Slow Cooker Irn Bru Pulled Pork

Monday 1 June 2015
Back in January when I cooked up a Ham in Irn Bru for Burns Night it almost broke the Internet. Today I'm going a step further with Pulled Pork cooked low and slow in Scotland's other national drink. Pulled Pork has become a bit of a thing of late popping up left, right and centre on trendy menus. Its actually surprisingly easy to make at home, particularly if you use a slow cooker. A wee bit of time and effort at the start to get it prepped then forget about it for many hours, even overnight, and on your return a veritable deliciousness awaits.


Love Pork - Slow Cooker Irn Bru Pulled Pork



The Love Pork campaign is encouraging us to Achieve Lazy with our Sunday Roast. Pulled pork is a Lazy Sunday’s dream as it likes to take its time, giving you many hours to kick back, chill out and settle down with the family for some precious quality time. Chef Tom Kerridge has added his voice and recipes to the initiative. “Cooking pulled pork is a wonderful way of getting extra flavour into an already beautiful piece of meat. Pork shoulder is one of the most under-used cuts, but one of the easiest to cook, most definitely full of flavour and great value for money. So pick up your forks and get ready to get shredding.”



Love Pork - Slow Cooker Irn Bru Pulled Pork

Love Pork - Slow Cooker Irn Bru Pulled Pork



SLOW COOKER IRN BRU PULLED PORK


Ingredients
1.6kg joint boneless Pork Shoulder
1 Tablespoon Smoked Paprika
1 Tablespoon Dark Brown Soft Sugar
1 Teaspoon English Mustard Powder
3 Cloves Garlic 
1 teaspoon Salt 
1 teaspoon Black Pepper
500ml Irn Bru
2 Tablespoons cornflour

Method
Remove the pork from its packaging and snip off any string. Cut off the fat and pat the joint dry with kitchen roll. Make small incisions all over the meat with the tip of a knife. 
Place the smoked paprika, mustard powder, brown sugar, salt, pepper and the peeled cloves of garlic in a pestle and mortar. Crush and grind it all together then make it into a paste with a splash of the Irn Bru.
Rub the meat all over with the seasoning paste massaging it in really well. Place the meat in a ziplock bag and leave to marinate in the fridge for anything from 1 hour to many.
You are aiming for at least 10-12 hours cooking on low in the slow cooker, anything up to 15 hours and it will still be fine. This can be done overnight for the next day's lunch or during the day for an evening meal. 
Place the pork in the crock pot, pour in the remainder of the Irn Bru before putting the lid on the slow cooker and cooking on low for 10-15 hours.
Once the pork has served its time, remove it from the slow cooker, wrap in foil and leave to rest whilst you prepare the sauce.
Sieve the juices from the slow cooker into a pan. Bring to the boil and reduce by half. Slake the cornflour in cold water and add slowly whilst whisking to thicken the sauce.
Use two forks to effortlessly shred the meat and serve with the sauce on the side or stirred through.

To cook in a conventional oven - 6 hours at 150°C (fan 130°C) 

Love Pork - Slow Cooker Irn Bru Pulled Pork
Love Pork - Slow Cooker Irn Bru Pulled Pork


We served our pork in a brioche bun with homemade coleslaw, apple sauce and spiced potato wedges. Of course there was also the obligatory glass of Irn Bru on the side. There were plenty of leftovers which will freeze well or can be incorporated into other dishes such as pizza topping, nachos, toasted sandwiches, hash, frittata or quesadillas. The possibilities are endless.


Love Pork - Slow Cooker Irn Bru Pulled Pork



Three of my fellow food bloggers have also been taking part in the Love Pork #AchieveLazy Campaign. Here's the fab recipes that they have come up with. If you need more inspiration it's available at www.lovepork.co.uk



Slow Cooked Five Spice Pulled Pork by Recipes from A Pantry

The Ultimate Effortless Pulled Pork by Fuss Free Flavours 

Moroccan Pulled Pork and Jewelled Cous Cous by Jen's Food

Pin me for later...

Foodie Quine - Scottish Irn Bru Pulled Pork. Perfect for Burns Night & St Andrews Day. Quirky Scottish Food.


Disclosure: This is a commissioned recipe for Love Pork. As always, all views expressed are my own. 
Thank you for supporting the brands who make it possible for me to continue to share my Edible Scottish Adventures with you. I’m super choosy who I work with and promise to only ever bring you the cream of the crop.

72 comments

  1. I don't think I've had Irn Bru so I'm not entirely sure what it tastes like, loving the colour you've got on the meat from the paprika.Pulled pork really does make an excellent feast :)

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    1. I can't believe you've never had it. You've got to try it. I drink a LOT of it and its the perfect hangover cure.

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  2. Oh my goodness, this sounds amazing. I love a bit of Irn Bru so this is right up my street!

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    1. Give it a try. You won't be disappointing. #phenomenal

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  3. I'm still a little bowled over by this recipe, definitely going to have to get the slow cooker out and give it a try. I'm not the biggest Bru fan, but I do love pulled pork and being lazy...

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    1. Not the biggest Irn Bru fan? Wash your mouth out with soap and water!! LOL

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  4. I've heard of using Coke in the slow cooker on meats, but never Irn Bru! Great idea, I'll have to pass this one along to my meat loving husband :)

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    1. It's the same principle as with Coke. Also works well with Ginger Beer.

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  5. I have seen coke pork before, so the Iron Bru one sounds really interesting too.

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    1. Its pretty much the same general idea. Sticky sweet sugary drinks make a great sauce.

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  6. I don't tend to eat pork but I do like Pulled pork occasionally has a treat! This looks yum! X

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    1. Pulled Pork is definitely one of my favourite ways to eat it. Although I do like it roasted with crackling.

