Pulled pork sandwiches

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BigAL - Brined and cold-smoked pig shoulder is commonly used in boiled dinners, I'm surprised you've never heard of cooking brined/cold-smoked meats in this fashion (such as corned beef, although it's not smoked).
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I've never heard of it. I didn't even know people boiled corned beef until the internet.:huh: We are a bit different out here, if ya couldn't tell already.:LOL: When I was a kid, meat was always on the grill and Dad would smoke every once in a while. I guess Mom used to boil hot dogs, and we had to drink the water.;):LOL:

I'll have to check it out, something new for us to try. Thanks Nick.
 
Unless you're using a thermometer, what most people consider as simmering (small bubbles breaking the surface) is actually boiling. State change in water only occurs at saturation, or 212ºF/100ºC standard pressure at sea level.
 
From Webster's dictionary:


Main Entry: 1boil
Pronunciation: \ˈbȯi(-ə)l\
Function: verb
Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French buillir, boillir, from Latin bullire to bubble, from bulla bubble
Date: 13th century
intransitive verb 1 a : to come to the boiling point b : to generate bubbles of vapor when heated —used of a liquid c : to cook in boiling water
2 : to become agitated : seethe
3 : to be moved, excited, or stirred up
4 a : to rush headlong b : to burst forth
5 : to undergo the action of a boiling liquidtransitive verb 1 : to subject to the action of a boiling liquid
2 : to heat to the boiling point
3 : to form or separate (as sugar or salt) by boiling




Poach -
Main Entry: 1poach
Pronunciation: \ˈpōch\
Function: transitive verb
Etymology: Middle English pocchen, from Middle French pocher, from Old French poché poached, literally, bagged, from poche bag, pocket — more at pouch
Date: 15th century

Simmer -
Main Entry: 1sim·mer
Pronunciation: \ˈsi-mər\
Function: verb
Inflected Form(s): sim·mered; sim·mer·ing \ˈsi-mə-riŋ, ˈsim-riŋ\
Etymology: alteration of English dial. simper, from Middle English simperen, of imitative origin
Date: 1653
intransitive verb 1 : to stew gently below or just at the boiling poin

And so we see by the above accepted standard definitions, to simmer is to cook something in water at just below, or at the boiling point.

Typically, in cooking terminology, the noun form of simmer is synonomous with - gentle boil - while boil in either noun of verb form are used to describe a medium boil. Hard and rapid boil are the same thing.

Another interesting term is coddled, as in coddled egg. This is where an egg in placed in water exceeding 175 F, but less than 212 F. The water is hot enough to set the egg white and yolk, but doesn't move. This allows the coddled egg to retain cohesive rather than breaking apart from moving water. It could be said that the egg strands in egg-crop soup are a form of coddled egg.

It is also interesting to note that meat that is boiled, or even simmered can dry out from overcooking, while poaching the meat in temperatures not exceeding 160' will cook, but not dry out the meat. If the meat is placed into an air-tight evacuated plastic bag, and immersed in water between 145 and 160' F., this is called sou-vide and is a great way to create a tender product. Unfortunately, you won't get any browning, and the rich flavor that the browning imparts to the meat.

I do tend to go on sometimes. I think I'll go to another thread now.:LOL:

Seeeeeeya; Goodweed of the North
 
Liquid-Vapor phase changes only occur when enough energy is introduced into the fluid to reach saturation at the given location. A "gentle" boil is a boil. At least thats what I was taught and practiced in Thermodynamics at UMass. If you are using a thermometer and distinguishing between sub-saturation levels (or have a really good finger), you may full-well be following these cooking methods. However, the majority of cooks that I know consider regular small bubbles rising to the surface of the cooking fluid to be a simmer - which is actually a boil.
 
I wonder why the farmer would say they have made pulled pork sandwiches out of these. Now that it's defrosted - I opened it and took a peek. Looks like ham. :LOL:
It definitely doesn't look like a pork loin type of product. I might go and buy a boston but tomorrow and make my lovely planned pulled pork. I'm just nervous is all.

I'm making homemade baked beans and homemade cole slaw.

If I do buy a boston butt for pulled pork - I would loveeee to make the stew posted before and possibly freeze it.
 
You will enjoy the results, whether slowly roasted in a slow oven, or cooked in a slow cooker. Just remember, the meat thermometer is your friend, and 190'F. is your target temperature.

