I'd like to make barbequed pulled pork. I've looked at recipes online, but they all seem to be stove top and are primarily for pulled pork sandwiches. I'd like a simplistic, meat-centric recipe, and I want to smoke or barbeque it. I want to serve it as an entrée, not a sandwich.
I'd like to hear from someone who actually makes it, rather than just a recipe. Please include the cut of meat to use.
Thanks....

Joe, sandwich or entree, its the same thing, just a matter of how you serve it.
The problem with smoking it, is that it takes a LONG time. At lease 12 hrs for a decent size roast. I am a big smoker fan, but its a lot of effort to get a tender pulled pork.
Here are a few options I have used to get decent pulled pork. The magic is the rub, I use one called Rudy's rub, they're are many that you can buy at a grocery store. usually they're made of chili pwder, pepper, garlic powder, paprika etc.
I use pork shoulder or butt, I season the meat HEAVILY with the rub, pressing it in. Then you can do to things. You can sear the meat in a friying pan, browning it up on all sides, or you can grill it, browning it on all sides.
The next step is the cheating, I then put the meat in a crock port, usually with one of the following - plain water, or apple cider, or beer, or chicken stock. Usually cover the bottom with 2 in of liquid or so. Then let her rip on the crock pot overnight 8hrs or so.
By morning, its tender falovorful meat and cooked perfectly.

Thanks Jimmy - Also thanks to Bernzy who called and talked me thru it.
Good barbeque is something we all can share - regardless of political leanings - its truly what makes this country great.
I'd like to go down to the Mississippi Delta and Louisiana and go on a backroads gastronomical journey.

I have a recipe at home that I use that is very good. I'll post it when I get home.

Do you have a smoker or are you using a gas grill? If you are using a gas grill they sell small cast iron boxes that you can put wood chips in to smoke it...they only run about $15 so its worth the investment.

also check out this guys books...any of them are good and contain some great BBQ recipes.

http://www.barbecuebible.com/

mmmmmmmmm pullled pork.... :drool:

I've got a Weber charcoal grill. Its got a thermonter built in, a pretty good one. Its says you can smoke with it - though I've never done any smoking with it.

you'll want to pile the charcoal to one side (unless it can be split to 2 sides then put the meat in the middle) and put the meat, fat side up, on the other side....you need to sloooowwwww cook the meat, seriously 10-12 hours. put fresh coals and fresh chips (Hickory for Pork and Beef, Mesquite for Poultry is a good guideline but you can mix it up and try others too) in every hour, don't forget to soak the chips for an hour before you put them in....I like to soak them in beer.

you want the grill to stay at about 210-225 to cook.

and don't forget the vinegar sauce :drool:

Thanks Jimmy - Also thanks to Bernzy who called and talked me thru it.
Good barbeque is something we all can share - regardless of political leanings - its truly what makes this country great.
I'd like to go down to the Mississippi Delta and Louisiana and go on a backroads gastronomical journey.

I have driven across the US 4 times and made it a point to try lots of obscure barbecue all over the south. The best I ever had was a place called Rudy's in texas. There are few of them, I went in Austin and in Leroy Springs. The brisket was like beef flavored butter, the ribs - like bacon on a stick. I need to go back soon.

Joe, no hotter than 250 degrees and you'll be fine. If you want to cheat a little without losing flavor, you can wrap it with tin foil for the first 2 hours. Save the fat that collects. You can only get so much smoke into meat anyway, so you really don't lose much. Soak some hickory (or fruit wood) or mesquite. Put pieces of the soaked wood on the charcoal for smoke. Make the heat as indirect as possible.

Use the fat to make a sauce to pour over the pulled pork when you heat it up.

I consider pork "pullable" at 190F.

Can't resist,
I just pulled my pork:jump1:
ML :shocked:

Can't resist,
I just pulled my pork:jump1:
ML :shocked:

You must have been watching rijimmy's mind blowing marissa tomei movie :jump1:

sorry i couldn't resist either

I have driven across the US 4 times and made it a point to try lots of obscure barbecue all over the south. The best I ever had was a place called Rudy's in texas. There are few of them, I went in Austin and in Leroy Springs. The brisket was like beef flavored butter, the ribs - like bacon on a stick. I need to go back soon.

Bastard, I hate you for this. Plus the other stuff

Joe,

Go to epicurious.com - search:

Carolina Pulled-pork sandwiches

We made that recipe a few summers back and every one raved about it! :) You do have to do some prep work for it, but like anything worth doing - it takes time!

The chili baked ribs recipe is to die for - slow baked in oven and it slides off the bone. Gawd - deadly on your body!

Good luck - what time should we come over? ;)

I made test dish yesterday - I had a hard time keeping the temperature down to less than 300 in my grill, so it cooked a little faster. Other than that though, it went off very well. It tasted really good. I'll post a picture soon.
I usually don't serve a new dish the first time I cook it.
Thanks - Joe

Joe - FOr a good smoker with easy to maintain temps, go to Wallyworld and get one of those Brinkman bullet shaped smokers - they're like $29 - or you can find them at Home Depot too if memory serves.

I've used them for years with great sucess smoking everything from slamon to bluefish to pork and beef - and cheeses.

Believe me, if I can do it well, then it can't be all that difficult...:tooth:

I had a hard time keeping the temperature down to less than 300 in my grill,

less charcoal

I made test dish yesterday - I had a hard time keeping the temperature down to less than 300 in my grill, so it cooked a little faster. Other than that though, it went off very well. It tasted really good. I'll post a picture soon.
I usually don't serve a new dish the first time I cook it.
Thanks - Joe

Is it a gas grille? Try propping the lid open a bit with a piece of wood, I kepp it down to about 250 when I'm finishing my ribs.

Speaking of pulled pork, I brush it down and inject it with a mixture of apple juice and liquid smoke. Then rub it down with Penzey's BBQ 300, slow cook it in the oven overnight (about 10 hrs at 225F) skin side up. Take it out, let it cool, then pull it apart and add bbq sauce.

I was hooked some years back when I first had pulled pork at a friends. I had never heard of it before, now it's sort of a hobby. I use an electric H2O smoker, brine the pork overnight, then use a dry rub mixture I conjured up from a basic recipe I found on-line and enhanced a little. The advantage to an electric smoker is that you can control the heat. The pork you get makes a big difference, too. Look for a cut (shoulder or butt) that has a lot of fat marbled in. The fat breaks down while cooking, which causes the meat to be easily shredded, although sometimes I'll use an electric knife and slice it.
There's a ton of Carolina (Red) BBQ sauce recipes out there. We've found cole slaw and corn bread make great additions to go along with it.

Pork is king down here and folks guard their recipes like gold! I like to use hickory wood to smoke but pecan and apple are pretty good too. If you are using a Weber grill, move the coals to one side and put a cheap aluminum cake pan on the other. In the pan I put sliced onions, celery, cajun spices and I use either wine or beer to fill the pan. I only fill the pan about half way with liquid. This will keep the pork moist. Put the pork over the pan.
Sauces: Vinegar and pepper- Coastal NC
Tomato based-Western NC
Mustard based- SC
I like them all!