How to smoke pulled pork? Marinating tips for success
Pulled pork is a type of barbecue. This dish is made by cooking and shredding pork shoulder meat, then adding sauce and simmering or baking until the desired doneness is reached. It can be served on its own or as part of a sandwich such as pulled pork sandwiches, pulled pork tacos, and pulled pork nachos. You’ll need about 8-12 hours to do this properly so plan accordingly! Don’t forget to pick up some dry rubs for more flavor!
Smoking pulled pork is a great way to make this dish. If you are new to smoking, the best thing to do is start with something easy like pulled pork. The process can be done in as little as six hours and requires very little prep work beforehand. Once it’s cooked, take some time to let it rest before slicing up and serving your guests or family members so they get maximum flavor from every bite! It’s been a while since you’ve had pulled pork. You know, that tender and juicy dish made from slow cooking a whole hog? It’s kind of like the meat version of macaroni and cheese: everyone loves it. So when your family or friends come over to watch the game this weekend, whip up some pulled pork! Read on for our how to smoke pulled pork.
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The history of the pulled pork
Pulled pork is a method of slow-cooking a whole hog, half pig or shoulder to produce tender, moist and delicious meat from the well-exercised muscles in the shoulders. It pulls apart easily because removing fat from these areas removes much of the muscle definition. In some countries, pulled pork typically refers to barbecue-cooked meat that has been slow-roasted until it can be shredded with a fork. Pulled pork originated in African American barbecues in which a whole hog was slowly smoked over hickory wood and coals until the meat was so tender it could easily be pulled apart into shreds. The shreds were then mixed with various spices and sauces to create several recipes.
The term pulled pork has been used at least since 1796, when describing one method as to take tender cuts of pork, place them upon the grill over a charcoal fire, turning them now and then so they may be uniformly cooked. When half did season them with salt and pepper, pull fine shreds from them as if they were being pulled to pieces; continue cooking and pulling until the meat is well dry. Presently you will have a mass of shredded pork ready to be served.
In southern parts of the U.S., barbecue usually refers to whole hog cooking, while in northern parts of the country it usually means pulled pork. Pulled pork sandwiches are sold at many North Carolina barbecue restaurants. You can get pulled pork on a bun or roll anywhere in New England, but have to have barbecued meat itself without sauce to go along with it if you want to eat it North Carolina style.
A pulled pork traditionally comes from the upper part of the shoulder. It is sometimes called a pork butt or pork’s shoulder. The meat can be slow-cooked by smoking or baking in an oven or cooked quickly by grilling. When barbecuing, the meat is placed with a fat cap facing down. The most common method uses indirect heating in the oven to imitate the process of cooking over charcoal; in other areas, direct grilling is more usual. Roasting at high temperatures can dry out the meat. To avoid this problem, low and slow techniques are used instead when possible, cooking for five hours or more at low heat or smoking temperatures usually with wood chips added to create smoke giving it its signature flavor. However, if cooked too long it will become tough and stringy. The finished roast should be tender and easily pulled apart, often done by a butcher who specializes in pulled pork recipes rather than an individual barbecuer.
The meat is then shredded or chopped, moistened with barbecue sauce and toasted to serve it. One reason for shredding the meat is that when cooked correctly in this fashion it does not fall apart in the traditional sense but instead pulls apart very easily. Toppings such as coleslaw can be added to create an entire dish and often served with baked beans. It is also common to combine both stewed cabbage leaves with some of the pulled pork juices along with some coleslaw on top of each sandwich. A classic pairing would be vinegar-based red sauce and coleslaw, while we can prefer mustard-based yellow barbecue sauce with hash, too.
In the Southern United States, pulled pork is popular as a main dish with barbecue sauce added to it, served with coleslaw on top of the meat and French fries on the side. It is also common in places to be served with pork beans. It’s a combination of soaked pinto beans, bacon pieces and BBQ sauce. Pulled pork can also be found in restaurants that specialize in sandwiches and wings. If slow-roasted overnight, this sandwich gets a unique smoky and sweet taste that you can’t get at any other restaurant around town. Pulled pork is a cut of meat from the shoulder area of a pig, which is cooked in a flavorful sauce, pulled apart into shreds with forks, and often served on a sandwich. The term pulled simply means that this dish should actually be pulled apart by hand. Pulled pork recipes are popular for their rich taste and simple preparation.
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What are the benefits of Pulled pork?
