Pulled pork is an iconic barbecue pit masterpiece. When done properly, pulled pork is not simply a shredded pile of tender, sauced meat. Rather, it should be a mixture of textures, with some of the dark, outer bark that forms from long hours in the smoker alongside the silky inner meat from the roast. Luckily, for those of us who don’t have access to a smoker, there are many other pulled pork recipes that will satisfy that craving right from your oven. But if you want to replicate the complexity of the smoked version with bark, roast the meat uncovered for about the last hour, fatty side up, allowing it to get a dark, crispy bark-like exterior.
The bark that develops in the smoker comes from a combination of smoke and heat. Your oven roasted pork shoulder can become nearly as flavorful with just some final heat to transform the outer layer into a flavorful contrast of color and texture. It’s as easy as removing the lid of your cooking vessel and keeping an occasional eye on the roast to be sure it’s not burning.
Pulled pork from the oven can rival the smoker with good technique
Succulent pulled pork is a favorite of cooks everywhere because it’s not fussy to prepare and can take on so many regional flavor combinations depending on the style of barbecue sauce the pork is dressed with. In fact, a pork shoulder just needs to be well seasoned before cooking on either the smoker or in your oven, then the heat does all the work. The salt in the seasoning step also helps the bark form, drying out the outer layer of fatty meat just enough to let heat caramelize the meat proteins.
Without bark, the sweet, mild flavors of pulled pork can be overwhelmed by the intense flavors of barbecue sauce. Those slightly charred, savory tastes that develop along with the contrast of textures is an important aspect of a balanced pulled pork dish, taking your recipe to another level in sophistication. If you choose a slow cooker recipe for your pulled pork, consider popping the meat into a hot oven for a short time at the end of cooking. Your sandwich just won’t be the same without the bark that results from this step.
