Perfect Pulled Pork
Pulled pork may have Southern roots, but it has found a true home in Canada. From backyard barbecues and hockey nights to rib festivals that fill Ontario and Alberta towns with smoke and music, slow-cooked pork has become a dish of celebration. Sweetened with maple, simmered in local barbecue sauces, and stretched to feed a crowd, it captures the Canadian way of cooking: resourceful, hearty, and built around gathering.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 6–8 hours (slow cook) or 3–4 hours (oven)
Serves: 6–8
Ingredients
1.5–2 kg (3–4 lbs) pork shoulder (pork butt)
2 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup barbecue sauce (try Canadian maple-smoked for a twist)
1 cup chicken or beef stock
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 tbsp brown sugar or maple syrup
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp chili powder
Salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Method
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Preheat oven to 150°C (300°F) or set slow cooker to low.
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Rub pork with paprika, chili, salt, and pepper. Heat olive oil in a large ovenproof pot, then sear pork on all sides until browned.
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Add onion and garlic, then stir in barbecue sauce, stock, vinegar, and sugar or maple syrup. Bring to a gentle simmer.
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Cover and cook low and slow: 3–4 hours in the oven, or 6–8 hours in a slow cooker, until pork is fork-tender.
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Shred pork with two forks and mix into the sauce.
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Serve piled on buns with slaw, tucked into tacos, or stirred through pasta.
Variations
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Maple Twist: Use maple syrup instead of brown sugar and a maple-smoked barbecue sauce for a distinctly Canadian flavour.
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Spicy Kick: Add extra chili powder or a dash of hot sauce to the sauce for more heat.
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Family Style: Serve over buttered noodles or mashed potatoes for a cozy, winter meal.
Pork has been part of Canada’s story since pigs arrived with early settlers in the 1600s, prized for their hardiness on small farms and their ability to sustain families through long winters. From French-Canadian tourtière served at Christmas to salt pork that flavoured beans and chowders in Atlantic kitchens, pork became both survival food and comfort. On the Prairies, nearly every homestead raised pigs, turning not only meat but also lard into a household necessity. Today, that heritage has grown into a global success
— Canada is one of the world’s largest pork exporters, shipping Prairie-raised pork to more than 80 countries, celebrated for its quality and safety.
Yet at home, pork remains deeply tied to community and tradition. Quebec boasts maple-cured hams, Ontario and Alberta fire up barbecues in summer, and rib festivals draw tens of thousands with the smoky aroma of ribs sizzling over grills. These gatherings reflect what pork has always meant to Canadians: resilience, abundance, and the joy of food that brings people together.