Smoky Pulled Pork with Cola Barbecue Sauce

Cooked low and slow, pork shoulder becomes meltingly tender – just the thing for serving in buns with crunchy slaw.

Hands-on time 35min. Cooking time about 6hr. Serves 10-12

FOR THE PORK

• 1 onion, thickly sliced

• 2.2kg boneless pork shoulder

• 1½tbsp smoked sweet paprika

• 1tbsp English mustard powder

• 2tsp sea salt

• 2tsp light brown soft sugar

FOR THE BARBECUE SAUCE

• 1 small apple, peeled and grated, core discarded

• ½ onion, coarsely grated

• 1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped

• 40g light brown soft sugar

• 250g tomato ketchup

• 150ml cola

• 4tbsp cider vinegar

• 2tbsp soy sauce

TO SERVE, OPTIONAL • White buns • Coleslaw

1 Preheat oven to 150°C (130°C fan) mark 2. For the pork, arrange onion slices in base of a deep casserole dish (that has a lid) and place pork on top, skin-side up. In a small bowl, mix paprika, mustard powder, salt and sugar then rub it all over the pork. Add 250ml water to the casserole (taking care not to pour it over the pork), cover with the lid and cook for 4½-5hr, until pork is very tender (it should pull apart easily with 2 forks). 2 Meanwhile, make the barbecue sauce. Mix all ingredients in a small pan, bring to boil over medium heat. Bubble for 15-20min, stirring occasionally, until thickened and reduced. Purée with a stick blender and set aside until needed.

3 Carefully remove pork to a board. Brush all over with a thin layer of barbecue sauce and barbecue over low indirect heat (ie on a coal barbecue, push the coals to one side and place the pork over the coal-free side), with a disposable roasting tray underneath to catch any drips. Cover with the barbecue lid (if possible) and cook for 45min, turning carefully and brushing with more sauce a couple of times during cooking.

4 Remove and discard skin and most of the visible fat from the pork. Shred the meat with two forks. Add remaining barbecue sauce and toss to coat. Serve in buns with coleslaw, if you like.

TIP PER SERVING: (meat and sauce only, if serving 12) 257 cals, 35g protein, 7g fat (2g saturates), 13g carbs (13 total sugars), 0g fibre

Covering the pork during barbecuing gives extra smoky flavour, but don’t worry if your barbecue can’t be covered, it will still be delicious. You can add smoking chips to the coals too for extra punch, if you like.