As for the physics lesson, the scientific definition of boiling is correct that Nicholas Mosher gives. But labels used to describe cooking techniques, such as simmer, boil, braise, poach, etc., are just that. They are not scientific in nature and are used to more accurately describe differing cooking techniques, not define a state of matter.

I hope I'm being helpful to all. And to legend_018, forget the rhetoric that we sometimes get into and cook up some pulled pork to amaze your guests. Season to taste with S & P, and serve up the beans, cole slaw and several sauces for the sandwiches. You will be the star, or rather, your food will be, and you will be appreciated.

Seeeeeeya; Goodweed of the North
 
The point I was trying to make was that "Boiling" won't toughen meat any more than a "Simmer" - when "Simmering" is defined as a "gentle boil" rather than a specific sub-212ºF condition.

Anyhoo, I returned PMs to you Goodweed and legend.

Have a great weekend with even better food! :)
 
Is the shoulder cooked and smoked or just smoked? Is it ready to be pulled?

I'm smoke'n 2 boston butts this weekend, also. I buy them raw and smoke myself, though, but I hope this helps. I like to smoke the day before, smoke to an internal temp of about 200 or when the bone will pull out clean. Let it cool a bit and rest, then pull in just a bit bigger chunks than you'd probably want on a "sammich", I put this all in a large alum foil pan, then cover w/foil and into the ice box.

Next day, about 3 hrs before the party I uncover the pan and it goes back on the smoker at 225*. I also have a mix of apple cider vinegar and apple juice(50-50) and more rub to put on the pulled pork. add alittle of each and test every 30-45min until it tastes right. By adding, mix'n and taste'n it breaks up the meat how you want it. The rub and "mop" are to just add to but not over power the pork.

You'll also want to make some cole slaw, it goes great on top of a hot pulled pork sammich!

Good luck! Maybe these pix will help.

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Big Al your pulled pork doesn't look right, something strange with the color... I'm worried about you and your loved ones, please PM me for my address so you can send it my way... I will make sure that it is cooked properly, not everybody would be willing to put there life on the line for you, I hope you appreciate it..... :ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO:
 
It sounds like you have a smoked/brined picnic - which makes some of the best boiled dinner you've ever had!

Toss in 12-quart pot with just enough water to cover and simmer for two and a half hours covered (start counting once you see it begin to "boil"). Add lots of peeled carrots cut into large chunks and continue to simmer for another hour. Add a quartered head of cabbage along with half a dozen peeled medium yukon gold potatoes and cook an additional 30-45 minutes. By this point the meat should be fall-apart tender, the carrots should be tender through, the thickest parts of the cabbage should be soft, and the potatoes should be beginning to fall apart.

Strain everything, separate the broth from the fat, and reduce the broth by about 25%-30%. Return the potatoes, and use an immersion blender to make a nice smooth "gravy". Don't be afraid to add a tablespoon of the rendered fat either! Add a few heaping tablespoons of ground horseradish and brown mustard (more to taste). Season with salt and freshly ground white pepper. Debone/fat the meat, and add it to the gravy along with the carrots and cabbage.

Makes a real hearty stew. Same recipe can be done with 2-3 corned beef briskets (Flat Cut).

What is the easiest way to separate broth from fat?
 
What is the easiest way to separate broth from fat?

Refrigerate. The cold fat will solidify on the top of the broth and you can just lift it off.

If you can't wait, fat always floats so you can use a large cooking or serving spoon and scoop it off the top. When you've got most of it, lay a single piece of paper towel on the surface of the liquid. It will soak up fat and you can lift it off and discard it. It will take several towels to get the job done.
 
For the indoor method...

I was going to do it this way...with the oven at 225f, put the rubbed shoulder in a roaster with a rack for 7 hours, then wrap it in aluminum foil for the next 3 hours or until it falls apart.

I noticed that most say uncovered first and than covered. Yours was the first time I saw covered first and than uncovered.
 
In regards to the stew...

Andy listed the two methods that work and require no special tools.
For a faster method that is often less messy, you can purchase a gravy separator for about $5-$15. These are almost essential for anyone who makes sauces from pan juices/drippings on a regular basis. I think you can gather it's function through the image below. Just make sure you have a $1 bottle brush to clean the neck if you decide to pick one up. I have a plastic OXO one, but wish I had a glass one.

