Pulled Pork

At my house, we love our good ol’ fashioned pulled pork.

There are some key components you need to keep in mind to get a good pulled pork:

1. Good meat. I get my pork butts from a local meat market and I buy them whole, bone in, fat cap on. I don’t cut off the fat cap — that’s wasting all the moisture. I just score it with my chef’s knife to let it break up and the flavors get in.
2. Good wood. I smoke my pork butt on my charcoal smoker over good quality natural sugar maple lump charcoal, fresh sugar maple chunks, and chipped apple wood.
3. The rub. The rub is critical. I make my own (recipe below) and let it sit on there for at least a few hours, if not more.
4. Injection. I inject my pulled pork to give it a little more flavor and moisture. See below for recipe. You can buy an injection needle in any barbeque section of any hardware store.
5. Amazing sauce. I usually make three kinds. Vinegar (finishing sauce), Sweet, and Hot. See recipes. When you pull the meat, you need to put a little “finishing sauce” on there. It helps to further tenderize the meat.

RECIPES

1 – 2 Pork Butts (Pork Shoulder) approx 8-10lbs each

Pulled Pork Rub

• 1/2 cup sugar (either white or brown — I find brown has more flavor – or a mix!)
• 1/2 cup paprika
• 1/3 cup kosher salt
• 1/3 cup garlic powder (though I use a little less than this)
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried mustard

Pulled Pork Injection

• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 cup kosher salt
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 3/4 cup apple cider
• 1 tbsp pulled pork rub

Prepare pork by scoring the fat cap with a sharp knife. Inject the pork with the Pulled Pork Injection evenly (use injection needle).

Rub down thoroughly with dry rub, and let sit in the fridge for at least a few hours.

Preheat the smoker to between 210-240F, load up with a fair amount of charcoal, and use a water dish.

Place the pork fat side up on the racks and smoke until internal temperature reaches 195F (12 – 15 hours, depending on weather). Take out of the smoker and wrap with foil and bath towels and let rest in a cooler. This will stay piping hot for up to 5 hours. Remove all fat and bones and pull the meat by hand.

And now the sauces!

Finishing sauce (Vinegar sauce)

• 1 cup cider vinegar
• 5 tablespoons brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons ketchup
• 1 teaspoon cayenne
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Combine in a pot and simmer until sugar is dissolved and ingredients well combined. You’ll need to whisk it to get the ketchup to mix in.

Squirt this sauce all over the pulled meat and toss with your hands.

Hot sauce:

• 1 cup ketchup
• 1 tbsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tbsp chili powder
• 4 tbsp white vinegar
• 2 tbsp hot sauce
• 2 tbsp molasses
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

 Sweet sauce

• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 4 tbsp molasses
• 1/4 cup apple cider
• 2 tbsp white vinegar
• 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tsp honey
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp hot sauce
• 3 tbsp bourbon

Both of these sauces, you just combine everything in a pot and simmer until it reduces slightly.

Serve the pork on buns or on its own, and top with hot and sweet sauces (to taste!)

TIP:

This pulled pork freezes really well. I vacuum seal it in bags with a little extra vinegar sauce and a generous serving of sweet sauce. Defrost it in the bag and heat it up slowly in a slow cooker.

I also use this pulled pork to make the best nachos ever.

Pulled Pork Nachos

• Good quality tortilla chips
• Fresh jalapeno peppers (sliced)
• Chopped tomatoes
• Chopped bell peppers
• Sliced onions, sauteed in butter until caramelized
• Cheddar or Mexican blend cheese (generously distributed!)

Cook these in the oven at  400F until cheese is melted and top with hot pulled pork (pre-sauced). Serve with salsa, sour cream, and guacamole (recipes to come).