Pulled pork sandwiches

[legend_018]

Ok I'm trying to organize a fathers day dinner. I think I want to make pulled pork sandwiches. I have a couple questions or need the following cleared up.

I want to make sure it's known that this is a pork shoulder from a local farm. It's 4.5 lbs bone in and smoked. Everything is done at a local blood farm and I guess they choose to have it smoked.

1. Can I make this the day before and reheat for the party? Would there be any disadvantages to doing this? I know sometimes things can overcook a little when reheating.

2. I wanted to try to follow the recipe in this link. However, I don't think it was written for a smoked one? Should I cut the time in 1/2?
http://www.fieldtoforkfarm.com/recipes_and_book_recommendations

3. When it's time to make the sandwiches, should I mix the pulled pork with something? I'm guessing there not just going to want to have plain pulled pork sandwiches.

I hope these are not silly questions. I always get a little nervous before dinner party's. I'll also be poking around looking around for some tips on making a lot of corn bread. I usually only make one small loaf pan full and I switch between Jiffy brand and a recipe I have or had at one time.

 

[PattY1]

Ok I'm trying to organize a fathers day dinner. I think I want to make pulled pork sandwiches. I have a couple questions or need the following cleared up.

I want to make sure it's known that this is a pork shoulder from a local farm. It's 4.5 lbs bone in and smoked. Everything is done at a local blood farm and I guess they choose to have it smoked.

1. Can I make this the day before and reheat for the party? Would there be any disadvantages to doing this? I know sometimes things can overcook a little when reheating.

2. I wanted to try to follow the recipe in this link. However, I don't think it was written for a smoked one? Should I cut the time in 1/2?
Field to Fork Farm - Recipes and Books

3. When it's time to make the sandwiches, should I mix the pulled pork with something? I'm guessing there not just going to want to have plain pulled pork sandwiches.

I hope these are not silly questions. I always get a little nervous before dinner party's. I'll also be poking around looking around for some tips on making a lot of corn bread. I usually only make one small loaf pan full and I switch between Jiffy brand and a recipe I have or had at one time.

Are you planning on serving the pulled pork on corn bread? They should be served on a strudy round roll.

 

[BigAL]

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.

 

[legend_018]

When I first asked the farmer if he had any pork shoulders, he said:
I do have shoulders available, roasts are 4-5 lbs brined, smoked and flash frozen

ya probably on buns. I don't have any smokers. I have a gas grill and an oven inside. I wrote an email to try to find out if it's already cooked. I thought someone told me that it probably means it's been cooked. I know the lady at the farm stand said she usually boils hers.

 

[BigAL]

I guess I'd use the grill on low that way the house doesn't get hot. I bet it is cooked, but won't hurt to ask.

Another thing is to not over complicate it. Simple is always good. My way may just cause problems, too.

If it has been cooked once, I don't think I'd want to cook it a day before, then reheat again the day of. All ya really have to do is reheat so it won't take long.

BTW, I've found that it is MUCH easier to pull warm than cold.

 

[Nicholas Mosher]

Normally I use a fresh Pork Butt, which is the top portion of the shoulder. The Picnic is the lower portion which tends to have more fat, and is often found brined/smoked (but still needs to be cooked). Picnics that have been smoked are often brined and have the characteristic flavors of Corned Beef. Try to find a fresh Pork Butt if you can.

The traditional way to make pulled pork is how BigAL described - low and slow in a wood/charcoal smoker until all the collagen has melted and you can easily pull the meat apart.

That said, the indoor oven method has it's advantage too - namely speed, and preservation of all those drippings that can be incorporated into the best tasting BBQ sauce you have ever had. Personally I prefer a good smoker-cooked pulled pork sandwich, but sometimes I absolutely crave the finger-licking BBQ sauce from indoor pulled pork.

For the indoor method...

Trim the Boston Butt of as much exterior fat as you can. Lightly salt the shoulder and place in an 8-quart pot with 1/2-C of water and a tightly fitting lid. Pop in a pre-heated 325ºF oven for four hours. After the four hours, take the lid off and continue cooking 2-3 hours, or until the shoulder blade can be easily removed (make sure the interior meat is fall apart tender before shutting the oven off). Move the shoulder to a bowl to cool, and separate the accumulated liquid in the pot with a gravy separator. Save the fat for another use, and place the stock in a saucier. Reduce the stock until it reaches a near-syrupy consistency. Add a bottle of your favorite smokey BBQ sauce (or homemade), and turn off the heat. Separate the meat once it cools down a bit, and pull it into shreds (I do this by hand). Toss it with your sauce - taste as you go to determine how much you like. Cooking it the day before and letting it sit in the sauce overnight makes it even better!

