National Pulled Pork Day – October 12, 2022, history, significance
Pork. Cooked. Slowly. Celebrate this classic Texas-style dish on National Pulled Pork Day. And bring along your favorite barbecue sauce! Fun fact: Back in 2016, Sonny’s BBQ set the Guinness World Record for the “Largest Serving of Pulled Pork” — a hefty 2,012 pounds of this dish. Eventually, Sonny’s decided — along with other BBQ industry members — to designate October 12 as National Pulled Pork Day. So no matter what your sauce preferences may be — tomato-based, mustard-based, vinegar-based, etc. — just be sure to slather it on to help celebrate.
History of National Pulled Pork Day
Pulled Pork is a dish that has its origins in the southern parts of the United States, based on the idea of shredding the meat after it has been barbecued. Although it can certainly be made in a slow cooker, the most traditional way to do so is to slow-smoke it over wood.
The process of cooking the meat through smoking seems to have spread through Spanish settlers who observed what native peoples (likely in the Caribbean or perhaps the United States) were doing. They learned that smoking meat through the use of an indirect fire provided a way of keeping the bugs away while preserving it. And this seems to have been the predecessor to what everyone now knows as a barbecue.
Through this method, the desired meat usually was pork, due to its affordability as well as availability. It is almost always made from the pork shoulder (sometimes called pork butt, Boston butt or picnic shoulder), which is a fairly inexpensive cut. The meat should be somewhat fatty, which adds flavor to the dish, and it cooks up extremely tender. Ideally, the meat will be slow-smoked for a very long time, so that the connective tissue becomes tender and falls apart even before it is actually “pulled”.
Sonny’s BBQ has partnered with the National Pork Board and the National BBQ Association in the United States to declare October 12 as National Pulled Pork Day.
Barbecue is revered in the South, specifically in Florida and the Carolinas, for its special connection to family and its call to gather with loved ones. The South is also known across the country for its unique and dominant BBQ protein, pork. And the number one way to enjoy it? The delicious pulled pork sandwich. Because of this, these three organizations have joined together to create a day to celebrate this Southern tradition: National Pulled Pork Day.
NATIONAL PULLED PORK DAY TIMELINE
1500s
Pigs brought to the Americas
Hernando de Soto, a Spanish explorer, brings hogs over to the New World.
1600s
Hogs move north
English settlers begin to bring hogs to the Carolinas and Virginia.
1600s
A new way to cook meat
Those dealing with the cheapest, toughest scraps of meat cooked the meat slowly for a long period of time — resulting in the tender, fall-off-the-bone meat that we love today.
NATIONAL PULLED PORK DAY ACTIVITIES
Throw a pulled pork party
Whip up some nachos topped with pulled pork, make pulled pork tacos, complete baked potatoes with a dollop of pulled pork, or fill phyllo dough with pulled pork for a fun appetizer option.
Host your own pulled pork contest
Even though you may not set or break a record, it doesn’t mean you can’t hold your own pulled pork games. Throw a pulled pork sandwich eating contest or have a pulled pork cook-off.
Donate to a local food shelter
Reach out to local shelters and find out if you can serve your pulled pork. If it’s a “yes,” get friends and family in on the action, because the more people you can get involved, the more people you can feed.
4 REASONS WE’RE PULLED PORK FANS
It’s a popular meat item
Pulled pork’s among the top 10 best-selling meat products
It packs more protein than chicken
Pork also has more B-vitamins, iron, and zinc than chicken.
Pigs outnumber Danes
In fact, there are twice as many pigs as people in Denmark.
Pork is popular globally
Pork is the most consumed meat at the global level.
WHY WE LOVE NATIONAL PULLED PORK DAY
Carnivores get to rejoice
Meat lovers of all ages will love celebrating National Pulled Pork Day because, well, it’s an excuse to eat a lot of meat. Whether you just indulge at dinner or decide to go all out and eat pulled pork for lunch, too, this holiday gets meat lovers giddy.
It’s an excuse to buy a slow cooker
National Pulled Pork Day is a good reminder that investing in a slow cooker is totally worth it. Of course, you can slow cook up a bunch of other dishes too. So many options!
You’ll have extra time
Because you can prep your pulled pork the night before, you won’t have to spend time cooking the night of National Pulled Pork Day. Instead, enjoy a beer, play some games with the family, and catch up on your favorite shows.
