Baked pulled pork shoulder 

The pulled pork comes from the United States, more precisely from North Carolina, but it immediately spread all over the world, with a huge success also in Canada. This is the tasty and succulent frayed pork, literally "pulled pork", with a characteristic smoked flavor because it is cooked on the barbecue for several hours at low temperature and then inserted into the typical American sandwich.

The pork shoulder is marinated for a long time then spiced and cooked for a few hours at low temperature in the oven at home. The original recipe would be to cook in the barbeque or smoker, but I did not have it available I used the electric oven. It is therefore a somewhat Italianized version both for the lack of use of the barbeque and for the aromatic herbs used that are more similar to those I use to make a normal roast. The trick to the success of this dish lies in the choice of the piece of meat that must be not be lean such as a loin, but very fat like the shoulder or at least the cup. The slow cooking at low temperature will cause the meat to flake and will be frayed with the help of a fork.

The frayed pork shoulder baked will then be seasoned with its cooking sauce and barbecue sauce that will give that smoked flavor that the home oven can not give. You can eat it as a second course or as a filling for a sandwich accompanying it with coleslaw another typical American recipe. Of course, if you decide to prepare the frayed pork shoulder in the oven, take into account dedicating it almost the whole day since the cooking will last for several hours. It would also be advisable to have a roast thermometer that can also go into the oven to monitor the internal temperature of the meat. Do not be discouraged, however, the result you will get with this recipe will repay you abundantly for the wait.

From a nutritional point of view, the "Pulled pork" is a complete meal and less caloric than you think: with just 233 kcal per 100 grams, you get 6 grams of carbohydrates, 28 grams of noble proteins and 11 grams of essential fats, including almost half of the daily protein and fat requirement. Together with bread and vegetables, it provides the right portion of complex carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, fiber and antioxidants. Not to mention all the properties and goodness of pork, which together with spices and aromas form a formidable combination of taste and health.

Ingredients

For brine

2 kg pig (Shoulder)

1 l water

150 g salt

50 g sugar

1 sprig of rosemary

1 sage sprig

2 g peppercorns

10 juniper berries

To season

5 tablespoons mustard

3 tablespoons brown sugar 

aromas for roasting to taste

Pepper to taste

paprika to taste

chili pepper to taste

garlic powder to taste

Preparation

Prepare the brine with water, spices and herbs, salt and sugar, dip the meat and refrigerate for at least 12 hours. The pork shoulder must be covered with brine and the container in which you put it must have a lid better if airtight. The next day throw the brine and bring the pork shoulder to room temperature. Spread the surface with mustard and cover abundantly with a mix of roast spices, ground pepper, paprika, garlic powder, brown sugar and chili. Place the meat in a baking dish, insert the roast thermometer and cover both the baking tray and the pork shoulder with aluminum foil. Bake in a preheated oven at 140 degrees for 4 hours. After this time, remove the aluminum and put back in the oven until the internal temperature of the meat has reached 95 degrees Celsius and a delicious crust has formed. It may take another 4 hours. Remove the baking tray from the oven. Wrap the meat in aluminum and let it rest for about half an hour. After that with the help of a fork fray the pork shoulder. Transfer it to a serving dish and season with its cooking sauce. Serve pulled pork with ketchup or barbecue sauce.

Some advice

If you want you can prepare the mix for homemade roasts by finely chopping rosemary, sage, juniper grains and other spices and herbs to your liking.

The frayed pork shoulder in the oven keeps in the refrigerator for a couple of days. For longer storage you can also freeze it in a glass container with a lid.