Slow Cooker Irn Bru Pulled Pork

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.

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.”

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) 

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.

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

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Disclosure: This is a commissioned recipe for Love Pork. As always, all views expressed are my own. 

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