Pulled Pork Shoulder Food

SLOW-COOKED PULLED PORK SHOULDER

Steps:

• Place the pork shoulder into the ceramic bowl of a slow cooker. Pour enough water and white vinegar into the slow cooker to assure the pork is completely covered, maintaining a 2-to-1 ratio of vinegar to water. Add the salt. Put the ceramic bowl in the refrigerator and allow the pork to marinate at least 12 hours and up to 24 hours.
• Drain enough of the liquid from the ceramic bowl until about 1/2-inch of pork is left exposed. Add the onion to the remaining liquid. Season the exposed surface of the pork with the cumin, mustard, chili powder, and brown sugar. Place the bowl into the base of the slow cooker and cook on High until the pork is tender and falls apart easily, 8 to 10 hours.
• Carefully remove the pork to a cutting board; shred the meat into strands using a pair of forks. Remove and discard any excess fat.

PULLED PORK

Steps:

• Stir together the brown sugar, chile powder, paprika, garlic powder, salt, black pepper and cayenne in a small bowl. Rub the mixture all over the pork shoulder. Wrap the pork in plastic wrap and refrigerate for several hours or preferably overnight.
• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
• Place the pork in a large pot on a bed of the onion halves. Roast until fork-tender and falling apart, about 7 hours. Remove the pork from the pot and set it on a cutting board. Slice some of the onion.
• Place the pot on the stove over medium-high heat and add 1/2 to 1 cup of hot water. Scrape the pan to loosen up the bits and cook for 5 minutes to reduce. Pour in the barbecue sauce and stir to heat.
• Shred the meat with two forks, add the sliced onions to the pork and then toss in the barbecue sauce until it's coated to your liking! Serve on hamburger rolls.

PULLED PORK SHOULDER

Steps:

• Combine ingredients for the brine.
• Place the pork roast into the brine, making sure it is submerged, and refrigerate for 10-12 hours, or overnight.
• Using a spice mill or mortar and pestle, grind ingredients for the spice rub into a fine powder.
• At the appropriate time, drain the pork roast from the brine and pat dry with paper toweling.
• Apply the spice rub to the pork roast, massaging it in, using gloves if desired to keep the rub from sticking to your fingers.
• Mix together ingredients for mop/baste and set aside.
• Prepare smoker or grill.
• When the smoker/grill temperature has reduced to 210F, add the pork roast, cover grill, and cook for approximately 10 hours, or until internal temperature has reached 165-190°F.
• Do not exceed 190F for an internal temperature in the meat or it will be dry.
• Maintain smoker/grill temperature of 210F throughout cooking time (you may add soaked wood chips to the coals occasionally, if desired).
• During the last hour or so of cooking, brush on mop liberally, about every 15 minutes or so.
• When the pork is cooked, it should be tender enough that sticking it with a fork loosens the meat easily.
• The roast will appear dark (it's what is called a"bark") when fully cooked.
• Allow pork roast to"rest" for 45 minutes to an hour before pulling (try not to pick at it and eat all of it before you get a chance to pull it!).
• To pull, use your fingers or 2 forks to shred meat on a cutting board.
• To make a sandwich, thin your preferred barbecue sauce and toss with meat in a bowl.
• Place meat on a bun/roll with some cole slaw (if desired).
• May also just eat off the plate, no sandwich.
• You'll find yourself grabbing pieces to munch on anyway.

BRAISED PULLED PORK SHOULDER

Steps:

• Place pork shoulder on a large parchment-lined baking sheet. In a small bowl, combine brown sugar, 2 tablespoons salt, 1 teaspoon black pepper, paprika, dry mustard, cumin, and cayenne. Rub pork with spice mixture, being sure to cover all sides. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours and preferably overnight.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
• Remove pork shoulder from refrigerator and bring to room temperature, about 30 minutes. Pat dry with paper towels. Heat a large Dutch-oven over medium-high heat and add vegetable oil. Add pork shoulder to Dutch-oven and sear, turning, until golden brown all over, about 4 minutes per side.
• Add 2 cups of water to Dutch-oven and position pork shoulder fat-side up, and cover. Transfer to oven and cook until meat shreds easily with two forks, 5 to 6 hours. Baste with pan juices every hour.
• When cooked, remove from Dutch-oven and shred meat with two forks. Serve meat on buns with barbecue sauce.

