Name: BBQ pulled pork tortillas
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 240 min
Total time: 255 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Bake
Ingredients: 30 ml soft brown sugar; 15 ml salt; 15 ml smoked paprika; 5 ml ground cumin; 2.5 ml freshly ground black pepper; 2 kg deboned pork shoulder; 45 ml olive oil; 1 bottle beer lager or apple cider; 125 ml tomato sauce; 45 ml apple cider vinegar; 45 ml Dijon mustard; 10 ml brown sugar; 15 ml Worcestershire sauce; 15 ml soy sauce; 2 garlic cloves finely grated; salt and black pepper to taste; 8-12 tortillas toasted, to serve; sour cream optional, to serve; tomato salsa or cabbage slaw, to serve; red onion sliced, to serve; fresh coriander to serve

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Ingredients (21)

For the BBQ tub

30 ml	soft brown sugar
15 ml	salt
15 ml	smoked paprika
5 ml	ground cumin
2.5 ml	freshly ground black pepper

For the pork and BBQ sauce

2 kg	deboned pork shoulder
45 ml	olive oil
1 bottle	beer — lager or apple cider
125 ml	tomato sauce
45 ml	apple cider vinegar
45 ml	Dijon mustard
10 ml	brown sugar
15 ml	Worcestershire sauce
15 ml	soy sauce
2	garlic cloves — finely grated
	salt and black pepper — to taste
8-12	tortillas — toasted, to serve
	sour cream — optional, to serve
	tomato salsa — or cabbage slaw, to serve
	red onion — sliced, to serve
	fresh coriander — to serve

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Method:

For the rub, mix all the ingredients together in a wide mixing bowl. Now add the pork chunks and toss to coat all over, rubbing the mixture into the meat. Cover and leave overnight in the fridge, if you have the time, or continue straight on.

Preheat the oven to 150 °C. In a large cast-iron pot (I use a 31 cm oval Le Creuset casserole for the doubled recipe) over medium-high heat, heat the oil. Working in batches, add the rubbed pork and sear on all sides (remember there’s sugar in the spice mix, so it will tend to burn quickly – watch carefully). Place all the meat back in the pot, add the beer and cover with a lid. Transfer to the preheated oven and cook for 3 hours, then remove the lid and cook for another hour, or until the pork is very tender and pulls apart easily. Remove from the oven, transfer the meat to a clean bowl and let it rest while you prepare the sauce in the used pot with drippings.

To make the BBQ sauce, add the tomato sauce or ketchup, vinegar, mustard, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce and garlic to the pot with the remaining drippings and stir well. Bring to a simmer for about 5 minutes over medium heat,

scraping the bottom and sides to incorporate all the dark roasted bits, then taste and season with salt and pepper. Now shred the rested pork using two forks. Toss the shredded meat with about half the barbecue sauce (or more if you want). Serve warm with freshly toasted tortillas, sour cream or mayonnaise, salsa and/or cabbage slaw, red onion, coriander and some extra BBQ sauce on the side.

Note

Always double the recipe for the rub, meat and sauce, because pulled pork freezes exceptionally well and is a fabulous quick-fix filler for rolls, sandwiches etc.

Recipe extract from Simply Seasonal, Ilse van der Merwe’s latest cookbook. Photography by Tasha Seccombe.