Gut Friendly Maple Garlic Pulled Pork
Slow-braised pulled pork is one of those deeply satisfying meals that feels like a project but mostly just asks you to be patient while your oven does the heavy lifting. This version leans on a thoughtful lineup of ingredients — turmeric, ginger, Ceylon cinnamon, and bone broth — that are well-regarded for supporting a happy gut without sacrificing any of the rich, savory payoff you'd expect from a long braise. Coconut aminos stand in for soy sauce, keeping the sauce both deeply savory and free from common digestive irritants, while pure maple syrup and apple cider vinegar round out the flavor with a gentle sweet-tart balance. The pork shoulder gets seared hard in coconut oil first, building a caramelized crust that makes the finished sauce genuinely complex, then braises low and slow until it's fall-apart tender and practically shredding itself. Once the meat rests and the braising liquid reduces into a glossy, clingy sauce, everything comes back together in the pot for one of those meals that tastes like it took far more effort than it did. It's the kind of recipe that works just as well for a quiet Sunday dinner as it does for batch cooking — the leftovers only get better as the flavors settle in.
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Learn more →Ingredients
6 servings
For the pork
- 3 lb bone-in pork shoulder (boston butt)
- 1 ½ tsp fine sea salt
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- ½ tsp ceylon cinnamon
- 2 tbsp coconut oil
For the sauce
- 6 cloves garlic, smashed and peeled
- 1 medium yellow onion, roughly chopped
- ⅓ cup pure maple syrup
- ¼ cup coconut aminos
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 cup bone broth (homemade or aip-compliant brand)
- 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
For serving
- 2 tbsp fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Preheat the oven to 325°F (165°C). In a small bowl, combine the salt, turmeric, ginger, and Ceylon cinnamon. Pat the pork shoulder completely dry with paper towels, then rub the spice mixture all over the surface.
- 2
Heat the coconut oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the pork shoulder and sear, turning every 2–3 minutes, until deeply browned on all sides, about 10–12 minutes total. Transfer the pork to a plate.
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