Discussion
I've just gone out and bought a shoulder of pork to try and make some pulled pork sandwidges.
I've only just started cooking things so really dont know that much, having only done the usual bacon sarnies and tuna pasta stuff. BUT I did do some ribs the other day which came out pretty well.
so, to the point.
Do I put a dry rub on the meat, cook low and slow for a few hours then once in a while baste with bbq or something else?
I dont have a bbq to do it on so some direction for oven cooking would be good.
I've only just started cooking things so really dont know that much, having only done the usual bacon sarnies and tuna pasta stuff. BUT I did do some ribs the other day which came out pretty well.
so, to the point.
Do I put a dry rub on the meat, cook low and slow for a few hours then once in a while baste with bbq or something else?
I dont have a bbq to do it on so some direction for oven cooking would be good.
I cook mine for about four hours, leave overnight, cook for about two hours, leave for a bit, then an hour before pulling.
Dry rub only during cooking, but the sauce reduces during that last hour of cooking (not too much, as you'll be adding the meat into the sauce, which takes up some of the liquid).
About 130C throughout.
Dry rub only during cooking, but the sauce reduces during that last hour of cooking (not too much, as you'll be adding the meat into the sauce, which takes up some of the liquid).
About 130C throughout.
Posted this on a couple of other threads of late, guess one more won't hurt 
Basically, dry rub it first (overnight is best) over a mustard base (I use a mix of mustards, but any will do, even French's) baste as often as you can be bothered to (usually 3 times during cooking for mine), and give it a final lashing of mop sauce when pulled before adding your BBQ sauce. Not essential, but the cider vinegar really makes it tender.
Stu R said:
Been meaning to post this one for a while now, try it, it's pure win.
So, BBQ pulled pork - my favourite food in the world bar none. I'll start with a couple of caveats - namely I know it's much better done with the bone in, I know I'm using crappy buns in the pictures - I'm making cornbread and picking up some better ones in the morning, yadda yadda.
Anyway, I wanted to recreate this in a fashion that just about anyone with a BBQ can do, so give it a shot.
Cook indirect - I mainly use a weber one touch here - coals on one side, meat on t'other, and under the meat I made a water bowl covered in foil directly under the meat with just a couple of small holes poked in the foil. Also, get some wood chips, whatever takes your fancy. I used a combination of wine barrel chips and some bigger chunks of kiln dried oak and cedar I use for the wood burner, but anything will do. Soak it for at least 30 minutes before hand, and get the BBQ going.
I normally use trays of butchered pork shoulder from Costco as the cooking time is reduced and they're really good quality meat, but this is just a £6 shoulder joint from Tesco, 1.5KG and from that you'll get a dozen man sized pulled pork sandwiches.
Dry Rub - wash and dry the meat and set about making your dry rub. Don't forget, if you're using a shoulder joint it's a big ol' piece of meat so don't skimp on the rub, and use a lot of salt. When you think you've used to much, put a bit more on. My rub recipe is a bit of a secret, but try using equal parts of cayenne, paprika, salt (as course as possible), garlic salt, cumin, brown sugar (darker the better), a good slug of pepper, and a smaller amount of mustard.
[img]
Cover the meat in the rub, just keep rolling, rubbing and patting until it can't hold any more and you've got full coverage. Get it in all the nooks and crannies. Get it on the BBQ, get your wood chips on, get the lid on it and leave it there - no peeking for a while. It should be damn smokey, the smokier the better.
If you happen to have a guard poodle, now's the time to make use of it:
[img]http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/260585_10150279652095379_517085378_9440490_7352387_n.jpg[img]
Here's what it looks like after 2-3 hours at which point you should give it a good going over with the mop sauce, a few tablespoons worth to ensure it's getting into all the nooks and crannies (I had to refuel the BBQ at this point - more coals, more wood chips etc so ideal)
You mop sauce is basically just a basting sauce you'll apply once or twice during cooking to keep it moist and tender. Take a cup of cider vinegar, 1/3 cup malt vinegar, 1tbs chilli powder and 1tsp mustard powder, 1tsp white pepper. Don't need to use it all - just a few tablespoons and any that doesn't get used set aside - it'll go in to making your BBQ sauce.
So, 7 hours later we get this - it looks burned, it's not, it's perfect. It's got a nice thick bark, and it's literally trying to fall apart right on the grill
Transferred it to a plate and it fell apart
Give it a final basting with some mop sauce and let it stand for 10 minutes or so. In the mean time, make your BBQ sauce.
We're using a cider vinegar based BBQ sauce, it's quite sharp and at first you'll probably think it's too vinegary, but give it a try. Take 1 cup cider vinegar, half a cup of water, half a cup of ketchup, 1/3 cup yellow mustard, 1 tsp worcester sauce, 2tsp cayenne. Simmer in a pan for 10-15 minutes stirring continuously.
