Pork meat can be difficult to cut and pulled pork is a method of preparing the meat so that it can be easily cut, or “pulled” for easier cutting. This method of cooking has become very popular around the world and pulled pork is now served with various other ingredients in many ways.
The meat used for pulled pork is usually shoulder or mixed cuts. The most common method of preparing pulled pork involves smoking it but other methods in a slow cooker or oven are also used. So, let’s have a look at the various different methods of preparing and serving pulled pork that you can use in your own life to help when you host people and have guests round to your home. Before being cooked, it is a really good idea to marinate the pork cuts. So how do we marinate the pork? There are various ways of marinating your pork. A popular way includes rubbing your pork with some garlic before putting it in a bowl of marinade that is made up of salt, pepper, cumin, paprika, and cayenne. Rub the roast really well with the spices and then let it sit in the bowl in a refrigerator for one to three days, to take in all of the flavors.
Pulled Pork Marinade
A different kind of marinade can also be used for a sweeter taste to the pork. This method starts with pouring a cup of root beer into a plastic bag with the pork and removing any air before shutting the bag closed. Leave it like that overnight. Tomorrow prepare your marinade in a bowl. Mix in brown sugar, salt, paprika, black pepper, onion powder, celery salt, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and some dry mustard in one bowl. Rub the meat with the marinade using your hands, making sure it is all rubbed in really well. Leave it in for a while and then remove it. The meat will be ready for cooking.
There are various other methods of marinating pork as well, and you can find many by browsing different cookbooks. Feel free to also experiment with your favorite flavors and see what happens.
Pulled Pork BBQ Sauce
Pulled pork is often served with different types of BBQ sauces. So let’s have a look at a few possible ones:
Memphis BBQ Sauce:
While barbecue is most often served without sauce in Memphis, some joints use a sauce. Here is the typical recipe. The ingredients for a Memphis BBQ sauce include ketchup, apple cider, water, onion, minced garlic, butter, molasses, mustard, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, paprika, mild chili, oregano, salt, and pepper. The preparation process is simple. Melt some butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Put onions and garlic on it and saute for 2 minutes. Add other ingredients, adding apple cider vinegar last. Reduce the heat and let it simmer for 15 minutes. Allow it to cool off and store it in a container for up to a week in your fridge.
Another good BBQ sauce to serve with pulled pork is the Southern BBQ Sauce, a tomato-based sauce with powerful flavor. Ingredients include ketchup, cider vinegar, water, vegetable oil, butter, Worcestershire Sauce, sugar, paprika, minced garlic, bay leaf, Tabasco Sauce, cayenne pepper, and lemon juice. Mix it all up in a saucepan and heat for 5 to 10 minutes without boiling. Store it for up to two weeks in an airtight container or jar.
When it comes to BBQ sauces to be served with pulled pork, there are dozens of possible options. We listed two we liked here, but cookbooks are full of BBQ sauces, and you can find the one you like by experimenting with different possibilities.
Pulled Pork Chili
Now, I am sure a ton of you guys reading this simply love your pulled pork but who doesn’t like themselves some chili as well. So why not mix it. Pulled pork chili is really one major delicious treat and it really had to include a recipe on how to make it.
First off let me list what we need to make it:
- 2-pound boneless pork shoulder roast
- 1 small onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 – 2 jalapeno peppers, diced (ribs and seeds removed)
- 1 (15oz) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 (15oz) cans diced tomatoes
- 1 (8oz) can tomato sauce
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried cilantro
- 8 oz Mexican beer OR chicken broth
Cooking the pork chili is pretty simple. We will use a slow cooker to cook the dish. We simply put all the ingredients in there and cover the lid, leaving it to cook for about 8 hours. Now we can take out the pork and shred the meat, then return it to the cooker. Stir for a while at low temperature and serve it as you like.
Pulled Pork Dry Rub
The dry rub is used to prepare your meat for smoking. Here is an example of a good rub you can use for pulled pork. Use a big bowl and add half a cup paprika and chili powder, a quarter cup brown and white sugar, two teaspoons of each celery seed, ground black pepper, cayenne pepper, dry mustard, and garlic powder, and a single teaspoon of cumin and salt. Put it all in the bowl and simply mix it up until it is all really well mixed. Then rub it on the meat and you are done preparing your pork.
Pulled Pork Salad
Although pork and salad are kinds of opposites, there is no reason you should not mix up your pulled pork leftovers with some veggies and make a nice salad. Simply put some olive oil, vinegar, lime juice, and BBQ sauce in one bowl for the dressing. In another bowl mix some tomatoes, avocado, bell pepper, green onions, and romaine. Then heat up your pork and mix it all up in the salad bowl. You will have yourself a delicious salad that will also be rich in all sorts of nutrients.
Pulled pork is ideal for burritos as well. A standard pork burrito will contain pulled pork, rice, and all sorts of spices and veggies depending on your taste. Adding beans or cheese is always a good option and carrots, cumin, pepper, and salt are common other ingredients. Feel free to experiment with this one as it will basically be a sandwich in a tortilla, so it should be super simple for you to make.
Image Rights
Images used via the creative commons license version 2.0 – https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/
Image One by Jeffreyw – https://www.flickr.com/photos/jeffreyww/8433714832/
Image Two by Jeffreyw – https://www.flickr.com/photos/jeffreyww/13564142705/
Image Three by L.A. Foodie – https://www.flickr.com/photos/lafoodie/8732242751/