2010 Cooking Club Week 48: Pulled Pork

revz

I did this recipe once before and it worked perfectly, many thanks to the OP!

It's actually very easy to do too, the part that actually takes the most conscious time/effort is the removal of the fat.

When I first did it, I didn't make the "sauce" at the end (with the cup of BBQ sauce, 1/2 cup of cider vinegar), I just used Bison's BBQ sauce, and while it was really tasty, I thought it would be better with more sauce before serving.

So I've attempted to make the sauce this time round. 240ml BBQ sauce, 120ml Cider vinegar, and then the rest of the pastes etc. It's turned out pretty much with liquid viscosity, is that right? Like I'd say it'd only be a bit thicker than the consistency of the cider vinegar itself after whisking.
Not sure whether to add it now, if it's supposed to be thicker I may leave it, or else add some more BBQ sauce to the mix! Or could I reduce it on the stove?

syklops

revz wrote: »

I did this recipe once before and it worked perfectly, many thanks to the OP!

It's actually very easy to do too, the part that actually takes the most conscious time/effort is the removal of the fat.

Just do what I do. Ask the butcher to remove the fat for you. Then cut the fat into squares, roast it and have crackling crisps while waiting for the pork.

Sparks

revz wrote: »

I'd say it'd only be a bit thicker than the consistency of the cider vinegar itself after whisking.
Not sure whether to add it now, if it's supposed to be thicker I may leave it, or else add some more BBQ sauce to the mix! Or could I reduce it on the stove?

No, that's about right. It coats the meat a bit thinly, but barbecue sauce isn't supposed to be porridge You *can* reduce it if you want, but watch it carefully, with all that sugar it would catch and burn quite readily. Stir pretty much constantly.

Satriale

6.5litre slow cooker in Aldi tomorrow for E20...

https://www.aldi.ie/en/specialbuys/thu-22-oct/products-detail-page/ps/p/large-slow-cooker-2/

Muahahaha

syklops wrote: »

Just do what I do. Ask the butcher to remove the fat for you. Then cut the fat into squares, roast it and have crackling crisps while waiting for the pork.

took me a while to cop that my butcher can do this job a lot better than me. Now when I order it he knows to cut the layer of fat off and he even scores it too which makes everything a lot easier.

Not G.R

Making this tomorrow. Realised I have no black strap. I have black treacle do you think it will work as well?

BaZmO*

Not G.R wrote: »

Making this tomorrow. Realised I have no black strap. I have black treacle do you think it will work as well?

I used black treacle the last couple of times I made it and there was no difference at all.

Sparks

If you tasted both side-by-side, you'd notice the difference (the strap isn't as sweet, which I personally prefer); but it's so close that you can substitute without anything going wrong.

Not G.R

Sparks wrote: »

If you tasted both side-by-side, you'd notice the difference (the strap isn't as sweet, which I personally prefer); but it's so close that you can substitute without anything going wrong.

I'll add a drop of extra vinager to balance it so.

Thanks to you both :]

DeVore

Yeah I made this again just last week and used black treacle as I cant find black strap molasses near me (nor the Nam Pla as it happens).

I cooked 1.3 kg for almost 9 hours and it pretty much pulled itself! My only complaint is the hours and hours of ridiculous smells me and my hound had to put up with during the day (he loves it too btw!)



Oh, and I slow curried goat leg cuts with a very similar approach and it worked out great!

maryfred

Bought a new 6.5 ltr slow cooker during the week. Ordered a big piece of meat from the butcher's to do for pulled pork. Only had a 2ltr slow cooker before so I'm looking forward to cooking this again. I've never had the black strap molasses to use so I've just done without. My husband hates the smell of the cider vinegar cooking but loves the end result,so the plan is to cook loads,portion it out and freeze it. It freezes very well so I won't have to assault his nostrils for a good while! Cannot wait!!!

eamoh

1.2kg piece of meat, 5 litre Breville slow cooker, I assume i need to use more liquid to almost cover meat, double up on everything or just more coke? Should I use low or high setting? I have about 10-12 hours available to cook?

Insect Overlord

Is it just me, or is it getting harder to find suitable cuts of meat for this? I used to be able to get pork collar in Tesco, but every supermarket I've been in these last few weeks is wall to wall bacon and ham. They're doing a little bit of pork steak, stuffed loins, or chops, but nothing that seems right for pulled pork.

Cheshire Cat

An File wrote: »

Is it just me, or is it getting harder to find suitable cuts of meat for this? I used to be able to get pork collar in Tesco, but every supermarket I've been in these last few weeks is wall to wall bacon and ham. They're doing a little bit of pork steak, stuffed loins, or chops, but nothing that seems right for pulled pork.