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  7. Ah this looks fab - loving the step by step photos.

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    1. Thank You. I do rather like my step by step photo approach so glad that you do too.

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  8. What a delicious combination, I love using the slow cooker for pulled pork as it is the ultimate lazy method!

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    1. It is indeed the ultimate in lazy cooking but still tastes oh so good.

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  9. Pulled pork is a favourite of mine and I cook every week week in my slow cooker but never would have thought about Irn Bru! Brilliant. Great photos too. Clare x

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    1. Thank you! Definitely give at a shot with some Bru next time #girders

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  10. I'm going to have to make this. I know it will go down well with everyone in our house. Thanks for posting this. #cookblogshare

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    1. It's a real family favourite and both my kids love it. Perfect for a family meal.

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  11. 2 things as a fan of irnbru I'm gonna link this from my tumblr which name is dedicated to the drink irnbru.tumblr.com

    Also, have you tried the fiery irnbru, I bet that would add a little kick to it too.

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    1. I have tried the Fiery Irn Bru and agree that it would work well with this. Didn't know it was still available though as thought it was a limited edition. Shall investigate further!

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  12. This is the sort of recipe that I need in my life. I got everything apart form the Irn Bru so OH has it at the top of his shopping list.

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    1. There's always a bottle or can of Irn Bru about in this house!

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  13. The meat looks wonderful, but please tell how to make those potato wedges.

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    1. The wedges were tossed in Cullisse Rapeseed Oil Mixed Pepper & Spice Marinade and roasted in a hot oven.

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  14. I love pulled pork and yours looks really amazing – never would have through to use Irn Bru! Making me very hungry now – thanks for linking with #CookBlogShare

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    1. Whoever invented Pulled Pork is indeed a genius! The Irn Bru worked well to cook ham so this was just a natural progression.

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  15. I've never tried Irn Bru but I do love home cooked pulled pork!

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    1. You've got to give Irn Bru a try. Its a taste sensation and a national institution here in Scotland.

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  16. This is definitely going to be the next pulled pork recipe I try!

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    1. Do try it, people around the world have been tweeting, instagramming and facebooking me with their Irn Bru Pulled Pork success stories. It's phenomenal!

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  17. Looks amazing Claire, pulled pork is such a popular dish and this variation is inspired. I'm not a fan of drinking Irn Bru but perhaps I should try it like this! Thanks so much for joining me for the Slow Cooked Challenge.

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    1. Not a fan of Irn Bru?! wash your mouth out with soap and water!
      Definitely worth a try in this dish.

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  18. My children aren't huge fans of pork but I think this recipe will make them love it! Now to check whether Irn Bru is gluten free. I need this now!

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    1. I've had a quick Google and from what I can see Irn Bru is indeed Gluten Free

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  19. Awesome idea! I've been pondering on the idea of making an Iron Bru based hot sauce! Think I'm going to start experimenting next week!

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    1. That sounds like an interesting combination. You'll need to get some to me for a taste test of course...!

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  20. Claire, can you use sugar free Iron Bru?

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    1. I've never tried it but worth a go I'd think. I've done a slimming world chicken in diet coke recipe which works fine. Let me know how you get on.

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  21. *Finally* got round to making this today. With coleslaw and chips everybody loved it!

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    1. Brilliant! Always great to hear back from folk when they love a recipe. I must make it again soon.

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  22. Will this work the same using gammon?

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    1. Using Gammon I'd make my irn bru Ham recipe from this post. http://www.foodiequine.co.uk/2015/01/burns-night-recipe-roundup-haggis-neeps.html

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    2. Great. Thank you. I'll try both.

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  23. So original I love this! Alternative Burns Night dinner perhaps? Not sure I can justify haggis for one but could make a big batch of this to freeze :D

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    1. I wonder what the Bard would make of Irn Bru?!

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  24. How delicious - need to try this asap! Love Irn Bru

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  25. I bet the Irn Bru tenderises the meat like using coke in a Christmas ham - great idea!

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  26. I bet this tastes just out of this world with all those flavours slowly marinading the meat whilst it cooks - yum:-)

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    1. It's so good and I've had such great feedback from everyone whose made it all across the world!

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  27. Wow that looks incredible!!! I love pulled pork and bet it's lush cooked in irn bru too. I'm bookmarking this next time we have friends over for a weekend lunch.

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    1. Absolutely perfect for an informal weekend lunch.

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  28. Love your use of iron bru here Claire. Takes me back, I haven't drunk any in years.

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    1. I drink it in a regular basis - it's not just for hangovers!

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  29. I love gammon in coke so I'm intrigued by this. Can understand how popular it is! Love the idea.x

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    1. Us Scots absolutely LOVE our In Bru. Its our second national drink.

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  30. Awesome! Thanks for the recipe x

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    1. Glad that you like it. It is indeed awesome.

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  31. Oh goodness me Claire, this sounds incredible. How your mind works and comes up with such good combinations is a work of genius. Definitely pinning for later.

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    1. Best not to ask how my mind works! It is a great combination though.

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  32. I really really love pulled pork, and this is such a good idea. Certainly one to try.

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  33. Will this become Scotland's new national dish, I wonder?! :D Fantastic!

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    1. Now I'm linking that idea! Although I do love Haggis.

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  34. I have seen a lot of recipes that use a fizzy drink, but I have never tried it myself. I am intrigued though.

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    1. It took me a long time to believe that it would work but I tried Nigella's Ham in Coke and it convinced me so now I experiment.

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  35. I need to try this at the weekend! If you don't have a slow cooker...what temp and time would work in a conv oven?

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  36. I love your creativity and use of irn bru!

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