I did a lot of reading online about making pulled pork, while reading this stuff I had this intense flashback to when I had my dentures done - was recovering for days flat on my back, out of it on vicodins and eating a liquid diet... Food TV Network had a pre-Memorial Day marathon on barbeques of all kinds. So with what I read and my recollections of those shows I embarked on my journey...
Mis en Place:
7 lb pork butt
2 onions, peeled and rough chopped
The Rub:
2 Tbls cumin seeds
1 Tbls. corriander seeds
1 Tsp juniper berries
1 Tbls black peppercorns
1/2 Tsp red pepper flakes
1 Tbls Garlic Salt
1 Tbls White Sugar
The mop:
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup orange juice
1/4 cup chardonnay
1 Tbls liquid smoke (hickory)
lots of fresh cracked black pepper
The barbeque sauce:
1 cup ketchup
1/2 cup molasses
1/2 cup orange juice
1 Tbls liquid smoke seasoning
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1 cup chardonnay
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 cup onions small dice
2 Tbls. finely minced garlic
1 Tbls. Crystal hot sauce
lots of fresh cracked black pepper
With the oven preheating to 275 I set about making my rub. I took all the spices and put them in a small cast iron skillet and toasted them 3-4 minutes over a medium flame. Then I put them in an old coffee mill, added the white sugar and garlic salt and ground it up real fine. I patted the rub all over the meat - then put the rough chopped onions in the bottom of my large dutch oven, placed the seasoned pork butt on top, put on the cover and into the hot 275 degree oven. Went shopping for some potato rolls.
Two hours later I made my mop: I put all mop ingredients in a no reactive pan and brought it to a boil. Then I basted most of it on the (already tender meat). I will repeatedly baste it every remaining hour.
I then prepared my barbeque sauce: this is a nod to me wanting a tomato based sauce but with some of the tang of some more traditional southern sauces. I put all the sauce ingredients in a non-reactive skilet and brought it to a boil. Took it off the heat and put it on the bottom shelf of the 275 degree oven to slow cook and reduce. More later.
So a busy day here at Casa Big, got the pork slow cooked, took the lid off the last 90 minutes (after 7 hours of cooking) and basted the top every so often (with the fat side up) with my tangy sauce. Let it stand a while and then laid down aluminum foil on my cutting board to do the pulling. Most of the fat had basted the meat while it was baking and it is tender and delicious... Got it covered and waiting for Momma to come home - made a big batch of slaw and am dying to eat... darn !!! Also enjoyed what I believe die hards would call The Crust !!!
cooked and pulled pork
pulled pork and the tangy sauce
Sammich anyone ?? Sammich is what an old Dutch garde manger instructor, Chef Lars, called 'em.
This here happens to be on home made potato rolls (check out my SWEET POTATO rolls recipe) and a yummy slaw.
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