Pulled pork burger

Ingredients

• 2 kgpork neck
• 1 lapple juice
• 2 tbspWorcestershire sauce
• 1 tspsalt
• 1 tbspsugar or honey
• 240 ml (1 cup)smoking chips
• 1 lmixed fruit juice
• 2 tbspsweet paprika
• 1 tbspsmoked salt or ordinary salt
• 1 tbspbrown sugar
• 1 tspmustard powder
• 1 tbspchilli powder
• 1 tbspground cumin
• 1 tspground black pepper
• 1 tbspgarlic powder
• 1 tbsponion powder
• 1 tspallspice berries
• 1/2 tspcinnamon
• 57 g (2 oz)onion
• 57 g (2 oz)garlic cloves
• 100 mlred wine
• 500 mlbeef stock
• 400 gketchup
• 20 gtomato purée
• 2 tbspWorcestershire sauce
• 2 tbspbalsamic vinegar
• 2 tbsphoney
• 2 tbspmaple syrup
• to tastesalt and pepper
• as neededdrained cooking juices from the pulled pork
• 4 tbspwarm milk
• 200 mlwarm water
• 21 gfresh yeast
• 30 gsugar
• 8 gsalt
• 80 gsoft butter
• 500 gflour
• 57 g (2 oz)eggs
• 2 tbspmilk
• 2 tbspwater
• 1 tbspsesame seeds or poppy seeds, for topping
• 500 gwhite cabbage
• 500 gred cabbage
• 28 g (1 oz)onion
• 85 g (3 oz)carrots
• 28 g (1 oz)apple
• 4 tbspoil
• 2 tbspwhite wine vinegar
• 2 pinchessalt and pepper
• 2 tbspsugar

Instructions

1. 1

   Inject the marinade

   Mix the apple juice, Worcestershire sauce, salt and sugar or honey. Use a marinade injector to inject the pork neck several times from both sides, repeating as needed for the size of the joint. If you do not have an injector, leave the meat to soak in the marinade instead. Seal it well and return it to the fridge.

2. 2

   Apply the rub

   This takes only a few minutes. Take the marinated pork from the fridge and pat it a little dry. Mix the sweet paprika, smoked or ordinary salt, brown sugar, mustard powder, chilli powder, cumin, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, allspice and cinnamon. Rub the mixture generously over the pork and refrigerate it again.

3. 3

   Make the slaw

   The coleslaw can also be prepared a day ahead. Shred the red and white cabbage very finely, cut the onion and carrots into thin strips, and grate the apple. Stir the oil, vinegar, sugar and salt into a vinaigrette, then mix it through the vegetables. Leave the slaw for several hours, stirring it from time to time.

4. 4

   Prepare the smoker

   Heat the smoker or oven to 110–120°C. Take the marinated, rubbed pork out of the fridge 1–2 hours before cooking. Soak the smoking chips according to the packet directions. For a cook lasting more than 12 hours, make sure the smoker has enough charcoal to maintain heat; opening it lets heat escape and can extend the cooking time. Cook the pork away from direct coals, ideally with a deflector stone, and place a roasting tin or foil tray underneath, filled with the mixed fruit juice to catch the meat juices.

5. 5

   Start the pork

   Scatter the smoking chips over the embers, then put the pork on the grill grate or oven rack above the tray of mixed fruit juice. Insert a meat thermometer into the meat and set the target to 90°C. Smoking contributes most during the early part of the cook; the recipe notes that the meat takes on little additional smoke once its centre reaches about 60°C.

6. 6

   Cook until tender

   Baste the pork once an hour with the juice in the tray, then cook until it reaches an internal temperature of 90°C. This takes about 12 hours, depending on the size of the joint and how often the smoker or oven is opened. The temperature can stall around 60°C and again around 70°C; keep the heat steady rather than turning it up. Once the pork reaches about 70–75°C, wrap it tightly in foil with around 100 ml of the cooking juices. Keep the remaining juices for the barbecue sauce. When the pork reaches 90°C, turn off the grill or oven and leave the wrapped meat in a warm place to rest for 1 hour.

7. 7

   Activate the yeast

   Mix 200 ml warm water, 4 tbsp warm milk, the sugar, 1 egg and half the fresh yeast in a bowl. Leave the mixture to stand for about 15 minutes.

8. 8

   Knead the dough

   Mix the flour with the salt. Add the butter and rub it in with your fingers until small crumbs form. Stir in the yeast mixture with a wooden spoon until the dough clumps together. Knead firmly for 10 minutes, until smooth and glossy, then leave it in a warm place to rise for about 1 hour.

9. 9

   Shape and bake

   Shape the dough into 12 buns and arrange them on baking paper. Leave them to rise for another hour, and preheat the oven to 200°C. Mix the second egg with 2 tbsp water and 2 tbsp milk, brush it over the buns, and scatter with sesame or poppy seeds. Bake for about 15 minutes, until golden brown, then leave to cool.

10. 10

    Make the sauce

    Dice the onion and garlic finely and brown them in oil. Deglaze with the red wine and beef stock, then stir in the ketchup, tomato purée, Worcestershire sauce, balsamic vinegar, honey, maple syrup, salt and pepper, and the reserved pork cooking juices.

