Pulled Pork - What's your method?

[college_cook]

My mission this week was to make carnitas, but of course the week filled up and I ended up omitting the last step of the process, effectively leaving me with pulled pork. I had never really attempted this before, but I was quite pleased with the results. It left me wondering, how much better could this be if I did it right?

I applied my own dry rub pretty heavily, and let the pork shoulder (is this what everyone else uses as well?) cure for a couple of days in the fridge. After that, I seared it on the grill, and then finished it on low-ish heat over about 4 hours.

How does everyone else do this?

 

[Katie H]

We have a Cameron's stovetop smoker. Love smokin' up a nice big Boston butt. At the end, we have a wonderful "pile" of tender meat to tear with a fork.

 

[Nancy Jane]

Betty's porketta. Ya ever had that? It's the kind of thing I like to watch people put in their mouth for the first time. They can't believe it!

 

[Katie H]

Betty's porketta. Ya ever had that? It's the kind of thing I like to watch people put in their mouth for the first time. They can't believe it!

Okay! Now you've gone and done it. You've invoked the "P" word...porketta.

Porketta has to be one of the best things that has ever been done to piggy!!!!!!!

My Italian family in Minnesota makes the BEST porketta.

 

[Nancy Jane]

I'm betting there are some really good porketta recipes out there, but I like Betty's porketta. Simple, elegant and I've gotten kisses and marriage proposal's for this one. I'm serious. It dazzles, baffles, makes people wild. To be honest, I'm never cooked anything this easy that makes people this crazy. Porketta, porketta, porketta!

 

[MexicoKaren]

Help! Help! How do we make it? Recipe, por favor......

 

[Nancy Jane]

Okay, I'm still sort of learning the rules here, so I'll post a thread called Betty's Porketta. I promise you won't be disappointed. The crockpot makes it so easy and unbelievably tender. Pull and put on a hard roll. Minnesota style!

 

[Michael in FtW]

Here ya' go: Betty's Proketta Recipe posted by Nancy Jane.

...It left me wondering, how much better could this be if I did it right?

And which "right" method are you referring to?

You can smoke your butt, or you can low & slow open roast it on a roasting rack, or just thrown into a roasting pan, or in a covered roasting pan (with or without a rack), or braise it like a pot roast, or use a crock-pot.

You can dry roast by starting off in a 475ºF oven for about 15-mins, turn over for another 15 to promote browning and then reduce to about 160ºF to finish cooking. Or, you can sear your roast and then cook at a low-n-slow temp until done.

We have a few (3-4) Mexican restaurants that sell roasted beef and pork ... dry roasted. There are a couple of tamale places that sell braised beef/pork roasts.

You can also dry roast on a rack - and then after pulling/chopping - add the pan drippings back to the meat (maybe a little water to deglaze) - or do the same with meat roasted in a pan - or braised meat.

The right method will be the one that gives you the results you want.

 

[VeraBlue]

I also have very good results with pork butt, too. Like you, I let the rub set for a couple of days. Oven roast slowly over hours, or smoke for an equal amount of time. Then, when it's cool enough to handle, I just pull it to shreds. I make an au jus of the drippings and a bit of pork stock so it stays moist during service. I make several variety of sauces to top it, leaving the customer the option of choosing which type.

 

[BettyR]

This is how I do pulled pork…I got this recipe off Kopycats a lot of years ago and I’ve been making it a couple of times a month ever since. We eat it on hamburger buns with dill pickles, onions and coleslaw on the side. It’s very easy and the family loves it.

Pulled Pork Southern Style
Posted by Coll'sCookin'

4# boneless pork shoulder (cut into 5 or 6 pieces)
1 med onion - coarsely chopped
1/2 C cider vinegar
1/2 C ketchup
1/4 C light molasses
2 T sweet paprika
2 T spicy brown mustard
2 T Worcestershire sauce
1 t ground red pepper (cayenne)
1 t finely ground black pepper
1 t salt
3 T. Liquid smoke flavoring (I use the whole bottle)

Place pork shoulder pieces (fat trimmed) into crock-pot /slow cooker.
Mix all ingredients together and pour over the roast.
Cover and cook low/med (I start on high for 1 hour) for approx 8-10 hours or until tender and falling apart..
Remove cooked pork from pot..
Shred pork with 2 forks or fingers into stringy pieces.

Serve on soft sandwich buns with dill pickles and your favorite BBQ sauce.
Serve with cole slaw and potato chips.

****This can be started overnight.****
Freezes well.

Enjoy! Coll

 

[cmcadams]

On a grill, you can set up the fire by pushing the coals to the sides (or only turning on side burners), then add either wood chunks or chips in a foil pouch (if you're using gas).

There's really no need to sear a pork shoulder (butt is part of the shoulder, picnic is the other part). Keeping the heat under 350, you can make pretty decent pulled pork.

I have never found the need to apply rub early, especially not 2 days, and you run the risk of starting to cure the meat. I apply, even for competition, no more than 4 hours before putting it on the cooker.

And, not to be contrary, but I personally don't like liquid smoke; I'd rather apply real smoke.