Saturday Kitchen Pulled Pork Food

SUNNY'S EASY 4-INGREDIENT PULLED PORK

Steps:

• Sprinkle the pork butt generously with salt, black pepper and about a tablespoon ground cumin. Place in a slow cooker.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the salsa, peanut butter and remaining tablespoon cumin. Pour into the slow cooker over the pork butt. Cook on low for 8 hours, or until fork tender.
• Remove the pork butt from the slow cooker and shred with 2 forks. Serve in bowls over the Mashed Potatoes, topped with a ladle of the cooking liquid from the slow cooker.
• Add the butter to a medium pot and place over medium-low heat. Once melted, add the garlic and cook until the garlic flavor is infused into the butter, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the mashed potatoes and mix to combine. Cook until the mashed potatoes are heated through, about 5 minutes. Top with the scallions and serve.

THE BEST PULLED PORK

Steps:

• Whisk together the chile powder, salt, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper and 2 tablespoons of the brown sugar in a small bowl until completely combined and no lumps remain. Spread the spice rub evenly over the pork butt, pressing it into the flesh on all sides. Let the pork sit at room temperature for at least 1 hour or wrap tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 48 hours.
• Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 275 degrees F.
• Whisk together the barbecue sauce, apple cider, ketchup, mustard, Worcestershire sauce and the remaining 1/2 cup brown sugar in large Dutch oven or other heavy large pot until combined. Transfer the pork and any accumulated juices to the pot, turning the pork to coat it with sauce. Bring the sauce to a boil over medium-high heat. Then cover, transfer to the oven and bake until the pork is very tender and easily shreds when pulled apart with a fork, 3 to 3 1/2 hours. Let the pork cool uncovered for 30 minutes.
• Reserve 1 cup of the sauce for serving, then smash the pork into the remaining sauce with a potato masher; it should fall apart and shred completely. Stir to combine the pork with the sauce. Serve on toasted potato rolls topped with coleslaw. Pass the reserved sauce.

OVEN-ROASTED PULLED PORK SANDWICHES

Steps:

• Mix the paprika, garlic power, brown sugar, dry mustard, and salt together in a small bowl. Rub the spice blend all over the pork and marinate for as long as you have time for, as little as 1 hour or up to overnight, covered, in the refrigerator.
• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
• Put the pork in a roasting pan and bake for about 6 hours. Basically, roast the pork until it's falling apart and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers 170 degrees F.
• To make the barbecue sauce: combine the vinegar, mustard, ketchup, brown sugar, garlic, salt, cayenne, and black pepper in a saucepan over medium heat. Simmer gently, stirring, for 10 minutes until the sugar dissolves.
• Remove the pork roast from the oven and transfer to a large platter. Allow the meat to rest for about 10 minutes. While still warm, take 2 forks and "pull" the meat to form shreds. Using 2 forks, shred the pork by steadying the meat with 1 fork and pulling it away with the other. Put the shredded pork in a bowl. Pour 1/2 of the sauce on the shredded pork and mix well to coat.
• To serve, spoon the pulled pork mixture onto the bottom 1/2 of the hamburger bun, and top with the spicy slaw. Serve with pickle spears and the remaining sauce on the side.
• Combine the cabbage, carrot, red onion, green onions, and chile in a large bowl. In another bowl, mix the mayonnaise, mustard, vinegar, lemon juice, and sugar; stirring to incorporate. Pour the dressing over the cabbage mixture and toss gently to mix. Season the cole slaw with celery seed, hot sauce, salt, and pepper. Chill for 2 hours in refrigerator before serving.

SOUTHERN PULLED-PORK SANDWICHES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees, with racks in lower and upper positions. In a small bowl, combine sugar, cayenne, 1 tablespoon salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper.
• Place pork in a 5-quart Dutch oven or large heavy-bottomed pot; rub with spice mixture.
• In a medium bowl, combine vinegar, garlic, and 1/2 cup water; pour over pork. Cover pot, and place in oven on lower rack. Bake until pork is very tender and separates easily when pulled with a fork, 2 to 2 1/2 hours.
• Transfer pork to a work surface, reserving pan juices. With two forks, shred meat. Transfer to a large bowl, and toss with pan juices to moisten (you may not need all the juices). Pile pork on rolls, and top with barbecue sauce, if desired.

PULLED PORK

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees, with rack in the lower third of the oven.
• In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, cumin, paprika, salt, and pepper. Rub spice mixture all over pork.
• Place pork, fat side up, in a 5- to 6-quart Dutch oven. Add Guinness and garlic cloves and bring liquid to a boil on stovetop over high heat.
• Cover Dutch oven, transfer to oven, and braise, basting a few times, until pork is fork tender, 3-4 hours. Shred pork with two forks and stir to incorporate with braising liquid.