11. 11

    Shred and serve

    After the pork has rested for 1 hour, pull it into strands using two forks or your hands. Mix it straight away with the barbecue sauce and leave it to soak in. Serve the pork and coleslaw in the buns. If you like, add fried eggs, gherkins, crispy onions or a slice of tomato.

What is a pulled pork burger?

Pulled pork is pork cooked slowly until it can be teased apart into tender strands, then mixed with a flavourful sauce. It is commonly associated with American barbecue, where low, indirect heat and smoke are used to cook a larger cut of pork.

This version pairs a long-smoked, spice-rubbed joint with a homemade barbecue sauce, tangy cabbage slaw and sweet brioche buns. The make-ahead slaw and buns help turn the lengthy cook into a more manageable meal.

Nutrition and macros by portion

The nutrition label shows one serving as written: 790 calories, 43g protein, 73g carbs, 34g fat.

Most of the carbohydrates come from the brioche buns, sugar and juice, while the pork contributes most of the protein and a substantial share of the fat. The bun, butter, oil and sauce also add fat, so serving a generous portion of slaw or other vegetables alongside can balance the plate.

The pork and its marinade

Pork neck has enough richness for a long cook, while the apple juice, Worcestershire sauce, salt and sugar or honey make a simple injection marinade. Injecting distributes it through the joint; soaking is the stated alternative if you do not have an injector.

Pat the meat dry before applying the spice rub so the seasonings coat it well. Keep the rubbed pork refrigerated until it is time to cook.

Low heat and smoke

Indirect heat is central to this method: the pork sits away from the charcoal, above a tray of mixed fruit juice. The tray catches drippings and provides the liquid used for basting and later for the sauce.

Hold the smoker or oven at 110–120°C and avoid opening it unnecessarily, since heat escapes each time. Soak the chips as directed by their maker, and use a thermometer rather than relying on the clock alone.

The stall and the finish

The recipe describes slowdowns around 60°C and 70°C, when the internal temperature may appear to stop rising. Keep the cooking temperature steady and allow time for the meat to move through these stages.

Wrap the pork tightly in foil at about 70–75°C with around 100 ml of the cooking liquid, then continue to 90°C. Rest it for 1 hour before pulling; the strands should separate readily with forks or by hand.

Brioche bun texture

The buns are made with milk, butter and egg, giving them a soft, rich crumb that suits the saucy filling. Let the yeast mixture stand for about 15 minutes before working it into the flour.

Knead for a full 10 minutes, then allow the dough to rise for about an hour. After shaping 12 buns, give them a second hour to rise before brushing and baking at 200°C for about 15 minutes.

Make-ahead slaw

Finely shredded red and white cabbage, carrot, onion and grated apple provide crispness and a fresh contrast to the rich pork. The oil, white wine vinegar and sugar make a simple dressing.

Give the dressed slaw several hours to sit, mixing it occasionally. It can be prepared the day before, which leaves less to do when the pork and buns are ready.

Serving the burgers

Pile the sauced pork and slaw into the cooled brioche buns shortly before serving, so the bread does not sit with the filling for too long. The recipe also suggests fried egg, gherkins, crispy onions or tomato as optional extras.

The slaw brings crunch and acidity alongside the sweet bun and smoky, savoury pork. Serve with a simple green salad or extra vegetables if you want a more balanced plate.

Recipe notes & tips

• Prepare the slaw a day ahead so it has time to soften and take on the dressing.
• Use a meat thermometer and keep the smoker or oven at 110–120°C throughout the slow cook.
• Keep the remaining tray juices after wrapping the pork; they are used in the barbecue sauce.
• Wrap the joint tightly in foil at about 70–75°C, adding around 100 ml of the cooking liquid.
• Rest the pork for a full hour before shredding so the serving stage is easier to manage.
• Bake the buns until golden, then cool them before filling.

Variations

• Use ordinary salt: swap it for smoked salt in the rub if that is what you have.
• Add gherkins: tuck sliced gherkins into the bun for a sharper, tangy contrast.
• Top with egg: add a fried egg to each burger if you want the optional extra listed in the recipe.
• Add crispy onions: scatter them over the pork and slaw for extra crunch.
• Include tomato: add a slice of tomato when assembling the burgers.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Cooking over direct heat: the method calls for indirect heat, so position the pork away from the charcoal.
• Opening the smoker too often: each opening loses heat and may extend the cooking time, so check only when needed.
• Turning up the heat during a stall: keep the temperature steady around the plateaus and wait for the internal temperature to rise again.
• Skipping the foil juices: add around 100 ml to the wrap and save the remaining cooking liquid for the sauce.
• Shredding too soon: let the cooked pork rest for 1 hour before pulling it apart.
• Filling warm buns: let the buns cool before assembling so the filling does not make them soggy as quickly.

How to store

Refrigerate leftover pork, sauce, slaw and buns separately in covered containers and use within 3 days. Reheat the pork gently with a little sauce or cooking juice until steaming hot; serve with chilled slaw and warmed buns.

Frequently asked questions