Help With Pulled Pork

[jeffsasmokin]

At my Holiday Barbeque I'm going to try having "Pulled Pork" for some of my guests, on top of the usual fare. Are there any tips or tricks anyone can impart - as I have not tried this yet. Do you pull by hand, or with a fork? It seems pretty simple and self explanatory, but I know someone out there has a special way of doing it.

All ideas appreciated!

Merry Christmas!!!

Jeff in Florida

 

[Neil]

Pull which ever way you prefer. I pull with my hands. As far as tips go, there are plenty of threads on this subject in Q-talk. Just use the roadmap. Go to Cattle Call, introduce yourself, and join the party.

 

[Bigmista]

Personally I pull with 2 forks. Doesn't really matter though. It's just a preference. The real trick is getting the pork tender and juicy enough to pull.

 

[Saiko]

I wear a pair of heavy duty dishwashing gloves and pull by hand. I prefer using the hands over a fork cause it's easier to "feel" the fat, grab it and chuck it in the trash can.
I'm still kicking myself for not buying a full set of silicon gloves that costco had on sale. Even with the dishwashing gloves I have to run my hands under cold water now and then to cool them off.

 

[kcquer]

Jeff, I agree with the manual method. Does make sorting easier. If the butts have cooled back to 160 before you pull them, gloves are even optional. The stuff pulls really easy. I just pick out the bad stuff, squish the individual lobes into strands and before pulling them apart I cut the long strands in half with scissors to make it a bit more manageable on buns.
I highly recommend a vinegar based finishing sauce, (recipies and files sections) a few squirts over the pork makes a world of difference. Unless you use a bunch of it you won't notice the vinegar flavor at all, it does cut some of the fattiness of the pork and mellow some of the stonger flavors. Still perfect for adding a red Q sauce after.

 

[brdbbq]

Bear Claws

 

[jminion]

I use a cheap pair of those white cotton gloves ($1 a pair) and put regular foodhandlers gloves over them. You can pull a whole hog comfortably this way, a butt is no problem.
Jeff
Cook the butt at 225 to 250 pit temp, you want the internal to be 195 internal ( I look for this temp becuase I find the product to have better moisture content but well rendered). What I will do is foil and pull off the cooker at 185 internal, there is enough of a heat load in the butt to get to 195 while resting in a dry cooler. When I pull it I pullin chunks about the size of your thumb.

A good injection is
1 1 /2cups of apple juice
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
1/2cup salt ( you can add some rub to this so you have a total of 1/2cupof salt and rub combined)
4 Tbsp worcestshirer sauce
inject the night before the cook.
Good luck

 

[BBQchef33]

i use hands also..

i have the bear claws and start with them to shread it into large chunks, then finsh with my hands cause its easier to take the nasty stuff out. And like Jim said, a dash of vinegar to get thigs started. Nothing brings the sweetness in the pork out like some salted vinegar. Then a little BBQ sauce..

oh great, now im hungry.

 

[tommykendall]

Nothing brings the sweetness in the pork out like some salted vinegar

That's true but don't use too much of it otherwise you'll have mush pork.

 

[Wayne]

I use cheap hardware store heavy green rubber chemical gloves. They keep your hands clean and protect from the heat of the hot pork. I also use two forks, and bear claws if they are handy. I like the bear claws the best and if you buy them for nothing else but this they are more than worth it. I got mine from a brother on the Trading Post. Some people also fixe chopped port and call it pulled pork. This is mostly in resturants that have the need for speed. Happy pulling with what ever method you choose.

 

[brdbbq]

I like the bear claws

Oh gawd we agree n somehing, mark the calendar.....

 

[Wayne]

Ummmmmmmmm........pullllllled porrrrrrrk. Ahhhhh(burp)hhhhhh.......

 

[jeffsasmokin]

Pulled Pork

Wow! Thanks for all the help!!! This site has turned out to be quite the God-Send. I wish I had known about it back when I first got my 'dera.

Several of you have mentioned the vinegar based finishing sauce. What exactly does that do to the pork? Is it added "before or during" the pull, or "after"? I am assuming your Q sauce goes on, on top of that?

Jeff in Florida

 

[Neil]

Add it after you pull the pork and your assumption is correct but it is also very tastey by itself w/o the Q sauce.

 

[BBQchef33]

I use vinegar 2 ways depending on what I'm doing. In a vinegar based sauce I add it aftger its pulled and on a 7lb butt i may use upwards of 1-2 cups of vinegar(with spices added). Watch out, to much vinegar makes it turn to mush...

But if i'm going with a tomato based or BBQ sauce I will always add a little cider vinegar to the pork first to pull out the sweetness. A tablespoon or 2 at a time(and a little cayenne.) Not enough to taste the vinegar, but just some to balance the pork. then I hadd the BBQ sauce.


Theres is a great sauce in our recipes section under down home pulled port sandwichs. Give it a try.

 

[parrothead]

pulled port sandwichs. Give it a try.

You use wine on your sandwich?

 

[racer_81]

pulled port sandwichs. Give it a try.

You use wine on your sandwich?

Maybe he "leans to the left", if you know what I mean..... 8)

 

[cayenne]

I've a question....
Do ya'll cook the butts whole or do you cut them in half? I've noticed on mine...that I get them pretty much tender enough...but, I'm just not happy with the smoke penetration. The outside has good smokey flavor, but, that part deep inside, near the bone...just bland tasting grey meat. The smoke ring on my butts never looks as well demarked at my briskets...

So, was thinking, maybe I need to cut them in half?

Any ideas or suggestions? I like a VERY smokey BBQ taste all through the meat...

cayenne

 

[BBQchef33]

i leave them whole.

Increase your smoke and lower your temps to leave them in the smoke a little longer. Be careful, there will be a fine line between heavier smoke flavor crossing over into bitterness. Are you using all wood or charcoal/lump? Maybe consider a stronger wood if your using mild stuff like maple or fruit, switch to mesquite or hickory and oak. You may even want to try to go away frome sweet blue and get the smoke a little heavier(white). Personally, i always go for invisable smoke, but at all the competitions i see some heavy white coming out of the pits. I asked a few of the cooks and say they let it smoke heavy early on when the meat is cool to let the smoke penetrate deeper and then clear it up later on in the cook. Jim and I were wandering around commenting on all the heavy white coming out of the cookers. Maybe give it a try. Personally, i'll stick with sweeet blue.

 

[jminion]

Phil's advice is first rate, transparent smoke is the aim, white smoke means that you have a large amount of inpurities in it.

There is a misconception that smoke penetrates meat, it just doesn't happen. I have had the pleasure of cooking with maybe the best pork cook in the country (has won pork shoulder at MIM 6 years in a row), he limits the smoke to shoulder and butts.

You can get the desired effect by using a stronger wood but you to balance that with putting on too much and ending up with bitter product. Think about using an injection and a long slow cook. When you pull it, make it long pieces with bark on almost every chunk. To get that done you won't want to take it past 195 internal.

Cooking one piece is best because there are 7 different mucles in a butt and they don't all have the same kind of fat content, those that do help keep the others from drying out.