The first is fat loss. It’s been said that most of the people who have this diet have low body percent body fat. Some people say they lose 8 pounds or more in 2 weeks and some others say even 10 pounds. So if you want to burn excess fat, then this is a very good solution for you. Pulled pork can be described as a sandwich dish that is made by pulling the meat off the cooked pig’s bones after it has been slow-roasted. Thus, pulled pork is very tender and juicy. However, because it is roasted in an oven until almost all of its fat content has melted away, it does not contain much cholesterol or saturated fat when compared to other pork dishes. It has about 50% of the calories found in beef! Additionally, because it is low in saturated fats, high in monounsaturated fats, and contains polyunsaturated fats which are believed to reduce blood pressure levels, help lower bad cholesterol while increasing good cholesterol concentrations in the bloodstream, help prevent atherosclerosis, prevent heart attacks and strokes, controlled diabetes, contributed to weight loss, kept bones strong and healthy among many other benefits!
Second, it helps reduce cholesterol. This is also one of the benefits provided by pulled pork. But before I explain about how it helps reduce cholesterol, let me tell you why there are high blood cholesterol levels in your body. Is your cholesterol level high? Then you should know what is the cause of high cholesterol levels too! It’s low in saturated fat and very low cholesterol – good news for your heart! Plus pork is an excellent source of thiamin, niacin, vitamin B6, phosphorus and zinc. Pulled pork is a fairly affordable and tasty cut of meat, which can be used to make many different recipes. Aside from being relatively cheap, it’s also particularly high in protein, with 28 grams containing 21 grams of the nutrient. It is also packed with selenium, zinc and vitamin B12, while just one serving contains over half your daily value for iron and phosphorus. Additionally, pulled pork contains plenty of slow-release energy in the form of 29 grams of carbohydrates per ounce. Pulled pork was really a good choice for meat lovers because it has many benefits.
Pulled pork is a typical dish of the American South, where it was traditionally used to fill sandwiches. It consists of processed meat cooked slowly in an oven or with smoke for hours, that are then shredded into strings and mixed with the cooking juices. The point is that it must be tender enough to eat using only a fork without having to cut any string or piece of meat.
The main benefit is that this slow cooking makes the pork very tasty even though no sauce or other condiments are added. Also, this method helps break down muscle fiber making it easier than more traditional methods for your digestive system to handle the food you eat later on just like eating vegetables can also help digestion since they contain fibers that act as natural laxatives.
In general, slow cooking is beneficial since it releases more nutrients from the meat this way, making each serving of pulled pork contain higher amounts of vitamins and minerals than other meats. Also, you can use no added fat to cook it so that none of the calories come from fat which results in even fewer calories! It contains around 25 grams per 100g serving so if you consume 500mg you’ll only get 1250 calories total for your daily needs. Other benefits are that pulled pork is very rich in calcium, phosphorus and iron while also containing.
Ready to know more about how to smoke pulled pork? Keep reading!
How long do we cook pulled pork in a pan or slow cooker or in the oven?
How to smoke pulled pork? The slow cooker makes moist and tender pulled pork that tastes fabulous served over rice or noodles, or stuffed into a baked potato skin. Once cooked thoroughly it can be shredded with forks – ready for sandwiches, tacos, chili or more!
Step 1: Season the pork with salt and pepper to taste on both sides. Add oil to pan; brown seasoned pork on all sides over medium-high heat in hot oil. Remove meat from pan; set aside. Add onion, garlic, chili powder, cumin, oregano and bay leaves; cook 5 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in wine; scrape the pan to loosen bits. Add tomatoes with juice, broth gradually until desired consistency is reached while bringing to a simmer for about 5 minutes stirring often then remove from heat and let stand 30 minutes before returning it back onto the heat for another 15 minutes or so stirring occasionally until it thickens up. Add browned pork to pan; transfer pan to oven.
Step 2: Cover and cook until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center of meat registers 145°F, 1¼ to 1½ hours. Transfer roast to a cutting board; let stand 15 minutes before shredding with two forks into bite-size pieces discarding any excess fat from the roast. Skim fat from cooking juices if desired then return shredded pork back into cooking juices along with chopped cilantro stirring occasionally for another 5 minutes or so then serve!
How long do we cook pulled pork in a slow cooker? Step 1: Combine all ingredients except meat and cilantro into your slow cooker then stir together. Add the browned roast to the slow cooker pot and pour sauce on top of it then cover and cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours. Step 2: Remove roast from Slow Cooker and place onto cutting board; let cool slightly before shredding with two forks discarding any excess fat from the roast. Skim fat from cooking juices if desired then return shredded pork back into cooking juices along with chopped cilantro stirring occasionally for another 5 minutes or so then serve!
