A casserole dish - or pot, or ovenproof dish - large and deep enough to hold the entire piece of pork
A resealable plastic ziploc bag large enough to hold the pork
Lid
Aluminum foil
A disposable aluminum roasting pan only if using a smoker
Plastic wrap
A bowl that can be sealed to hold the dry rub
A whisk
45 hours - important tool!
Ingredients
Pork
2kgPork shoulder with bone - between 1.75kg and 2,5kg will work too
Dry marinade
45mlbrown sugar / demerara
15mlmaple sugar - optionaladd 15 ml sugar if you do not have maple sugar
10mlground black pepper
10mlsalt
5mlchili powderQuebec/USA: mix bought at the supermarket; France: omit completely
10mlHungarian paprika
2.5mlgarlic powder
2,5mlonion powder
1mlground coriander seeds
Barbecue sauce
30mlbutter
100gonion
4clovesof garlic
250mlbrown sugar / demerara
250mlapple cider vinegar or red/white wine vinegar, or sherry vinegar, or rice vinegar; but the taste will be different
500mlketchupHeinz!
5mlHungarian paprika
5mLyellow mustard powder
5mlsalt
5mlground black pepper
5mlworcestershire sauceoptional
For the smoker
33% maple chips
66% hickory chips
1Lapple juice
1Lwater
For the brine
6Lcola
60mlsalt
Instructions
Method
Brine
Put the cola and salt in the pot and heat the pot. Use a whisk to stir all the salt into the liquid. Make sure to dissolve all the salt. Once done, let the pan and liquid cool to room temperature.
Remove the meat from the refrigerator. Rinse the meat. Then use paper towels to dry the meat thoroughly. Place the meat in the plastic bag and the bag in the pot (or the pork directly in the pot if you don't have a bag). Wash your hands well.
If you have a plastic bag, put the meat in it, then pour the brine into it. If not, place the meat in the cooled brine. Cover the pot with the lid and put it in the fridge. Leave to brine for 24 hours.
The dry marinade
12 hours before you start cooking, remove the meat from its brine. Using paper towels, dry the meat well. (Again, wash your hands! Beware of cross-contamination!)
Combine all the dry marinade ingredients in a resealable bowl, then seal and shake to mix the spices.
Spread a thin layer of dry marinade evenly over the surface of the meat. Be sure to get it all over, in the holes, crevices, corners!
Wash your pan well and dry it.
If you have a rack that keeps the meat off the bottom of the pan, put it on. Then put the meat in there covered with dry marinade, put the lid back on and return your meat to the fridge for another 12 hours.
The smoker
(If you don't have a smoker, skip these steps!)
The morning of the meal, turn on your smoker.
Place the disposable aluminum roasting pan in the bottom of the smoker, under the rack, and pour in the apple juice and water (don't exceed 50% of the roasting pan's capacity!)
Then turn on your smoker.
Next, fill the smoke chip container with the wood chip mixture.
Set the temperature between 225ºF/108ºC and 275ºF/135ºC.
Once the temperature has stabilized, place the meat on the rack and close the smoker. Keep an eye on the smoker to make sure the temperature remains stable. Leave the meat to smoke for one hour. Use this time to wash your cooker. When the time is up, take the meat out of the smoker and put it in the casserole dish.
The oven
(Don't have a smoker? Start with this step!)
Preheat your oven to 275ºF/135ºC.
Transfer the meat from the smoker rack to the casserole dish, if applicable.
Cover your casserole with plastic wrap. Then cover the plastic wrap with aluminum foil. The purpose of this is to seal the meat in the pot. Don't worry, the plastic won't melt: instead, it will stick to the foil and seal the opening perfectly. Put the casserole in the oven.
Bake for 8 hours.
The sauce
This gives you plenty of time to make the sauce. Combine all the ingredients, whisk, bring to a boil and adjust the seasoning: more vinegar, more sugar, more salt?
When the time is up, remove the meat from the oven. Remove the foil and plastic wrap. There may be some meat juices on the bottom. Don't throw them away!
Use barbecue tongs to remove the bones: they should come out, all naked, when you pull them out.
Then use two forks to pull the pork directly through the fat and juices - if any - at the bottom of the pan.
Use the tongs to serve the pulled meat on a large plate. Serve with warm rolls, fries and creamy coleslaw.
Presentation
Delicious on a plate, but even better on a sandwich!
Keyword coca cola pork, coca cola pork recipe, pork, pork coca cola, pulled pork, pulled pork coca cola, pulled pork coca cola recipe, pulled pork recipe, recipe