Pulled Pork and Apple Bun by The Raven in Glasgow

WE rub our pork shoulder with a super-secret home-made dry rub and allow to soak up all that lovely flavour. We then smoke it low and slow for 12 hours, until the meat is succulent, flavoursome and falling apart. We use hickory wood chips in our smoker but this flavour can also be achieved at home in your oven – soak woodchips in water for a few hours and place in a baking tray at the bottom of your oven. Applewood also works a treat!
For more information visit http://www.theravenglasgow.com.

Ingredients: Serves 8
1 kilo of pork shoulder
8 seeded buns
Bag of fresh rocket
Smoky BBQ sauce
3 apples, skin off and sliced
1 heaped tbsp of brown sugar
1 tbsp of clear runny honey
8 portions of rough cut skin on chips on the side

For the super-secret rub: (sssh… don’t tell anyone!)

2 tbsp Cajun seasoning
1 tbsp Piri Piri
3 tbsp paprika
3 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp ginger
1 tsp chilli powder
1 tsp garlic powder
Generous pinch of salt
Generous pinch of pepper

Method
1 Combine all the ingredients for the rub and mix well.
2 Marinade the pork and let it rest in the rub, covered and refrigerated overnight. 
3 Cook at 180ºC for 30 minutes. After which, turn oven down to 86ºC and place on the bottom shelf for 10 hours.
4 Remove and tear apart with forks. It should fall apart easily by that point.
5 For an extra succulent finish, add 2 or 3 tablespoons of BBQ sauce for that tangy kick.
6 Meanwhile, for the apples, on a low heat, caramelise one heaped tablespoon of brown sugar. Add one tablespoon of clear runny honey, add the roughly chopped sliced apple and reduce. Allow to bubble on a low temperature, coating the apples regularly.
7 Slice bun and grill for one minute. 
8 Add a dollop of BBQ sauce
on both sides of the bun and place a huge spoonful of pulled pork on the base slice. Top
with your perfectly glazed apples and a generous handful of
freshly washed rocket. Place
the bun lid on top and skewer through the middle of the bun to keep it all together – it gets messy!
9 Serve with chips for the perfect lunchtime treat.

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