How to smoke pulled pork? How to make pulled pork in the oven? Pulled Pork is normally made with large cuts of meat, like Pork Loin, that is cooked low and slow over hickory wood or coals for up to 16 hours. The resulting meat is tender enough to pull apart by hand. It has become so popular because it is relatively cheap, flavorful, easy to prepare and perfect for feeding large groups of people.
Mix all dry spices together in a small bowl and to meat evenly on both sides. Cover the meat with some plastic wrap and let it marinate overnight. Heat oven to 275 degrees Fahrenheit. Prepare a roasting pan with a rack on top of it. Place the pork on the rack, pour half a cup of water into the bottom of the pan and cover tightly with two layers of aluminum foil. Roast at 275 degrees until the internal temperature reads 175 degrees Fahrenheit. This takes about 3 hours, make sure you have enough time. Remove from the oven, take out from the pan and let cool for 15 minutes. Using your fingers, shred the meat apart in a large bowl. Mix in barbecue dry rub until evenly coated. In a medium saucepan mix together cider vinegar and 1/4 cup water over high heat . Bring to boil, reduce heat to medium and simmer until liquid has reduced by half (should take about 5 minutes). Pour mixture over meat and mix together. Serve with traditional barbecue sides like coleslaw, beans or potato salad.
How to choose the best cut of meat for Pulled pork? Start with a pork butt or shoulder
When selecting pork shoulder, look for a roast with 1/8 to ¼ inch marbling. Marbling is the term given to the small flecks of fat throughout the lean portion of the meat, so if there’s more marbling, you’ll have more flavor! Most smoked pork butt recipes call for a bone-in pork shoulder, sometimes also labeled a butt roast or a pork butt. All of these labels are for the exact same cut of pork.
How to smoke pulled pork? None of them actually come from the butt end of the pig, which can definitely be confusing, but from the upper part of the shoulder. The pork butt, or pork shoulder, has many overlapping and hard-working muscle groups that are bound together with tight connective tissue.
That tight tissue makes this cut particularly well suited for smoking. It would be very difficult to simply slice and serve a pork shoulder roast that wasn’t cooked low and slow to break down those tight muscles and connective fibers. You’d end up chewing for a long time and not getting anywhere. By using the low and slow process of cooking the meat over a wood fire for a long time, those tissues begins to break down, tenderize, and create amazing strands of super succulent smoked pork shoulder.
Pork shoulder, also known as pork butt, is the perfect cut of meat for pulled pork. Pork shoulder has a lot of fat and connective tissue running through it, when slow cooked these tissues melt and add flavour and richness to the dish. This is why we call it “pulled” – it just falls apart when you handle it too much! The ratio in which the fat and muscles breakdown during cooking is always different for each piece of meat so they’re all unique in their own way. Some will collapse into fine shards that feel like cotton candy in your mouth while others will fall away in more solid chunks with some chew. You can use either one but you’ll need to adjust your cooking time depending on the result you’re after.
How to smoke pulled pork? Another important factor in the flavour of your pulled pork is how it’s seasoned. Most recipes call for a dry rub but what is really essential here is time, patience and an understanding of flavours. Once you find out what works best for you (different spices, liquids etc.) you’ll be able to whip up some amazing pulled pork with little effort!
Pork shoulder can be cooked in many ways depending on your preferences – barbecued , smoked or slow roasted in the oven with root vegetables . We like all three methods equally and each one has its merits depending on when or where you might want to serve your pulled pork. In our recipe we’ve combined two techniques which results in incredible crusty bits around the outside and a juicy, tender centre.
Pork shoulder is quite fatty so it’s often used to make pulled pork. This means cooking it for many hours at a low temperature because of its abundance of connective tissue which melts during the long cooking process and adds succulence to the meat. The other types of pork generally available in supermarkets are loin and leg. These cuts tend to be leaner and require faster cooking methods like frying, grilling or roasting on high heat. Depending on how you prepare them, these two cuts can also end up very tender and delicious.
The most important thing to remember when buying your pork is that you should try to get good quality and not settle for the cheapest cut. This doesn’t mean that you need to empty out your wallet, but why buy bad meat when it’s often more expensive? If you’re buying pork shoulder or whole pig , try to get ones with a decent amount of marbling-the lines of fat running through the muscles as this will add richness to your meal.
How to smoke pulled pork? If we had to choose we’d go for the shoulder every time! Its versatility makes it incredibly useful and its taste has enough depth to stand up on its own or in many other dishes like soups and stews. It really isn’t bad either – because there’s so much fat and connective tissue, which also contains collagen, the meat goes really far so you won’t need to buy another joint of pork for a long time.
