For our menu for the Spirit of the Summer celebration, I am taking inspiration from some of Canada's top great grill masters and chefs, Rob Rainford and Chuck Hughes. Having these Canadian icons as my influence, I know the food will be amazing! So, get your BBQs ready as we are smoking a Canadian version of pulled pork with solstice influences.
Pork shoulder or pork butt needs to be cooked slowly, about six to eight hours for a 5-pound pork shoulder, allowing you time to relax on the patio, perhaps with a drink or two! I promise, your patience will be rewarded with an incredible feast! This recipe can feed a crowd or be enjoyed as leftovers. The serving possibilities are endless with this dish!
My creativity for this pineapple pulled pork glaze recipe is derived from our feature drink, The Solstice Caesar, as it calls for pineapple juice and a dash of pineapple habanero hot sauce, as does Chef Rob Rainford's recipe, which also includes rum. The addition of maple syrup in our BBQ sauce gives it a truly Canadian stamp. Chuck Hughes' contribution is his skilled BBQ smoking method.
Understanding the growing demand for plant-based options, we are offering a similar version of this recipe using pulled jackfruit. Both lip-smacking delicious!
To help save you time, we have included some amazing options from Get it While It’s Hot, including Cajun rub and seasoning, maple chipotle BBQ sauce and pineapple habanero hot sauce.
Great on a bun, tacos, poutine or over waffles for brunch, however you decide to serve it up, this recipe is full of sweet and spicy flavour you’re sure to love! The creamy cilantro-lime coleslaw with some pickled veggies finishes this dish perfectly
Spicy Smoked Pulled Pork with Pineapple Rum Glaze
Servings: 4 to 6
Prep time: Five to 24 hours depending on how long you marinate your pork. Cook or grill time is 6 to 8 hours.
Ingredients
5-6 pounds pork shoulder or pork butt
4-6 cups (1L-1.5L) apple or cherry wood chips (or what ever wood chips you can get)
FOR THE RUB
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon dried mustard
1 tablespoon ground allspice
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1/3 cup Cajun Rub and Seasoning Mix (can be substituted for the below ingredients)
1 tablespoon habanero or chili powder
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
2 teaspoons dried thyme
1 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
FOR THE PINEAPPLE RUM GLAZE
2 cups pineapple juice
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1/8 cup unsalted butter
1 lime; zest and juice
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon ginger powder
1/3 cup rum*
1-2 tablespoons habanero pineapple sauce* (depending how hot your you like it!)
FOR THE BBQ SAUCE
2 cups pineapple juice
3 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
1 tablespoon minced gingerroot (peeled)
½ cup Maple Chipotle BBQ Sauce (can be substituted for the below ingredients)
1/2 cup ketchup
4 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
4 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon soya sauce
1 tablespoon ground black pepper
Preparation Instructions
FOR THE RUB
In a medium bowl combine brown sugar, coriander, allspice, cinnamon, mustard powder Cajun rub and mix well. For an easier option, mix 1/3 cup rub with ½ cup brown sugar and mix well. Rub the mixture all over the pork and place in a large plastic resealable bag. Marinate in fridge for 4 hours or overnight. When ready to cook bring to room temperature.
FOR THE PINEAPPLE-RUM GLAZE
Combine all the pineapple rum glaze ingredients in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until sauce is thick and reduced to half its volume. Set aside.
FOR THE BBQ SAUCE
In a pot, combine pineapple juice, cilantro and ginger. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to medium. Add remaining BBQ sauce and continue cooking for 13 minutes. Simmer for 10 minutes or until slightly thick. Set aside. The Maple Chipolata BBQ as is could be used for convenience.
Smoke Pouch
GAS BBQ METHOD
Soak half of the wood chips in water for at least 1 hour or overnight. Squeeze the excess water from the wood chips and place half the wood chips in the center of a large piece of foil. Add half of the dry chips and mix. Close the foil around the chips, sealing the package. Using a fork, poke holes in both sides of the package. Use the same process to make a second pouch with the remaining wood chips. Place directly over high heat source of the grill, close the lid and wait for smoke.
CHARCOAL BBQ METHOD
If using charcoal, wait until the coals have turned to white ash then squeeze the excess water from the chips and sprinkle the chips directly into the fire bed.
To Smoke the Pork Shoulder
Preheat your outdoor BBQ grill to high. Remove the grate on one side of the grill and place smoke pouch on the elements below and close the lid. Place a drip pan underneath the grill grate on the other side of the barbecue. When wood chips begin to really smoke, turn the grill down to low until it reaches a temperature of 220-250°F.
Put the pork on the grill over the drip pan beside the woodchips, close the lid and cook to an internal temperature of 140°F. Brush some of the pineapple mixture onto the pork shoulder or butt and repeat every half hour or so as the pork slowly continues to cook to an internal temperature of 165-170°F . This will take several hours. In fact, the longer it takes the better it will taste, approximately 6 to 8 hours or until the pork shreds apart easily with a fork. You may have to replenish the wood chips every now and then and experiment until you find the ideal level of heat under them that keeps them smoking.
Put the finished pork into a large roasting pan and let it cool for a few minutes until you can handle it. Shred the meat with 2 forks or simply pull it apart with your fingers. It should pull apart easily. Add a few cups of the BBQ sauce and toss.
Note: Cooking time and temperatures will vary depending on the size and type of your barbecue.
Serving options: Traditional pulled pork is served on a soft bun with coleslaw. Give our Cilantro Lime Coleslaw a try with this recipe. It’s a perfect match! Brioche buns are arguably the best type of bread to use for a pulled pork sandwich due to their neutral flavor and usability. Besides coleslaw with your pulled pork sandwich, pickles, kimchi, pickled vegetables, horseradish sour cream, and jalapeno aioli are all other possibilities to create your unique pulled pork sandwich. Check out our list below for other serving ideas. The list is endless. This is one time you’ll want leftovers!
OTHER SIDE IDEAS
cornbread
sweet corn fritters
honey butter biscuits
spicy collard greens
onion and tomato salad
macaroni salad
cucumber tomato salad
IDEAS FOR SERVING PULLED PORK WITHOUT SERVING IT ON A BUN
tacos
mashed potatoes
polenta
waffles
poutine
added to chili
added to poached eggs, kimchi and potato cakes
in a wrap with hummus
added to simple salad
Share food through love!
Cheers,
Monica