Stick the pork in a roasting tin, and begin shredding it with 2 forks. 1 fork to hold, the other to pull. Don't try and get it too consistent, it's a rough and ready kind of food, but do try and get the bark distributed evenly so everyone gets some - it's like little pockets of flavour. Also, don't be stingy with the fat, if you've cooked it slow and low enough, it should fall apart and the fat from the top of the joint should be leaking juices, so when you've cut it off keep it in the pan, of shredded pork, it's pure flavour.
which will eventually turn into a pan full, like this
Take your still-warm BBQ sauce and apply liberally. Don't use too much but it should be a nice wet mixture, with a super smokey flavour complimented by the vinegary BBQ sauce, not overpowered by it. It's best when it's had a night in the fridge, to reheat just cover in foil and chuck the lot in the oven on 150C or thereabouts.
Serve in a soft white bun, or if you're into your soul food it goes amazing with cornbread and 'slaw. Tonight I used hot dog buns, normally I use big soft batch type buns. Hot dog buns work surprisingly well, and don't forget to spoon over some more of that BBQ sauce.
Not the most photogenic of foods, but it's pure flavour and my absolute favourite.
It's a shame you can't get it on a BBQ for a bit, but you'll still get a delicious sandwich from the oven. Just follow the above process, shoot for 140C (use a meat thermometer rather than the oven dial - they're spectacularly inaccurate most of the time). Let the meat rest before you pull it, half an hour will do. So, BBQ pulled pork - my favourite food in the world bar none. I'll start with a couple of caveats - namely I know it's much better done with the bone in, I know I'm using crappy buns in the pictures - I'm making cornbread and picking up some better ones in the morning, yadda yadda.
Anyway, I wanted to recreate this in a fashion that just about anyone with a BBQ can do, so give it a shot.
Cook indirect - I mainly use a weber one touch here - coals on one side, meat on t'other, and under the meat I made a water bowl covered in foil directly under the meat with just a couple of small holes poked in the foil. Also, get some wood chips, whatever takes your fancy. I used a combination of wine barrel chips and some bigger chunks of kiln dried oak and cedar I use for the wood burner, but anything will do. Soak it for at least 30 minutes before hand, and get the BBQ going.
I normally use trays of butchered pork shoulder from Costco as the cooking time is reduced and they're really good quality meat, but this is just a £6 shoulder joint from Tesco, 1.5KG and from that you'll get a dozen man sized pulled pork sandwiches.
Dry Rub - wash and dry the meat and set about making your dry rub. Don't forget, if you're using a shoulder joint it's a big ol' piece of meat so don't skimp on the rub, and use a lot of salt. When you think you've used to much, put a bit more on. My rub recipe is a bit of a secret, but try using equal parts of cayenne, paprika, salt (as course as possible), garlic salt, cumin, brown sugar (darker the better), a good slug of pepper, and a smaller amount of mustard.
[img]
Cover the meat in the rub, just keep rolling, rubbing and patting until it can't hold any more and you've got full coverage. Get it in all the nooks and crannies. Get it on the BBQ, get your wood chips on, get the lid on it and leave it there - no peeking for a while. It should be damn smokey, the smokier the better.
If you happen to have a guard poodle, now's the time to make use of it:
[img]http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/260585_10150279652095379_517085378_9440490_7352387_n.jpg[img]
Here's what it looks like after 2-3 hours at which point you should give it a good going over with the mop sauce, a few tablespoons worth to ensure it's getting into all the nooks and crannies (I had to refuel the BBQ at this point - more coals, more wood chips etc so ideal)
You mop sauce is basically just a basting sauce you'll apply once or twice during cooking to keep it moist and tender. Take a cup of cider vinegar, 1/3 cup malt vinegar, 1tbs chilli powder and 1tsp mustard powder, 1tsp white pepper. Don't need to use it all - just a few tablespoons and any that doesn't get used set aside - it'll go in to making your BBQ sauce.
So, 7 hours later we get this - it looks burned, it's not, it's perfect. It's got a nice thick bark, and it's literally trying to fall apart right on the grill
Transferred it to a plate and it fell apart
Give it a final basting with some mop sauce and let it stand for 10 minutes or so. In the mean time, make your BBQ sauce.
We're using a cider vinegar based BBQ sauce, it's quite sharp and at first you'll probably think it's too vinegary, but give it a try. Take 1 cup cider vinegar, half a cup of water, half a cup of ketchup, 1/3 cup yellow mustard, 1 tsp worcester sauce, 2tsp cayenne. Simmer in a pan for 10-15 minutes stirring continuously.
