues to ice cream.
Linda Tubby
A food writer and stylist for numerous food publications, Linda is also an established author with a plethora of cookbooks to her name, on everything from barbecues to ice cream.
Ingredients
- 1.6kg boneless pork shoulder joint, untied
- 10 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
- 3cm piece root ginger, chopped
- 3 tsp regular or smoked paprika
- 3 tsp chipotle chilli paste
- 1½ tsp ground coriander
- 200ml ‘white condiment’ (white balsamic vinegar)
- 2 shallots, finely chopped
- 2 tsp light muscovado sugar
- a large handful of hickory or smoking wood chips, soaked in water
- 6-8 buns, halved, to serve
- sea salt flakes
Step by step
Marinate the pork a few hours ahead.
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Preheat the oven to 200°C, fan 180°C, gas 6. Make deep slashes over the pork and transfer to a large non-metal bowl or casserole. Put the garlic, ginger, paprika, chipotle paste, coriander, 1 tablespoon sea salt and 2 teaspoons black pepper in a mini processor with 3 tablespoons of the white condiment. Whiz to a purée and mix with the rest of the condiment. Rub into the slashes in the pork. Cover and set aside for at least 30 minutes.
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Transfer the pork to a large, deep roasting tin and add 500ml water. Cover tightly with two large overlapping pieces of foil. Cook for 30 minutes, lower the heat to 180°C, fan 160°C, gas 4, baste, cover and cook for 2½-3 hours until very tender.
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To make a barbecue sauce, take the pork out of the tin and leave to rest on a board, covered in foil. Skim the fat from the juices. Pour the juices into a measuring jug, top up to 300ml with water, then pour into a medium pan, add the shallots and sugar and simmer for 15 minutes until slightly thickened. Strain into a serving bowl.
TipBuy brioche buns if you can find them, their slight sweetness goes brilliantly with the spicy pork.
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Light a barbecue and, when the coals are hot, rake to one side. Oil a rack, put it over the coals, throw the wood chips over the coals and sit the pork on the rack, on the opposite side, flesh-side down. Cover and leave to smoke for 10 minutes. Move the pork to a board and heat the buns. Shred the pork and pile into the buns with a slaw and some barbecue sauce.