The first step to making pulled pork is to rub the spices on the pork butt and put it in a large pot of water
How to smoke pulled pork? Firstly, Inject your pork butt or shoulder with apple juice using an injection needle from meat from one of these sets. If you want to cut out the step of having to go buy an injector and needles then just grab some apple juice and brown sugar and do it that way, they both work great.
I like doing my pulled pork on the smoker, so we’ll stick with that for this recipe. If you don’t have a smoker then just cook it in your oven at 250 degrees F until it reaches 195 degrees F internal temperature about 4 hours. Then move over to your grill and add smoke until it reaches 203 degrees F internal temperature.
Once your pork butt or shoulder reaches 195 degrees F, remove from the smoker and wrap tightly in aluminum foil. This allows us to let the meat rest for an hour before pulling, making the meat more tender. I usually place my foil pack on a cookie sheet so if the juice leaks out during this time it doesn’t ruin my oven. If you don’t have a smoker just stick it in your oven at 250 degrees F and cook until the internal temperature of 195 degrees F is reached which should take about 4 hours depending on size. Then move it over to your grill and add smoke for another 3 hours or so with your smoke wood of choice. When the internal temperature reaches 203 degrees F remove from the smoker and place in a large foil pan with a closed lid or wrap tightly in aluminum foil. Let rest for 1 hour before pulling to allow the juices to redistribute inside the meat.
Once your waiting time is up, unwrap the pork butt or shoulder and discard any visible fat that didn’t render while cooking. To pull this bad boy all you have to do is grasp two forks and just rip it apart. It should slice right off once it starts getting tender. If you prefer smaller pieces of pulled pork, you can always chop it up with a knife at any time. It’s really simple to do so don’t be intimidated by the process of removing the bone, slicing vs ripping it into pieces.
Once your pork is prepped, place it in a large foil pan with a lid or use heavy duty aluminum foil to make sure you don’t lose any juices. If you have cooked this meat low and slow to 203 degrees F internal temperature as I instructed at first, then you should have a lot of juice built up inside the pork which should carry over during the cooking process in the oven or grill making these pans unnecessary . So feel free to omit them if desired, but they do help retain more moisture by keeping air out which can dry out your pulled pork overtime. I like using them for easy clean-up though so I’ll continue using them until my theory is proven wrong. Set your smoker or grill temp for 250 degrees F and add your choice of smoke wood. Cook for 4-6 hours with the lid closed until the internal temperature reaches 203 degrees F.
Smoke Pulled Pork – How To Marinate for Pulled Pork Recipe (How to smoke pulled pork?)
Starting to finish this should take less than 15 minutes. but marinating overnight is even better so if you have the time, go ahead and do that. Put your pork into a large plastic bag. Add the dry ingredients and mush it around until every part of the meat is covered with spices. You can use tongs or your hands, but I like to put on some disposable gloves because it’s less messy that way. Do not skip any of these ingredients! Many pulled pork recipes don’t contain all three spices (onion powder, garlic powder and cumin), but they are key. The brown sugar isn’t really necessary, but it does add a bit of sweetness.
Place the bag in a large bowl and allow it to marinate overnight in the fridge for at least 6 hours. I used apple juice instead of water to give it even more flavor. If you do that, don’t use an aluminum pan because the acid will react with the aluminum.
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The right temperature to have the best pulled meat
To achieve a crispy skin, you can increase heat to 275-300 degrees Fahrenheit. Maintain the temperature for approximately 1 hour before you begin basting with your favorite sauce or marinade. In addition to added flavor, the baste helps keep the pork from drying out too much. Continue cooking until internal temperature reaches 205 degrees Fahrenheit and internal juices run clear – generally another 4 hours or so. The final product should be golden brown and delicious!
At low temperatures such as 225°F and lower, meat fibers are more relaxed and less likely to shrink as dramatically as they do at higher temperatures about 300°F plus. Pork ribs will still shrink some; however, because of their high fat content, they tend not to tighten up as much as leaner cuts of meat. The end result is tender, moist pork that retains its shape and texture even after long cooking times.
To achieve a crispy skin, increase heat to 275-300°F. Maintain temperature for approximately 1 hour before basting with your favorite sauce or marinade. In addition to added flavor, the baste helps keep the pork from drying out too much. Continue cooking until internal temperature reaches 205°F and internal juices run clear – generally another 4 hours or so. The final product should be golden brown and delicious
How to smoke pulled pork? The key step in this process is removing the meat from the smoker once it has attained an internal temperature of about 140 degrees Fahrenheit meaning 60 degrees Celsius and wrapping it securely in heavy-duty aluminum foil along with a mixture of apple juice, water, and your favorite BBQ sauce. This ensures that the meat stays moist while being cooked at high heat for an additional two hours.
