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National Pulled Pork Day

Food · October 12

A day for pulled pork: slow-cooked pork shoulder, tender enough to shred by hand, served on buns, platters and plates across the US.

National Pulled Pork Day falls on Tuesday, October 12, 2027. That is 350 days away.

Pulled pork is pork cooked low and slow until it falls apart, then pulled into strands with forks or gloved hands. The usual cut is the shoulder, often sold as Boston butt or picnic shoulder, because its fat and connective tissue soften over long hours of gentle heat.

The classic method is smoking over wood, though ovens and slow cookers do respectable work too. Many cooks rub the meat with salt, sugar and spices first. The dark, crusty outside that forms is called the bark, and people tend to fight politely over it.

What goes on top depends on where you are. Parts of North Carolina favor a thin, tangy vinegar sauce. Other regions lean toward thick, sweet tomato sauces, and South Carolina is known for a yellow mustard sauce. Some people skip sauce entirely and let the smoke speak.

Most often it lands on a soft bun, sometimes with coleslaw piled right on the meat. It also turns up in tacos, on nachos, over baked potatoes and folded into mac and cheese. Leftovers are part of the appeal, since a single shoulder feeds a crowd and keeps going for days.

The resting step matters more than people expect. Letting the cooked shoulder sit wrapped for a while before pulling keeps the meat juicy, and the strands come apart with almost no effort.

Ways to celebrate

• Try a slow cooker pork shoulder with a simple spice rub.
• Taste a vinegar sauce and a sweet tomato sauce side by side.
• Top a pulled pork sandwich with coleslaw.
• Visit a local barbecue spot you have not tried.
• Turn leftover pulled pork into tacos or nachos.

Dates

All national days on October 12

Also on October 12

• National Gumbo Day
• National Savings Day

Categories: Food days