Pulled Pork Pita

De Warmste Week is one of the most appreciated initiatives in Belgium, opened to anyone who wants to contribute and raise money for a good cause. For many years now, together with my colleagues, we organize our own initiative called Cooking for Life. Starting in October, one of us cooks for others once a week, a different dish every time.

This week was my turn, so I made pulled pork pitas. I had already tested the recipe a few weeks ago and it was amazing. I found many different recipes and combinations of spices and sauce ingredients, so I made my own version. If you don't eat pork, you can use the same recipe with chicken. It's important you use chicken legs and not the breast, because for slow cooking, it will turn out too dry.

The key is to let the meat marinate overnight, and then make sure you have time to let it cook slowly in the oven for at least 4-5 hours at 150 degrees.

Ingredients

2- 2.5 kg pork shoulder - enough to feed around 10 people (the piece should have some fat and fit well in a pot with cover, that will go in the oven)

1 large onion

For the dry rub/ marinade

2 tablespoons (tbsp) mustard

3 tbsp brown sugar

1 tbsp sweet paprika powder

1 tbsp smoked paprika powder (sweet or spicy, as you prefer. I use this one)

1 tbsp garlic powder

1 tbsp salt

2 teaspoons (tsp) onion powder

2 tsp mustard powder

1 tsp cumin powder

For the BBQ sauce

250 ml apple cider vinegar (I use this apple vinegar)

350 g tomato ketchup

85 g molasses (I use this one)

250 ml chicken bouillon (you can also substitute with dark beer or just water)

140 g brown sugar

4 tsp mustard powder

4 tsp garlic powder

4 tsp Worcestershire sauce (I use this one)

2 tsp salt

2 tsp black pepper

2 tsp Tabasco or cayenne pepper if you want it spicier

Preparation

Step 1

(the night before)

In a large bowl, place the meat and smear with a thin layer of mustard. This acts as a binder for the rub, so it will not affect the flavor.

Add all ingredients for the rub in a bowl and mix well. Then rub the meat on all sides. If you have leftovers, you can keep them and add them in the BBQ sauce the next day.

Place the meat in a zip bag and refrigerate overnight.

Step 2

Take the meat from the fridge and let it come to room temperature (for at least 1 hour).

In the pot that will also go into the oven, add a bit of vegetable oil and brown the meat on all sides. Cook until a golden brown crust forms on the bottom before turning and browning the other side. Remove the meat from the pot.

Step 3

In a bowl, mix all ingredients for the BBQ sauce and chop the onion in cubes.

Pre-heat the oven at 150 degrees.

Step 4

Add all the ingredients back in the pot, in this order: chopped onion, browned meat and sauce.

Step 5

Set the covered pot in the oven, for 2-2.5 hours. Then remove the cover and let it cook for another 2 hours.

Step 6

After 4-5 hours, take the meat out and simply shred it by using two forks. Strain the sauce so it's smooth and doesn't contain the onion. You can combine the sauce with the shredded meat for extra juiciness.

Step 7

Serve the pulled pork with pita bread and coleslaw salad, and some additional BBQ sauce. It's a very versatile recipe that you can also use it in burger buns, tacos or wraps.

Enjoy!