Pulled Pork the quick version ('just' 4 hours!)
What is pulled pork?
Pulled pork. It’s one of those low & slow BBQ classics every pitmaster has to make at least once. A true legend in the BBQ scene. About ten years ago, it was *everywhere*—from restaurants to fast food chains and even snack bars, everyone jumped on the pulled pork bandwagon. And honestly, we get it. It’s slow-cooked pork shoulder or neck that becomes so tender you can pull it apart with two forks. Hence the name: pulled pork.
The initial craze may have calmed down, but pulled pork has earned its permanent place in Dutch BBQ culture. Right up there with spareribs, brisket and short ribs, it’s now considered a proper BBQ classic. In BBQ mecca Texas, pulled pork is always on the menu—preferably served with traditional coleslaw. Delicious. And the flavor possibilities? Endless. BBQ Junkie once made an incredible Indonesian pulled pork . Super tasty, but let’s not skip the basics. Here’s our take: a slightly faster version that only takes about four hours.
What cut of meat do you use for pulled pork?
There are a few different cuts (usually from the shoulder or neck) that work great for pulled pork. Boston Butt, Picnic, Livar pork shoulder—you name it. For this recipe, we used a 1kg neck roast from Iberico pork (super marbled, lots of flavor!). That’s relatively small for pulled pork, which is exactly why it cooks so much faster. Larger roasts (3 kg is not unusual) can take 12+ hours. This one? Just 4. Thanks to Iberico’s marbling (it’s a fatty breed), you don’t have to worry much about the meat drying out. Great place to start if you’re new to this!
Pulled pork prep
Take the meat out of the fridge the night before. Pat it dry with paper towels and rub it generously with your favorite BBQ rub. We used one from No Rubbish (highly recommended!), but anything from your spice rack works. Don’t be shy—really work the rub into every nook and cranny. Place the seasoned neck roast in a baking dish, cover it with foil, and let it sit overnight in the fridge.
Cooking the pulled pork
Light your BBQ and bring it to about 100°C (indirect heat). Once your temperature is steady, place the meat on the grill—away from the coals—and optionally add some wood chunks for smoke. This is also a good moment to check the internal temp of your meat, just to know where you’re starting from. Now close the lid and resist opening it too often. Patience is key. After an hour or so, check the internal temperature again and aim for about 70°C. We hit that mark at around the two-hour mark.
At 70°C? Time to wrap the pork tightly in two layers of foil. This helps the next phase go faster and keeps all those lovely juices in. Now bring the internal temperature up to 80°C. That should take about an hour, but keep checking—it’s all about that precision.
Once you hit 80°C, carefully unwrap the pork over a baking dish and save all the juices—don’t throw them away! You’ll need them later. Then return the unwrapped pork to the grill to firm it up and take it to a final internal temp of 84°C. That should take about half an hour, but again—keep a close eye on it.
Hit the target temp? Place the pork back in the baking dish, loosely cover with foil, and let it rest for half an hour. This allows the juices to redistribute evenly throughout the meat. Totally worth it.
Now for the grand finale: pulling the pork. Use two forks to gently shred it apart—it should be effortless if all went well. Add those saved juices back in and mix through your favorite BBQ sauce to finish it off.
Serve traditionally on a bun with coleslaw. Or eat it straight-up (also amazing). Leftovers? Use them in pasta, tacos, or our favorite: nachos from the BBQ.
Sure, it takes time. But *man*, it’s worth it. And this is still the quick version