Take pork butt out of the smoker after 10 hours at 225°F internal temp of 190°F – wrap tightly in aluminum foil along with 1 cup apple juice & 1 cup water – cook 2 more hours at 350°F until internal temp is 205°F.
Vegetarians: There’s no need to give up smoking meat because you don’t eat meat. Although this is made specifically for pork, it can also be used for beef, chicken or turkey. You’ll just need to experiment with the time and temperature according to your preference.
Meat eaters: Not only will you find this method helpful for all kinds of meat (pork, beef, chicken, etc), but it’s always good to have a go-to method in your back pocket for those times when you don’t have access to a grill or if you want to cook something fast.
The smoke pulled pork should be moist and juicy – Serve with your favorite BBQ sauce
How to smoke pulled pork? To convert this recipe to a traditional pit smoker, start by handicapping the cooking time about 2 hours then continue. You should also check for tenderness at 8 hours but keep in mind that it will not be fork-tender like one traditionally gets from the indirect method. When finished, remove and wrap in aluminum foil until ready to serve or refrigerate overnight. This will ‘steam’ the meat making it very moist and easy to pull apart or slice thinly with a knife. It is best served on butcher paper-lined trays along with sliced white bread, pickles and onions like they do in Lufkin . I would recommend serving some red barbecue sauce for dipping too since it’s just not authentic without it.
I was wondering if you have been able to smoke pork ribs using the 4-2-1/2 method or any other methods? The four in this phrase means that it’s a cooking time of four hours total while the two means that two hours of cooking is at 225°F and the final half hour of cooking happens either at 275°F or 300°F whatever your preference may be. So, what this tells us is that it’s a four hour process beginning with cold meat before putting into the cooker followed by two hours of cooking at 225°F then raising the temperature for its final half hour. This method is most commonly used for spare ribs which are better suited to long, slow cooking. Sausage is best made using a mix of pork butt or pork shoulder that has some fat in it like Boston butt or picnic roast. If you choose lean meat like 95/5, which means that 5% is saturated fat, you will definitely need to add fat during the grinding process. I’d recommend using a 10-15% fat mixture so that it absorbs flavors better and has a chance of staying moist while cooking.
How to smoke pulled pork? In order to get a strong smoke flavor without overpowering the meat or making it bitter, I like to use my own blend of wood chips which is typically a combination of cherry and apple. The amount of smoke that this quantity of meat will absorb in 1 hour is negligible at best and won’t be any different than simply putting it into the oven. If you’re looking for more smoke flavor, try brining the pork butt overnight with 2 quarts of water mixed with 1 cup kosher salt and ¼ cup brown sugar. This method works great on larger cuts so why waste your time trying something silly when there’s a better option? Store-bought mops are usually thin and watery while homemade versions often contain too much oil. In fact, just about every recipe on the Internet claiming to be “the best bbq mop” is just plain wrong. Just cut up one slice into thin, bite sized pieces and use them in place of store bought mops. The bread soaks up the juice without adding any fat or oil while imparting a nice hint of wheat flavor which is awesome for pulled pork.
>>> How to smoke pulled pork | How to Smoke Pork Butt / How to Make Pulled Pork Recipe
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How to smoke pulled pork – Conclusion
The perfect pulled pork sandwich is a delicate balance of tangy barbecue sauce, smokey hickory flavors and succulent meat. Follow these steps to make the best smoked pulled pork sandwiches you’ve ever tasted. First, start with fresh ingredients like organic tomatoes, onions, garlic cloves and celery tops for flavor that will last in your smoker all day long. Next rub your favorite seasoning on your roast before placing it into the smoker until it reaches an internal temperature of 170 degrees Fahrenheit. Once done smoking allows the meat to rest for at least one hour or up to eight hours wrapped tightly in foil or butcher paper before pulling apart by hand using two forks.
Smoke pulled pork for about 12 hours and enjoy the sweet, smoky taste of this delicious dish. We can learn how to smoke pulled pork in our own backyard or home smoker. You can find recipes for smoking a whole hog or just some ribs too! And don’t forget that while it may take time, patience is key when cooking smoked meat like this–just remember to keep an eye on things and check up every couple hours so they’re not burning.
The steps to smoke pulled pork are easy, but the results will be so worth it. This dish is perfect for a barbecue or summer cookout with friends and family! It’s also great wrapped up in tortillas as tacos or sliders. This recipe is easy and can be done in a smoker or oven. The pulled pork will need to rest for at least two hours, so make sure you plan ahead before smoking the meat! If this sounds like your kind of dish, give it a try today!
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