Pulled Pork Day
Observed
annually on October 12th (since 2016)
Dates
Founded by
National BBQ Association on October 11th, 2016
National Pork Board on October 11th, 2016
Sonny's BBQ on October 11th, 2016
Tags
Food & Drink
Hashtags
Sources
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pulled_pork
https://web.archive.org/web/20161108035313/https://sonnysbbq.com/pulledporkday
https://www.fsrmagazine.com/content/pulled-pork-sandwiches-are-free-sonnys-bbq-october-12
https://www.meatpoultry.com/articles/15169-sonny-s-bbq-declares-national-pulled-pork-day
https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/sonnys-bbq-and-bbq-industry-declare-october-12-national-pulled-pork-day-300342909.html
https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/sonnys-bbq-celebrates-fifth-annual-national-pulled-pork-day-announces-partnership-with-no-kid-hungry-301148250.html
Pulled pork, consisting of shredded barbecued pork, generally from the shoulder, is celebrated and indulged upon today with National Pulled Pork Day. It is usually smoked slowly outdoors over wood, cooking for hours, regularly for more than half a day, after a dry rub is applied to it. But it can also be made in a slow cooker, in an oven, or in a pressure cooker. Once cooked, pulled pork is shredded and mixed with a sauce. It is often eaten in sandwich form—as a pulled pork sandwich—but it can be eaten on its own. It is particularly popular in the South.
Sonny's BBQ, one of the largest BBQ chains in the United States, started National Pulled Pork Day in 2016, and placed it in October, during National Pork Month. Referring to the holiday and pulled pork they say: "By celebrating this Southern tradition, we hope to encourage people to spend time with family and friends while enjoying this time-honored BBQ technique." For the first observance, Sonny's created new pork recipes and succeeded in setting the record for "Largest Serving of Pulled Pork" at Guinness World Records. The National Pork Board, the National BBQ Association, and the mayor's offices of Tallahassee, Winter Park, Gainesville, and Orlando joined in on the first celebration.
For the 2019 observance, the first 68 people at each Sonny's BBQ location received a free pulled pork sandwich. (The number 68 was chosen because Sonny's opened its doors in 1968.) For the fifth celebration, in 2020, Sonny's gave pulled pork away for a year to five winners and brought back their Cuban sandwich. Also, for three Mondays in October, starting with National Pulled Pork Day, Sonny's gave a dollar to No Kid Hungry for each pulled pork sandwich sold—as well as for a number of their other pork sandwiches—in an effort to reduce poverty and prevent kids from going hungry. Sonny's also continues to offer pulled pork specials on each National Pulled Pork Day.
How to Observe Pulled Pork Day
A few celebration ideas include:
- Enjoy some pulled pork at a Sonny's BBQ location. Make sure to check for specials and other promotions organized for the day. Stay up-to-date by following Sonny's on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.
- If you can't get to a Sonny's BBQ, you could try making their pulled pork at home.
- Make another pulled pork recipe.
- Have some pulled pork at one of the best barbecue restaurants in the United States. Check if they have any specials in honor of the holiday.