NORTH CAROLINA PULLED PORK

Steps:

• 1. If using the rub, combine the mild paprika, brown sugar, hot paprika, celery salt, garlic salt, dry mustard, pepper, onion powder, and salt in a bowl and toss with your fingers to mix. Wearing rubber or plastic gloves if desired, rub the spice mixture onto the pork shoulder on all sides, then cover it with plastic wrap and refrigerate it for at least 3 hours, preferably 8.
• If not using the rub, generously season the pork all over with coarse (kosher or sea) salt and freshly ground black pepper; you can start cooking immediately.
• 2. Set up the grill for indirect grilling and place a drip pan in the center.
• If using a gas grill, place all of the wood chips in the smoker box and preheat the grill to high; when smoke appears, reduce the heat to medium.
• If using a charcoal grill, preheat the grill to medium-low and adjust the vents to obtain a temperature of 300°F.
• 3. When ready to cook, if using charcoal, toss 1 cup of the wood chips on the coals. Place the pork shoulder, fat side up, on the hot grate over the drip pan. Cover the grill and smoke cook the pork shoulder until fall-off-the-bone tender and the internal temperature on an instant-read meat thermometer reaches 195°F, 4 to 6 hours (the cooking time will depend on the size of the pork roast and the heat of the grill). If using charcoal, you'll need to add 10 to 12 fresh coals to each side every hour and toss more wood chips on the fresh coals; add about 1/2 cup per side every time you replenish the coals. With gas, all you need to do is be sure that you start with a full tank of gas. If the pork begins to brown too much, drape a piece of aluminum foil loosely over it or lower the heat.
• 4. Transfer the pork roast to a cutting board, loosely tent it with aluminum foil, and let rest for 15 minutes.
• 5. Wearing heavy-duty rubber gloves if desired, pull off and discard any skin from the meat, then pull the pork into pieces, discarding any bones or fat. Using your fingertips or a fork, pull each piece of pork into shreds 1 to 2 inches long and 1/8 to 1/4 inch wide. This requires time and patience, but a human touch is needed to achieve the perfect texture. If patience isn't one of your virtues, you can finely chop the pork with a cleaver (many respected North Carolina barbecue joints serve chopped 'cue). Transfer the shredded pork to a nonreactive roasting pan. Stir in 1 to 1 1/2 cups of the vinegar sauce, enough to keep the pork moist, then cover the pan with aluminum foil and place it on the grill for up to 30 minutes to keep warm.
• 6. To serve, mound the pulled pork on the hamburger buns and top with coleslaw. Let each person add more vinegar sauce to taste.

PULLED PORK

Steps:

• Mix together 2 tsp each smoked paprika, ground cumin, pepper, and brown sugar, plus 1 tsp salt. Rub over the 2.5kg boneless shoulder of pork.
• Put the pork in a big casserole dish, skin-side up, and pour in 2 medium mugfuls of cider.
• Cover with a lid and cook in the oven at 150C/130C fan/gas 2 for anywhere between 4 and 8 hrs until falling apart. Check every few hours in case it gets dry - if it does, add another mugful of cider.
• Take it out of the oven and put the meat in a big dish, leaving the liquid in the casserole.
• Cut the skin off, then shred the meat using two forks. Ditch any fatty bits, and skim any excess fat off the surface of the sauce.
• Add a mugful of a good smoky BBQ sauce to the casserole, mix it in, then ladle some into a bowl for dipping.
• Put the pulled pork back in the casserole with the juices so it stays moist. Season to taste. Can be made one day ahead.
• Serve in soft white rolls with coleslaw and the bowl of juices on the side for 'French dipping' the sandwich while you're eating.

PLEASINGLY EASY PULLED PORK

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees F, rack 1 rung below center.
• Bring pork to room temperature, about 30 minutes, and pat dry.
• Combine paprika, salt, garlic, onion, oregano or marjoram and pepper in a bowl, then coat meat evenly, rubbing mixture into meat.
• Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat with oil, 3 turns of the pan. When oil ripples and smokes, add the meat and brown on all sides, 8 to 10 minutes total. Add beer, wine or cider and reduce a minute or so, then add stock. Cover and place in oven. Cook 3 hours until very tender, then shred meat with tines of 2 forks, removing larger pieces of fat or connective tissue as you work. Stir meat and drippings together with Barbecue Sauce, if using.
• Heat oil in medium saucepot or skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Add onions, chile, garlic, salt and pepper, then soften 5 to 6 minutes. Add vinegar and reduce 1 to 2 minutes, then add ketchup or sauce, Worcestershire, brown sugar and hot sauce. Simmer over low heat for flavors to combine. Add to pork and drippings and combine.

SLOW COOKER TEXAS PULLED PORK

Steps:

• Pour the vegetable oil into the bottom of a slow cooker. Place the pork roast into the slow cooker; pour in the barbecue sauce, apple cider vinegar, and chicken broth. Stir in the brown sugar, yellow mustard, Worcestershire sauce, chili powder, onion, garlic, and thyme. Cover and cook on High until the roast shreds easily with a fork, 5 to 6 hours.
• Remove the roast from the slow cooker, and shred the meat using two forks. Return the shredded pork to the slow cooker, and stir the meat into the juices.
• Spread the inside of both halves of hamburger buns with butter. Toast the buns, butter side down, in a skillet over medium heat until golden brown. Spoon pork into the toasted buns.

STEPHANIE'S AMAZING PULLED PORK AND DRY RUB

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 275.
• Rub the pork with your dry rub you can do this the night before or an hour before cooking.
• In a roasting pan pour in juice or water add liquid smoke.
• Place pork on roasting rack or upside down muffin tin. Cook for 5-6 hours.