Pulled Pork Boston Butt: 12 Hours Worth Waiting

You can rush a lot of things. Not pulled pork. The collagen in a Boston shoulder needs time and low heat to break down into something that pulls apart with two forks. Skip the patience and you get tough, dry meat. Bring the patience and you get magic.

Serves 8-10. Prep 15 min. Cook 10-14 hours. Mostly hands-off.

What you need

• 3-4kg Morpeth pork Boston butt
• Rub: 3 tbsp brown sugar, 2 tbsp smoked paprika, 1 tbsp salt, 2 tsp black pepper, 2 tsp garlic powder, 2 tsp onion powder, 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp dry mustard, 1/2 tsp cayenne
• Apple juice or cider for spritzing
• Buns, slaw, BBQ sauce to serve

The method

Pat the pork dry. Score the fat cap in a crosshatch but don't cut into the meat. Rub the spice mix in everywhere - really get it in. Wrap and refrigerate 12 hours minimum, ideally overnight.

Pull it out an hour before cooking to take the chill off.

Smoker (best): 110?C, hickory or apple wood. Spritz with apple juice every hour after the first 3. Pull when internal temp hits 95?C and a probe slides in like soft butter - usually 12-14 hours.

Oven (still great): 130?C in a roasting tray, fat side up, lightly covered with foil after 4 hours. Same internal temp test - pulls in 10-12 hours.

Wrap tight in foil and rest in an esky or warm oven for 1 full hour. Do not skip this. The fibres need to relax or the pulled meat will be dry.

The pull

Two forks. Pull along the grain. Mix the bark (the dark crusty outside) back through. Add a few tablespoons of the pan juices to keep it juicy.

How to serve

Brioche buns, sharp slaw with apple cider vinegar, a slick of BBQ sauce. Pickles. A cold beer. That's the move.

Why grass-fed pork matters here

Free-range pork has more flavour and a better fat ratio than industrial pork - the bark develops deeper, the meat stays moist longer. Worth the upgrade for a 12-hour cook.