I'm afraid that's the normal run up to Xmas. A lot of stuff is replaced with 'christmassy' things. Hate it! Things will be fine again come January.

Sparks

...and you can always ask the butcher. Pulled pork has become so popular over the years since this thread started that it's become a known thing and butchers now recommend cuts for it (or at least, the ones I've been going to do).

Insect Overlord

Cheers, lads. I'll try some of the reliable pig butchers in Limerick during the week.

Not G.R

An File wrote: »

Cheers, lads. I'll try some of the reliable pig butchers in Limerick during the week.

Worst comes to worst you can always order a slab of pork shoulder, bone in from FX Buckleys or James Whelan butchers online.

Greenmachine

Hey folks went to the local butcher shop yesterday and got myself a shoulder of pork €14 all in. I had the butcher take off the shank, just the sticky out bone, so it would fit in the slow cooker, butcher, was familiar with cooking a shoulder in a 3.5L slow cooker and said he often did it himself. He was waiting a deliver due in about 30 minutes after I dropped in, so I ran into to tesco and picked up my missing ingredients. I had almost everything needed for the rubbing, but had nothing for the marinade or sauce more or less. €15 lighter I was almost set. Back over to the butcher where they prepared it on the spot.

They were a little worried when I asked to remove the fat and skin as in the OP. Not sure if a consensus has been reached in the thread or not, but after explaining I going to do a three day processes with a rub marinade, marinade, followed by the sauce and dropping as many of the ingredients as I could remember into it they were happy enough that I was a goer.
Before I had explained myself, fully they had suggested pineapple juice as an alternative to the apple cider vinegar.

Q 1. I have gotten myself a nice big shoulder of pork with bone weighting a total 2.8kg excluding portion mentioned in Q.3. How long will I need to cook this for. Will I need extra rub.

Q 2. Has anyone tried cooking a shoulder fat still one with pineapple juice in the mix.

Butcher has seperated another bone from the shoulder, I think it might be shoulder blade
I think it recommeded roasting, this or making soup/stock with this.
Q 3. Any ideas how to go about this.

Sparks

A1. You cook it until the test passes (ie. you twist the meat with the tongs and it comes away immediately - if it feels like meat, it's not done yet). For that size, in a matching size slow cooker, I'd give it at least 8 hours and probably closer to 10.

A2. I'd leave the fat and skin off before cooking still. If this was a barbecue pit, no question, you'd leave them on; but in the slow cooker there's nowhere for any fat to escape to and it'll just stay up in contact with the meat. For small amounts like you get in the intramuscular spaces, no problem. For the fat around the outside, well it leaves it too greasy for my tastes (but YMMV). That mouthfeel you get off the pork should not be coming from the fat anyway; it's coming from the collagen rendering into gelatin because it's moist cooking at a low temperature for a long time. Fat has nothing to do with it.

A2b: Pineapple juice? Well, it could work, it's acidic enough, but if you don't like the whole tropical taste thing you'd be stuffed. I like the vinegar tang, which is more Carolinas than Caribbean, but I could see how that could be personal taste.

A3: Put bone in oven in a roasting dish on its own, bake at ~160 for ~30-40 mins, then put in stockpot with mirepoix and water and simmer for several hours. Or use a pressure cooker for 2-3 hours (which is what I do).

Greenmachine

Sparks wrote: »

A1. You cook it until the test passes (ie. you twist the meat with the tongs and it comes away immediately - if it feels like meat, it's not done yet). For that size, in a matching size slow cooker, I'd give it at least 8 hours and probably closer to 10.

A2. I'd leave the fat and skin off before cooking still. If this was a barbecue pit, no question, you'd leave them on; but in the slow cooker there's nowhere for any fat to escape to and it'll just stay up in contact with the meat. For small amounts like you get in the intramuscular spaces, no problem. For the fat around the outside, well it leaves it too greasy for my tastes (but YMMV). That mouthfeel you get off the pork should not be coming from the fat anyway; it's coming from the collagen rendering into gelatin because it's moist cooking at a low temperature for a long time. Fat has nothing to do with it.

A2b: Pineapple juice? Well, it could work, it's acidic enough, but if you don't like the whole tropical taste thing you'd be stuffed. I like the vinegar tang, which is more Carolinas than Caribbean, but I could see how that could be personal taste.

A3: Put bone in oven in a roasting dish on its own, bake at ~160 for ~30-40 mins, then put in stockpot with mirepoix and water and simmer for several hours. Or use a pressure cooker for 2-3 hours (which is what I do).