I like mine served on soft Kaiser-style rolls with shredded cabbage/carrot dressed in a light cider-vinegar and mustard based vinaigrette.

EDIT: I like to use Bulls Eye BBQ sauce because it's less sweet and has a more pronounced smoky flavor. That said, almost everyone else I know likes Sweet Baby Rays. I usually end up using Sweet Baby Rays and then supplementing my sandwich with a bit of Bulls Eye. I also tend to wuss out and eat mine open faced, because I like to make huge sandwiches that never stay together more than two bites...

Cheap, feeds lots of people, and can be made on a Sunday to supply lunch boxes all week!

 

[Uncle Bob]

I do have shoulders available, roasts are 4-5 lbs brined, smoked and flash frozen

Mary, I think the first thing to know.. is your meat cooked or not?...."Brined, smoked, and frozen seems to indicate that it is. This is somewhat confusing to me, as most pork shoulders/butts/etc are sold raw/uncooked. If it is indeed cooked it would seem that a slow warming process in the oven before service would be called for...If it is raw/uncooked then dry roasting in your oven would be a good method.... Season the meat and slowly roast at 250* until you have an internal temperature of 195* +....Allow it to rest for 20-30 minutes and pull/shred for your sandwiches....This can be done a day in advance. Serve the sandwiches, on a good quality bun. Have a couple of different sauce(s) on the side. Cold slaw is always a good choice...Some guest may want it on the sandwich, others just as a side dish.
Potato salad, and baked beans also are great side dishes.

I know the lady at the farm stand said she usually boils hers

You do not want to do this!! Use your oven to roast it...or you could start it on your grill with a little smoke, and finish in the oven. HTH

Enjoy!

 

[legend_018]

Mary, I think the first thing to know.. is your meat cooked or not?...."Brined, smoked, and frozen seems to indicate that it is. This is somewhat confusing to me, as most pork shoulders/butts/etc are sold raw/uncooked. If it is indeed cooked it would seem that a slow warming process in the oven before service would be called for...If it is raw/uncooked then dry roasting in your oven would be a good method.... Season the meat and slowly roast at 250* until you have an internal temperature of 195* +....Allow it to rest for 20-30 minutes and pull/shred for your sandwiches....This can be done a day in advance. Serve the sandwiches, on a good quality bun. Have a couple of different sauce(s) on the side. Cold slaw is always a good choice...Some guest may want it on the sandwich, others just as a side dish.
Potato salad, and baked beans also are great side dishes.



You do not want to do this!! Use your oven to roast it...or you could start it on your grill with a little smoke, and finish in the oven. HTH

Enjoy!

 

[Hoot]

I am wondering if it has been cured (sugar or salt, like a country ham) If so then "smoked" is a whole different process than what is done with a fresh shoulder to make pulled pork. If it has been cured, it will likely not turn out like pulled pork no matter what you do. I have tried making pulled pork from a cured and smoked shoulder and, while good, it wasn't what I was looking for. I hope you will have good luck and a good time!!

 

[legend_018]

Mary, I think the first thing to know.. is your meat cooked or not?...."Brined, smoked, and frozen seems to indicate that it is.

Bob and all:

I finally found out more information about what I bought. The reply back to me was:

NO smoked is not precooked. Brining and smoking are a curing process to allow extended storage times often without refrigeration and add taste and flavor. I store in fridge to be on the safe side anyway. You probably have a meat thermometer that has a pork cook temp that is the best way to cook thoroughly. I believe it is 160 degree's F

 

[BigAL]

Hoot was right, ya got a ham. If you want pulled pork, go to the groc store and buy fresh/raw boston butt.

I bet what they have is good, but it won't be pulled pork. Could be good sliced and used similar to canadian bacon? I don't know.

Good luck.

 

[legend_018]

Hoot was right, ya got a ham. If you want pulled pork, go to the groc store and buy fresh/raw boston butt.

I bet what they have is good, but it won't be pulled pork. Could be good sliced and used similar to canadian bacon? I don't know.