Stick the pork in a roasting tin, and begin shredding it with 2 forks. 1 fork to hold, the other to pull. Don't try and get it too consistent, it's a rough and ready kind of food, but do try and get the bark distributed evenly so everyone gets some - it's like little pockets of flavour. Also, don't be stingy with the fat, if you've cooked it slow and low enough, it should fall apart and the fat from the top of the joint should be leaking juices, so when you've cut it off keep it in the pan, of shredded pork, it's pure flavour.
which will eventually turn into a pan full, like this
Take your still-warm BBQ sauce and apply liberally. Don't use too much but it should be a nice wet mixture, with a super smokey flavour complimented by the vinegary BBQ sauce, not overpowered by it. It's best when it's had a night in the fridge, to reheat just cover in foil and chuck the lot in the oven on 150C or thereabouts.
Serve in a soft white bun, or if you're into your soul food it goes amazing with cornbread and 'slaw. Tonight I used hot dog buns, normally I use big soft batch type buns. Hot dog buns work surprisingly well, and don't forget to spoon over some more of that BBQ sauce.
Not the most photogenic of foods, but it's pure flavour and my absolute favourite.
Basically, dry rub it first (overnight is best) over a mustard base (I use a mix of mustards, but any will do, even French's) baste as often as you can be bothered to (usually 3 times during cooking for mine), and give it a final lashing of mop sauce when pulled before adding your BBQ sauce. Not essential, but the cider vinegar really makes it tender.
Edited by Stu R on Monday 19th September 13:58
I was taught to make pulled pork the easy way when I lived in the US:
1 very large pork butt (shoulder) dropped into an big pot and filled up with ginger beer to just cover the pork. Place in a very low oven for 24 hours. Remove pork and shred with forks, removing any inedible bits and return shreds to pot. Pour in two large jars of your favourite BBQ sauce, stir in and return to very low oven for 6 hours. Serve.
1 very large pork butt (shoulder) dropped into an big pot and filled up with ginger beer to just cover the pork. Place in a very low oven for 24 hours. Remove pork and shred with forks, removing any inedible bits and return shreds to pot. Pour in two large jars of your favourite BBQ sauce, stir in and return to very low oven for 6 hours. Serve.
0a said:
Stu bloody hell that sounds good. Now the weather is turning I'm going to try the oven method first, cheers!
It's damn good 
BTW, if you've still got that hoard of cooking apples, they'll go some way to imparting a delicious flavour into pulled pork during the slow cooking process 
The Major said:
sounds good stu, do you have a recipe for a mop sauce or just use bbq sauce?
It can be as simple or complex as you like really. They're usually simple, recently I've been using just a cider vinegar with some tabasco, cayenne and paprika and BBQ sauce in. Vinegar based stuff will make it more tender. 
Thanks Stu for this brilliant recipe.
I tried it last weekend and it was brilliant, even though I only cooked the pork for 4 hours. It wasnt as "fally aparty" as it should be but was still very tasty.
I've stuck another joint on this morning, only half an hour ago, and it's busy smoking away, ready for a 6:30pm dinner!
One thing I found with the BBQ sauce, it was much less vinegary the following day after a night in the fridge, and was really sweet and apple flavoured. I've started my sauce now so it can have a few hours to mellow a bit!
Thanks again
Dave
I tried it last weekend and it was brilliant, even though I only cooked the pork for 4 hours. It wasnt as "fally aparty" as it should be but was still very tasty.
I've stuck another joint on this morning, only half an hour ago, and it's busy smoking away, ready for a 6:30pm dinner!
One thing I found with the BBQ sauce, it was much less vinegary the following day after a night in the fridge, and was really sweet and apple flavoured. I've started my sauce now so it can have a few hours to mellow a bit!
Thanks again
Dave
Also got pork shoulder on the WSM today.
comments about above recipe.
Noticed Stu left the skin (crackling) and a lot of fat on, personally I don't like that, I would have removed the skin and left much less fat on. Say 1/8", defintely less than 1/4".
Personally prefer the rub to be in contact with the meat, rather than fat and skin.
Obviously if it's a butchered tied joint you have to cut the string to remove the skin etc. I'd then tie it up again with butcher's string, and surgeon's knots are much easier than butcher's knots.
I lightly oil the pork before putting rub on, as it helps the rub to stick, and helps the flavour too imo.
Again it's a personal choice but I don't like the lot of smoke, the more the better, advice. Too much smoke spoils it for me, but each to their own. No wrong or right way to it, but to personal taste.
comments about above recipe.
Noticed Stu left the skin (crackling) and a lot of fat on, personally I don't like that, I would have removed the skin and left much less fat on. Say 1/8", defintely less than 1/4".
Personally prefer the rub to be in contact with the meat, rather than fat and skin.
Obviously if it's a butchered tied joint you have to cut the string to remove the skin etc. I'd then tie it up again with butcher's string, and surgeon's knots are much easier than butcher's knots.
I lightly oil the pork before putting rub on, as it helps the rub to stick, and helps the flavour too imo.
Again it's a personal choice but I don't like the lot of smoke, the more the better, advice. Too much smoke spoils it for me, but each to their own. No wrong or right way to it, but to personal taste.
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