FOOD: The hardest thing about this dish is the waiting time.

By ELLY JEAN-LOUIS

What if I told you that you could make tender, succulent pork with a smoky BBQ sauce with hardly any effort?

In fact, the hardest thing about this dish is the waiting time! Yes, 4 hours might seem excessive but hey, Rome wasn’t built in a day – it’s worth the wait.

This dish is a perfect weekend meal, especially when entertaining, because you literally put it in the oven, forget about it and continue with your day (no consistent stirring required).

In fact, there have been times when my family and friends have heard I’m cooking this dish and arrive on my doorstep as a ‘coincidence’ at exactly the right time.

What you need:

Pork

2 kg free-range pork shoulder off the bone (this can be found at the supermarket as “easy carve pork roast”)

sea salt and pepper

olive oil

1 cup apple juice, plus extra as needed

Dry rub

2 tablespoons 
fennel seeds

1 tablespoon smoky paprika

2 garlic cloves, crushed

2 tsp cumin powder

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 tablespoon cracked black pepper

Smoky Barbecue Sauce

300 ml
 tomato passata

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

¼ cup apple juice

50 ml cider vinegar

Slaw

¼
white cabbage, finely sliced

¼ purple cabbage, finely sliced

1 carrot, grated

1 green apple, grated

1 handful of coriander, roughly torn

1 handful of mint, roughly torn

1 lime juice

2 tablespoons Hoisin sauce

Let’s create!

1. Preheat a fan-forced oven to 220°C.

2. Add the dry rub ingredients to a large mixing bowl and set aside.

3. Remove the skin from the pork (you can use this for crackling if desired).

4. On the stove, add a good glug of olive oil to a deep heavy casserole dish (with a lid) till it gets hot.

5. Sprinkle the pork liberally with salt and add it to the dish. Brown all sides of the pork, then remove and transfer the pork to the dry rub mix.

6. Time to get your hands dirty. Rub the mix into all of the nooks of the pork, ensuring it is completely concealed. Then, return it back into the casserole dish and cover with 1 cup of apple juice.

7. Bake uncovered for 25 minutes then add the lid and reduce the temperature to 150°C. Cook for 3½ – 4 hours or until the meat is tender and pulls apart. If you notice the meat is browning too quickly continue to add apple juice to the dish (I sometimes need to do this around the 3 hour mark).

8. Once cooked, remove the pork and set aside on a serving plate or board. Place the casserole dish onto the stove and add the sauce ingredients. Bring up to the boil, then turn down to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes until slightly thickened.

9. Meanwhile make the coleslaw by combining all of the ingredients and season to taste.

10. Using two forks, pull apart the pork, cover generously with the sauce and serve with the slaw and fresh bread rolls- enjoy!

Over to you! What are your favourite slow cooked dishes?

Elly is a twenty-something Sydneysider, and a lover and creator of all things food. She has a cooking, eating and travelling bug. Monday-Friday she works in the marketing world and as soon as 6pm on Friday hits, she immerses herself into the world of food. She loves bringing people together and creating food filled environments that produce memories that people can savour for a lifetime. Follow Elly on Twitter @threewhisks, on her website, on Facebook and on Instagram at three_whisks.