Lovely job, will check that bag again feels like the shank might be in there too the sticky out bone. No idea how much meat is on it.
Well I just doubled everything up. I had no smoked paprika despite thinking otherwise. I though about in a little bit of smoke salt for the smoke flavor but no idea of the type of salt used. Got a lot of bulk spices on holiday a while ago 100-200gr bag type deals, chicken seasoning, beef seasoning, BBQ spice, sweet chilli dip powder.

2 Subsitutions in total, plain paprika for smoked, and onion flakes for onion granules.

Celery is one of the few veg I don't eat but will give it a go with the onion and carrot.

Greenmachine

I just had a look in that second bag after stick in on the scales another 1201 gram in there. :eek:

Two pieces in there the shank and the piece I was sure he described as bone singular, appear to be ribs tips just wanted to confirm this was what I am supposed to be worked with for the roast, slow cook & mirepoix.

Sparks

I've generally just used pork ribs when making that (more for the broth in ramen than for stock, but the recipe's very similar). Anything big enough to have had marrow in it is fine - ribs, any of the major limb bones, that kind of thing.

Greenmachine

Cool sound like it was what you were talking about alright then. I am too long in crumby flat in integrated oven. Will finally be able to cook whole chickens now i have a slow cooker but not before my pulled pork. :D:D:D


All looking good so far. Only concern is a few have found it spicy, which is good for me but not for one person in the house in particular. Think I will have to reduce the spices in the marinade here, and offer them so yogurt, or creme fresh to cut.
Is there such a thing as over doing the cooking stage? Serving it for a get together.
I was thinking of giving the rub as long as possible in the fridge. Cooking the shoulder for 24hrs or so and pulling it a few hours before the guest would arrive.

It's big enough I guess that i don't want to discard the liquid to find it's not as hot in the centre?
I see most people here are having this with baps, coleslaw and gherkins?
I was thinking was thinking of serving it with some homemade mac and cheese, would that work or not?

Sparks

Spicy? But... there's only the one whole chilli that you didn't cut up, and a little chilli powder - unless they're really, really, really sensitive to chilli, they shouldn't have even really noticed it!

Well, you could leave that out I guess. It'd definitely be missing something though.


Yes, you can overdo the cooking stage, that's entirely possible. It would take a silly amount of time - 18-20 hours or so at least - but you could go from properly done to soup. Not recommended. If you're worried, cook it a day ahead of time (and I wouldn't be hugely worried about core temp because of the amount of time and the low temperatures involved here, the heat has lots of time to diffuse), then pull and store in tupperware in the fridge; then on the day, let it come to room temp in the tupperware on the counter, put in a pot and sauce and reheat (in a pinch you can microwave small batches of it).

Baps, coleslaw and gherkins work well for a traditional sandwich with the stuff.
With mac and cheese, if you dotted it about as a highlight in the dish, it ought to be good. I've had it as a pizza topping, as a stuffing for bread rolls (where you form the dough around the pork and bake it), with rice, on tortilla chips, and a few other ways. Never in mac and cheese, but I don't bake that dish much.

Greenmachine

Thanks for an awesome thread. Just one fussy eater, I was keeping in mind. She happily eats the pulled pork in boojums or pablo picantes and has it with creme fraise without fail. Some more of the same might just do the job. No idea of the quantities of spices used in those. There are time where she was froze eating thing because she has found it too spicy and, it might not have even registered with me that were any chillis used in a dish.

Need the dish for Sunday Evening so leaning toward putting it on the slow cooker about 8pm Saturday and Checking it after 12 hours. I will be home the whole day Sunday, so that will give me at least an extra 6 hours leeway cooking time without having to get up during the night to check on it.

One last question should I bring the pork to room temperature before putting it in the slow cooker, or is the fact it is slow cooking a forgiving enough process.

Sparks

It's a very forgiving process, I just move the pork from fridge to slow cooker directly. If you froze it for some reason, I'd thaw it first, but you shouldn't do that

Greenmachine

Just cooked the hock last night into a cabbage soup we're having that tonight. Saving the best for tomorrow, namely the pulled pork. Any of the soup we don't eat today will go in the freezer along with blade/rib tips . No photos of the hock process but will provide some for the pulled pork. :D:D:D

Sparks

So (a) woot!
And (b) I found an application for pulled pork that I can't recommend

Behold the Swineapple Macaron - a pineapple macaron hull with fresh pineapple buttercream surrounding a filling of pulled pork



(No, you weren't meant to eat it, I made it as a joke for someone in the office. Mind you, they did eat it and reported it was fine... I'm not sure what to make of that report though )

The Black Oil

Pineapple buttercream surrounding a filling of pulled pork

MissFlitworth

I'm ashamed to say - I'd full on give the swineapple a go. Especially if the pineapple-y-ness was nice and tart