Oven Pulled Pork with Apple Slaw

This Oven Pulled Pork with Apple Slaw has it all.  The meat is fork tender and explodes with flavor.  It is balanced by a sweet, creamy and tangy Apple Slaw that brightens up the richness and spice from the meat.  Although it may seem like there are a lot of ingredients, it is all part of a very easy process to ensure that the pork comes out of the oven tender and juicy with maximum deliciousness.  And yup!  It is gluten free!

Worth the Time to Brine

Why should you plan ahead to brine the pork (or just about any meat for that matter)? Because the salt causes the proteins in the meat to begin to dissolve making for more tender meat and the salt solution also allows water and the flavors from the brine to be absorbed into the meat, which makes it juicier and more flavorful once cooked.  So let’s brine!  It is too easy not to!  Simply place the pork butt in a large container that can be sealed well.  Add the remaining brine ingredients and pour enough water to cover the meat completely.  Store in the fridge for at least 24 hours. 

Give it a Rub

Now that you have ensured that you will have tender and juicy pulled pork, it is time to boost the flavor.  My Everything Dry Rub is a bit sweet, smokey and has a little kick of heat. Feel free to add as much chipotle chili powder as you’d like to make it spicier. 

To make the Everything Dry Rub, simply mix all of the ingredients in a small bowl until they are well combined.  Once you remove the pork from the brine and pat it dry, generously coat the meat with the Everything Dry Rub on all sides.  That’s it! Now it is ready to pop in the oven.  It will create a beautiful crust of flavors on the pork as it cooks.

Low and Slow

If you have a nice layer of fat on your pork, try to place it in your baking dish with the fat side up.  That will help to add flavor and keep moisture in while it cooks.  Whatever you do, don’t cut the fat off!  That is like slicing “taste” right off of it.  Make sure you seal the baking dish well with a lid and/or aluminum foil.  I use both.  Then let that baby slowly cook at 300 degrees for 3 to 4 hours.  Start checking it around 3 hours to see if you can easily pierce it with a fork.  When the meat starts to fall apart when you do this, it is done.  The cooking time will be dependent on how large and thick the piece of meat is.  

Apple Slaw 

Apple Slaw is like the jelly to the pork’s peanut butter.  Does that make sense?  Lol!  My point is, that food needs balance to truly be fantastic.  Apple Slaw has crunch, acidity and creaminess to balance the spice, heat and richness of the Oven Pulled Pork.  It’s a match made in food heaven.  And all you have to do to make it, is put everything for the sauce in a bowl, mix it up and pour it on the coleslaw and apples. Done! 

There’s More!

Serve this Oven Pulled Pork with Apple Slaw on a toasted Udi’s gluten free hamburger bun or with one of my Cornbread Muffins for a complete meal.  You can drizzle a little of your favorite barbeque sauce on the pork if you want, or not!  It will be delicious either way.  

If you decide to make a double batch of the Everything Dry Rub (smart move) check out my recipe for Sweet and Spicy Chicken. For dessert, Coconut Tres Leche Cake or Ginger Apple Pie would certainly hit the spot! All are gluten free, of course;-)  

Oven Pulled Pork with Apple Slaw

5 from 4 votes

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Servings: 8 servings

Calories:

Ingredients  

2x3x4x

For the Brine:

• 3-4 pound pork butt or shoulder roast
• ⅓ cup kosher or sea salt
• 10 whole peppercorns
• 5 bay leaves
• 1 small cinnamon stick

For the Everything Dry Rub:

• ½ cup light brown sugar
• 2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon freshly cracked pepper
• ½ teaspoon Chipotle Chili powder

For the Apple Slaw:

• 1 16oz bag coleslaw blend - *green and purple cabbage and carrots
• 2 medium sweet apples - *Fuji, Gala, Honeycrisp, Envy, Cripps Pink all work
• ⅔ cup full fat mayonnaise
• ⅓ cup dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 2 teaspoon sugar

Instructions

For the Pulled Pork:

• 24-48 hours before you plan to cook the pulled pork: Place the boneless pork butt in a large bowl that you can easily seal or cover. Add the salt, peppercorns, bay leaves and cinnamon stick. Add enough water to fully cover the meat. Cover the bowl and store the pork in the brine mixture in the fridge for a minimum of 24 hours.
• While the pork is in the brine, prepare the Everything Dry Rub by placing all ingredients in a bowl and mixing until well combined. Store in a sealed container or zippered bag until ready to use. It can be stored for months in a sealed container at room temp.
• When you are ready to cook the pork, preheat the oven to 300 degrees.
• Remove the pork from the brine and discard the brine. Place the pork in a dutch oven or other oven safe baking dish with a lid or that you can cover well. Pat the pork dry with paper towels. Generously coat the pork in the Everything Dry Rub on all sides.
• Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil and/or the lid. I do both. Place in the center of the oven and let cook for 3-4 hours. Begin checking after the 3 hour point to see if you can easily insert a fork in the thickest part of the meat. Once you can do this and you see that the meat easily pulls apart, it is done. Remove from the oven and let rest for 10-15 minutes before shredding.
• Remove large fatty pieces from the meat while shredding and discard them. Serve with a drizzle of your favorite barbeque sauce and apple slaw, on a bun or with cornbread.

For the Apple Slaw:

• In a medium bowl, combine the mayo, mustard, vinegar and sugar. Stir well.
• Using the large holes of a box grater, grate both apples. Or cut the apple into matchstick pieces.
• In a large bowl, combine the coleslaw blend and apple. Pour the mayo mixture on top and stir with a large spatula until well combined. Store covered in the fridge until ready to eat.
• The apple slaw can be made several hours before you plan to eat and is best when made the day of. Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for 2-3 days, but the purple cabbage color will start to run.