Maple Pulled Pork
with l'épicier
- Preparation 20 min
- Cooking 4 h
- Servings 4 to 6
- Freezing Absolutely
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🍖 Quebec-style maple pulled pork. Three and a half hours in the oven, a lifetime in the memory
This maple pulled pork is the kind of recipe that fills the house with scent for hours and gathers everyone around the table effortlessly. A boneless pork shoulder seared hot for a beautiful golden crust, then braised in the oven for 3.5 hours in a rich broth of maple syrup, soy sauce, apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, smoked paprika and thyme. Until the meat pulls apart at the fork without resistance. The cooking liquid is then reduced hot until it turns syrupy and concentrated, then poured over the pulled meat for a glazed, melting, absolutely irresistible result. Served over a creamy mashed potato with fresh parsley and a pinch of fleur de sel. This is comfort food for a family supper or a Sunday meal.
🔥 L’épicier in my pantry. Less time shopping, more time with my boys
I make this maple pulled pork with L’épicier products. Having their staples on hand, both in the freezer and dry pantry, genuinely makes life easier with the boys. Pre-prepped pork shoulder, beef broth, mustard, soy sauce. It’s all there, no last-minute grocery runs. Less time at the store, more time with my boys. And honestly, when the result is this good in the bowl, it’s hard to ask for more.
💡 One dish that does it all. Sunday dinner, lunch sandwiches, weeknight tacos
This maple pulled pork is the recipe that gives you two or three meals in one. On Sunday, you serve it royally over buttery mashed potatoes with a glass of red wine. Monday lunch, you stack it generously into a brioche bun with crunchy coleslaw. Best sandwich of the week. Tuesday night, you roll it in tortillas with melted cheddar and a little salsa for pulled pork tacos that get the table shouting. The reduced maple sauce holds all its flavor in the fridge, and the meat actually improves by the next day. This is the kind of long-cook recipe that pays you back three times. Take your time on Sunday, enjoy it all week.
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🔥 Sear the meat over very high heat. The step that builds flavor
Searing the pork before oven cooking is not optional. It’s what creates the golden, caramelized crust that will flavor the entire sauce during the 3.5 hours of cooking. The Dutch oven must be very hot before placing the pork in it, and you absolutely must not move the meat during the first 3 to 4 minutes. If the pork sticks, it’s not ready to be turned yet, wait for it to release naturally. Don’t overcrowd the Dutch oven, sear in batches if necessary.
⏱️ Baste every hour. Not a suggestion
Basting the pork with cooking juices every hour is what keeps the meat moist and develops a glazed and flavorful exterior crust throughout cooking. Un-basted pork results in a dry and less flavorful surface. Take advantage of each basting to check the liquid level. Add broth if necessary so the meat always stays halfway covered in liquid.
🍖 Let rest 15 minutes before shredding. Essential
The 15-minute rest after removing from the oven allows juices to redistribute in the pork fibers. Pork shredded immediately loses a large amount of its juice on the cutting board, which dries out the meat. After resting, the fibers separate easily with a fork and stay juicy. Don’t cover tightly during rest. A piece of aluminum foil placed lightly is enough.
📉 Reduce the sauce after cooking. The step that changes everything
Reducing the cooking liquid over high heat for 8 to 10 minutes is the step that transforms ordinary broth into a syrupy, concentrated and coating sauce. Don’t skip this step. It’s what gives pulled pork its characteristic glazed sauce. Watch the reduction closely: an over-reduced sauce becomes sticky and too sweet. It should coat the back of a spoon without being caramelized.
🥔 The mashed potatoes. Hot, generous, no skimping on butter
Successful mashed potatoes require three things: well-cooked potatoes (they crush under a fork without resistance), generous butter incorporated hot, and warm cream added gradually until the right texture. Mash by hand or with a masher for rustic texture, or with a potato ricer for smooth texture. Never with a blender. The mash becomes sticky and elastic. Adjust salt seasoning at the very end.
🫙 Slow cooker. The version for effortless Sundays
You can also cook the pork in a slow cooker on LOW for 8 hours if you don’t want to turn on the oven. Still sear the pork in a pan before transferring. This step is too important for flavor to be skipped even in slow cooker mode. The sauce reduction is always done on the stovetop at the end.
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Pulled pork
- 1 boneless pork shoulder (about 1.5 kg / 3 lb / 48 oz)
- Olive oil
- 1 Spanish onion, finely chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 cup (250 ml) maple syrup
- ¼ cup (60 ml) soy sauce
- ¼ cup (60 ml) apple cider vinegar
- 3 tbsp (45 ml) Dijon mustard
- 3¾ cups (900 ml) beef broth
- 1 tsp (5 ml) smoked paprika
- 1 tsp (5 ml) dried thyme
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
Mashed potatoes
- 1 kg (2 lb / 32 oz) yellow potatoes, peeled and cubed
- ¼ cup (60 ml / 2 oz) unsalted butter
- ⅓ cup (80 ml) 35% cream, and a bit more as needed
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
For serving
- Fresh chopped parsley
- Olive oil
- Fleur de sel
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Preparation
- Preheat oven to 150°C (300°F).
- Season pork generously with salt and pepper on all sides. In a Dutch oven heated over high heat with a drizzle of olive oil, sear the pork 3 to 4 minutes per side until beautifully golden. Add oil as needed. Remove pork and set aside.
- In the same Dutch oven, add onion, garlic and a drizzle of olive oil. Cook 3 to 4 minutes, stirring. Add maple syrup, soy sauce, apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, smoked paprika and thyme. Season with salt and pepper and mix. Return pork to the Dutch oven and pour beef broth until meat is covered. Cover and bake 3.5 to 4 hours, basting every hour, until meat easily shreds with a fork.
- Remove pork from Dutch oven and let rest 15 minutes. Shred the meat using two forks. Discard fat.
- Reduce cooking liquid over high heat for 8 to 10 minutes until you get a syrupy, coating sauce. Return shredded pork to the sauce and mix well.
- Meanwhile, cook potatoes in a large pot of salted water until tender. Drain and mash with butter and cream. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve pulled pork over mashed potatoes. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley, a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of fleur de sel.
Yes. Pork blade roast (with or without bone) works very well. More marbled than shoulder, it gives an even more tender and flavorful pulled pork. Pork tenderloin can also be used for a leaner version, but the result will be less juicy and less shreddable. Reduce cooking time to about 1.5 hours. Shoulder and blade roast remain the best options for authentic pulled pork.
Yes, and it’s even recommended. Reheated pulled pork the next day is always better. The sauce has had time to penetrate every strand of meat and the flavors have developed. Store the pulled pork and sauce separately in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat gently covered over medium heat with a little broth if the sauce has thickened too much.
Absolutely. This is one of the recipes that freezes best. Freeze the pulled pork with its sauce in airtight containers or freezer bags for individual portions. Keeps up to 3 months in the freezer. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat gently covered over medium heat with a drizzle of broth. The texture is practically identical to fresh from the oven.
Yes. Sear the pork in a pan, then transfer to the slow cooker with all sauce ingredients. Cook on LOW for 8 hours or HIGH for 4 to 5 hours. Remove pork, shred, then reduce sauce on the stovetop over high heat before returning the pork. The result is slightly different, the meat is even more tender but with less caramelized crust, but just as delicious.
Dark maple syrup (Grade B or amber-rich). Flavors are more pronounced, caramelized notes marry better with soy sauce and smoked paprika. Too-light syrup gives a flat, too-sweet taste without the depth we want in the final sauce.
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