028901030216.jpg


As for the pulled pork...

Some people start on a charcoal grill to get some extra flavor from the charcoal and browning (grilling a shoulder that is falling apart from braising isn't very easy). I've done this extra pre-grill step before, and it might be worth it if you plan to serve the pulled pork without the reduced-stock sauce I posted previously. I find that if you serve the pulled pork pre-tossed, it's very difficult (or even impossible) to tell the difference. Note that this process doesn't "seal-in" juices whatsoever.

Then the oven (or Crock). A moist environment facilitates the breakdown of connecting tissues (yielding a tender/fall-apart shoulder). "Meat" stays juicy in pork until 140ºF-145ºF, upon which the fibers seize up (the meat releases it's juices and dries out). Unfortunately, connective tissues (such as collagen) only begin to break down into finger-licking gelatin at 160ºF - obviously this is well above 140ºF. So pulled pork (and any BBQ or braised dish for that matter) is "over-cooked" meat coated in either sauce or gelatin (or both in my recipe). So after four hours in a covered pot "simmering", you will get a big lump of semi-tender meat in a pool of fat and juices. You may wish to pour most of these off into a vessel depending on your pot shape heading into the next step.

The bark. Unfortunately we will not even approach the flavorful coating on the surface of a properly hot-smoked piece of meat with the alternative methods listed here. This layer is developed over a long period of time in a smoky environment with cooker conditions that alternate between moist and dry as various sprays and mops are applied and allowed to evaporate. We can however partially duplicate the texture by uncovering the pot and allowing the moist surface fluids on the shoulder to evaporate, brown, and get crusty (hence my uncovered pot at the end). Note that methods in reverse don't end with this "oven bark", unless you choose to slow-roast over 12 hours or so in the oven on an open pan (just make sure to regularly moisten the exterior of the meat). This method takes almost twice as long to do, but it also produces a great pulled pork (I actually used to do my pulled pork this way).

The method I posted previously yields almost identical results in half the time, and preserves more of the juices for the sauce.
 
Mimiz - Haha!
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After all this pulled pork talk and a shoulder sale at our local grocer I decided to pick up a Boston Butt for sandwiches this week!

I'll do some pictures tomorrow when I cook it up!
 
Ok I'm trying to organize a fathers day dinner. I think I want to make pulled pork sandwiches.

A HUGE success!! Thanks to ALL for helping me!!!!! I realllly appreciate it. Everyone was so impressed. I had pulled pork sandwiches, corn on the cob, homemade baked beans, and homemade cole slaw. everything was DYNOMITE!!!

I bought a pork butt for the pork sandwiches and cooked it on 225 from 11pm until 12:30ish today. Than I upped it to 275. It was a 8lb and I had to give up and take it out around 170/175 degrees. It still shredded fine enough. Took some of the juices from the pan, added some broth from the pork stew I made yesterday (with the brined pork shoulder) and reduced it - added bbq sauce and mixed all the pork in with that.
 
It sounds like you have a smoked/brined picnic - which makes some of the best boiled dinner you've ever had!

Toss in 12-quart pot with just enough water to cover and simmer for two and a half hours covered (start counting once you see it begin to "boil"). Add lots of peeled carrots cut into large chunks and continue to simmer for another hour. Add a quartered head of cabbage along with half a dozen peeled medium yukon gold potatoes and cook an additional 30-45 minutes. By this point the meat should be fall-apart tender, the carrots should be tender through, the thickest parts of the cabbage should be soft, and the potatoes should be beginning to fall apart.

Strain everything, separate the broth from the fat, and reduce the broth by about 25%-30%. Return the potatoes, and use an immersion blender to make a nice smooth "gravy". Don't be afraid to add a tablespoon of the rendered fat either! Add a few heaping tablespoons of ground horseradish and brown mustard (more to taste). Season with salt and freshly ground white pepper. Debone/fat the meat, and add it to the gravy along with the carrots and cabbage.

Makes a real hearty stew. Same recipe can be done with 2-3 corned beef briskets (Flat Cut).

I bought a new boston butt for my pulled pork sandwiches and I followed this recipe for the so called picnic shoulder. WOW unbelievable!!!!!! My mother in law just had one spoonful and wants the recipe. One big containor for refrigerator and one big containor for freezer. Haven't eating yet, but tasted it. The sauce is sooooo rich!!!!
 
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