Smoked Porchetta-Style Pulled Pork with Fennel and Rosemary

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

All the flavours of Italian porchetta — fennel seed, rosemary, garlic and lemon — rubbed into a pork shoulder and smoked low and slow over cherry wood until it pulls apart with a fork. It's mostly hands-off: you season it the night before, feed the smoker, and the fire does eight hours of work while you get on with your weekend. Pile it onto ciabatta with the peppery pan juices, or serve it with polenta or a lemony green salad.

Ingredients

• 5 lb boneless pork shoulder (Boston butt)
• 2 tbsp fennel seeds
• 2 tbsp kosher salt
• 1 tbsp coarsely ground black pepper
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary
• 6 cloves garlic, finely grated
• 1 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 lemon, zested and juiced
• 2 tbsp olive oil

• 4 chunks cherry wood (or 3 cups cherry wood chips)
• 3/4 cup dry white wine

Instructions

1. Toast the fennel seeds in a dry skillet over medium heat for 2 minutes until fragrant, then crush them roughly with the flat of a knife or a mortar. Mix with the salt, black pepper, rosemary, garlic, red pepper flakes, lemon zest and olive oil to make a wet paste.
2. Pat the pork shoulder dry and score the fat cap in a 1-inch crosshatch, cutting about 1/4 inch deep. Rub the paste over every surface, working it into the scores and any seams in the meat. Refrigerate uncovered for at least 4 hours or overnight, then let it sit at room temperature for 45 minutes before cooking.
3. Set up your smoker for indirect cooking at 250°F and add the cherry wood. Fill the water pan. Cherry gives a mild, slightly sweet smoke that suits pork and rosemary without overpowering them.
4. Place the pork fat side up directly on the grate and smoke at 250°F for about 5 hours, until the bark is deep mahogany and the internal temperature in the thickest part reads 165°F. Don't open the lid for the first 3 hours.
5. Lay the pork on a double layer of heavy foil, pour the white wine and lemon juice around it, and wrap tightly. Return to the smoker and cook another 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 hours, until the internal temperature reaches 203°F and a probe slides into the meat with no resistance.
6. Leave the pork wrapped and rest it in a dry cooler or turned-off oven for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Do not skip this — it's what keeps the meat juicy.
7. Open the foil over a bowl to catch the juices. Pull the pork apart with two forks, discarding any large lumps of fat, then spoon the defatted juices back over the meat and toss. Taste and add a pinch more salt or a squeeze of lemon before serving.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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