National Pulled Pork Day is a holiday observed annually on the 12th day of October. It celebrates an American culinary dish made from slow-cooked pork shoulder that has been smoked over wood, manually shredded, and then usually mixed with BBQ sauce.

It is most often used to make tasty sandwiches (often topped with coleslaw), but it can also be used to make chili, pulled pork tacos or nachos, enchiladas, or even as a pizza topping. In our opinion, the month of October is the perfect time to enjoy this dish and the holiday as well.

The History of National Pulled Pork Day

Pulled pork is a dish that has been enjoyed in the U.S. for a long time. The process of smoking pork was first done by the Spanish, but it was also done by African-American slaves. This was because smoking cheap cuts of pork could make them more palatable. This dish became increasingly popular in the Southern U.S. but has spread throughout the rest of the country.

Some Tasty Pulled Pork Facts

We can’t resist serving up some delicious pulled pork facts for all of our readers. We searched high and low for facts that we think everyone would appreciate and then listed them below for convenience. Let’s take a look at them before we wander off and celebrate National Pulled Pork Day.

• Pigs were first domesticated in China around 7,500 B.C.
• In the 18th and 19th centuries, Asian pigs were introduced into Europe, where they mingled with European wild boars.
• The word BBQ comes from the Taino language of the Arawak tribe of the Caribbean. It is derived from the word “barbacoa.”
• According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), about 40% of all U.S. meat consumption is pork.

Observing National Pulled Pork Day

This holiday is easy enough to observe, as long as a person does not dislike pork. All one has to do is make some pulled pork or buy some from a BBQ place. This pulled pork can be used to make sandwiches, nachos, or about a hundred other dishes.

No matter what a person decides to do with their pulled pork, they should be sure to let everyone know what they made using the hashtag #PulledPorkDay on social media.