Good luck.

amm I sent another email to the farmer informing him I was thinking of doing a pulled pork and he wrote back: Those smoked shoulders are perfect for that and we have done a few. They melt in your mouth.

He also said they've seared theres and than put low in crock pot and they've come out great. although I was thinking more of the lines of 450 degrees in oven for 45 minutes and than 300 degrees for 2-3 hours.

So the actual farmer is telling me this is a great shoulder to do pulled pork?

 

[jennyema]

I agree that it sounds like it's a fresh ham, which is not what you want to use.

A regular supermarket will carry fresh bone-in pork "butts" or "Boston butts" which are actually the shoulder.

There are many ways to prepare pulled pork (smoked, on a grill, in the oven, in a crockpot) but they ALL by definition involve cooking the pork for a very long time at low heat to a very high temp -- like 200.

The goal is to cook it until it falls apart on its own -- the bone should come out with ease and totally clean.

I cook mine on a charcoal grill on indirect heat for 2 hours or so, then finish in a dutch oven in the oven at 275 for another 5 hours in a sort of "mop sauce." I pull the meat when still warm and then mix it back in with the drippings and mop sauce.

If you buy it and cook it at 450 for 45 min and then at 300 for 2-3 hours, you'll have a ham but it will be incapable of becoming real pulled pork.

 

[Hoot]

I reckon it's a matter of expectations. If you are looking for pulled pork like in big Al's photos, you will likely be disappointed if you use cured pork.
That is not to say that cured pork won't be good prepared the way you planned or by the method the farmer recommends. It will be very good , but it will be different from what most folks I know call pulled pork.
Which ever way you decide to go will be fine, I am sure.
Please let us know how it turns out.
I hope y'all have a great time!!!

 

[Nicholas Mosher]

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).

 

[BigAL]

Don't boil the meat, for the love of God, don't boil the meat. When you make stock what do you do........boil the bajesus out of it w/ veggies to EXTRACT the flavor into the liquid.

I don't know what you all do up there, but it would be much easier to just do it yourself. Buy the farmers product and treat it like canadian bacon, imho. But please, don't boil. I take all your guys' advise(e-ne) about cook'n lobster and crab, do me a favor.

Nick, wtf ya smoke'n? Tell us how that can be good. I'll never try it, but would like to hear wtheck your think'n.

 

[Wyogal]

if it is cured like corned beef, a "boiled" dinner sounds kinda good (although I would simmer it).
Can you just put it in a roaster (probably too big for a slow cooker) and just cook it that way? It's been smoked, so I wouldn't mess with a whole lot of other flavorings. Just cook it low and slow until done... to YOUR satisfaction. You are the one that will be there, peeking under the lid.

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

Traditional pulled pork is made from a Boston Butt, available at most supermarkets. It's either cooked low and slow over indirect heat with lots of good hardwood smoke (fruitwoods such as cherry or apple, hickory or mesquite, or you can use alser, birch or maple). Cook until a meat thermometer reads an internal temperature of 190' F. Make sure to put a drip pan under the roast to catch drippings.

If making in the oven, yuo can approximate the smoky flavor by using liquid smoke during the cooking process. Again, cook low and slow (about 300 degrees or so) until the 190' internal meat temperature is reached. Remove from the oven and let cool until you can safely handle it. break it into chunks. Season with salt, pepper, and onion.

You can also make this in the slow cooker. Just place in the slow cooker and let cook on medium or lowest "cooking" temperature of your appliance. Season with salt and pepper, and sliced onion. Let cool and pull. Again, smokey flavor can be obtained by using liquid smoke.

To serve traditionally, do not mix any sauces with the pulled pork. Rather, make three sauces to be used as condiments by those making there own sandwiches. Typically, a honey mustard sauce, a tomato based barbecue sauce, and a vinager based barbecue sauce. Serve with cole slaw and baked beans.

Seeeeeeya; Goodweed of the North

 

[Nicholas Mosher]

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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Wyogal - I also simmer my "boiled" dinners, but simmering and boiling cook the meat at exactly the same rate, as both raise the temperature of the fluid to it's saturation point. In my case I make a sauce from the broth, so final clarity isn't an issue.

 

[Uncle Bob]

Poaching, Simmering, and Boiling are three different wet cooking methods...Each have their place. Boiling proteins usually produce tough, chewy results...While simmering renders them very tender...

HERE is some information...Click HERE for additional information.