Cooking Pork mistake

[Nevada Ed]

Had the idea to make pulled pork again for some Mexican dishes
and picked up a hunk of meat at the store.
Had all the fixings, even a can of root beer, which was said to work well with it.

Went to get it into the slow roster and guess what.....
a eight pound Pork Shoulder Picnic, is just not going to fit.

Definitely the wrong cut of meat from the last one I picked out.

Finally gave up trying to cut the little end off with a large butcher knife
and we shoved it in a cooking bag onto a Pyrex pan and am hoping
that five hours at 325* in the oven will safe this piece of meat from the garbage.

I will learn to not let a $1.19 a pound Pork price mess me up,
the next time I read the flyers from the stores.
I usually go to the internet to double check on how to cook things....
not this time. I thought I knew what I was doing, since the last
pulled pork went well.
Later.

 

[billwill]

If you are cooking pig, that requires a cooker and a split pig on it basted with Eastern NC style sauce (vinegar based of course). Invite 25 of you best friends and pour some cold beer. That's a pig pickin! yum!

 

[ExRanger714]

If it ain't a wild hog a "down by the bone" temp of 145 F should do it.

 

[paulh]

True story. When we first moved to the "country" we were given a baby pig that grew to the biggest *** you ever saw. Became the family pet. One winter he died, Vet said anthrax! Now what? Being the country doc he was he said burn it. Wife drove around all winter with a frozen pig in the bed of the pickup. Come spring I built a huge wood fire with him in the middle. Best smell ever but couldn't eat it.

 

[jeffsmith]

325 is way to high

200-225 deg +/-

it will take longer but "Low & Slow" is the Only way to go for Pork

 

[pawngal]

I always use pork shoulder roasts for pulled pork. Chunk it up so it fits in my crockpot. I usually use 6-7 pound roasts.

 

[labworm]

I hope you don't end up saying "That's All Folks"

 

[Smithpride]

You're 100* too high.

 

[oink]

By the way, for those that have Aldi stores, their version of N.C. BBQ sauce isn't bad. Or maybe it's just because I haven had the good stuff for awhile. Can't even get liver pudding in S. FL. Have to substitute scrapple that I guess they bring in for the yankees.

 

[Abbynormal]

Smoked a 7-1/2 lb pork shoulder Labor day for 8 hours at 200 degrees.
Got meat temp to 190 degrees and had wonderful pulled pork BBQ a couple of times this week. Put 1/2 in the freezer so I can have BBQ this winter when it's too cold/snowy to cook out!

 

[soFlaNative]

I've been wondering what the difference is when the pork is cooked to 190 - 200 deg. whether it be 8 hrs. at 200 - 220 or 5 hrs. at 320 - 325?

 

[Abbynormal]

I had never done pulled pork before. Only loins and ribs, so I did research on the net and all the sites I read, said to get meat to 190 F degrees at the thickest point of the roast for the pork to pull easily.

Lower cooking temperature keeps the meat more moist and tender. It takes longer, but the payoff is worth it!

I have a medium size Charbroil wood burning smoker and use lump charcoal and hickory, apple, cherry and maple chunks for flavor. I put 2 Weber charcoal chimney starters filled with my lump charcoal
and wood chunk mix, pore them into the firebox and that will get the temp in my smoker up to at least 200 degrees F and sometime as much as 250 F and usually last 3-4 hours. Then I add another chimney full when it gets below 200 F degrees.

Low temp and slow cooking time make for juicier and more tender BBQ!
Higher heat will dry the meat and make it tougher.

I used a meat thermometer to check it starting at 5 hours smoking time.

Hope that helps.

 

[rwsmith]

Make a long story short.....

A guy bought a small steer to raise for food and warned the kids not to make a pet of it because they were going to eat it when it was grown. They named him Wilbur and sure enough, they got very close to him.

When the time came to slaughter, the kid protested and cried vehemently but Dad was firm and off Wilbur went to the slaughterhouse.

Later, they had a cookout with friends over. The first kid was asked if they wanted hamburger or pork. "Pork" was the answer. Next kid, "Pork". Next kid, "Pork". Next kid, "Pork". Then they came to a neighbor kid, "Do you want a hamburger or pork?" "I'll have a hamburger", she said, "I didn't know him that well."

 

[Muss Muggins]

Proper "pulled pork" is made from a smoked butt . . .

 

[Mals9]

billwill I agree on your sauce selection. Carolina suace is the way to go, all others are to sweet for my tastes.

Mals

 

[Nevada Ed]

Well at 325-350 degrees (old oven) from 9am to 3pm.......
took the pork out of the oven , poked a hole in the Cooking bag
and let it cool down for 30 minutes.

I was surprised at how it shrunk up and it did have a crunchy outside
but it was very tender and the dry outside parts were saved for the dogs
which I am sure they will enjoy over their canned dog food.

Meat was shredded and we made poor boys with BBQ sauce and
a sprinkle of grated cheese and chopped onions. Good stuff.
We will have Mex. food tomorrow night.
Glad it worked out.

275 degrees might have worked out but with the old heating elements
I did not want to chance a under done hunk of pork from the old oven.

Later.

 

[tlawler]

True story.Wife drove around all winter with a frozen pig in the bed of the pickup.

Now that's fodder for a Jeff Foxworthy joke if I ever saw one

 

[paulh]

Now that's fodder for a Jeff Foxworthy joke if I ever saw one

Not only that, she got pulled over by the cops. We had farmers plates on the old Jeep. Let her go after they looked in the bed. Transporting stock I guess.

 

[Capt Steve]

Pulled pork? Why wait...

If you want amazing pulled pork and don't want to spend hours put it in a pressure cooker. Cut a pork sirloin roast {boneless is the easiest} into equal sized pieces, 6 half pounders works well in a 6 quart PC. Use chicken stock/broth for your base cooking liquid, 4 cups is about right and season anyway you like. BBQ sauce, seasonings, cracked black pepper and some garlic are some of my favorites.

Pressure cook it for 45 minutes to an hour and then depressurize and let the meat rest {tented with a double layer of aluminum foil and wrapped in a couple of towels} for 15 - 20 minutes. Any fat/grease will remain in the PC. Unwrap and you will have about 4 pounds of the most moist, tender, flavorful pork you ever encountered. A fork will let you just pull it apart.

This recipe works just as well with beef {just use beef broth/stock}, even cheap cuts and you are left with shredded beef. Beef or pork there is no limit to the number of incredible delicious ways you can use the meat... and it only takes and hour. {I used to teach pressure cooking - seminars/workshops}.

Permit me a bit of thread drift...

Want the finest Baby Back Ribs on earth? Pressure cook them for 25 minutes, let them rest then finish them on the grill {or under the broiler or a very hot oven} to crispy/carmelize them. All the fat and grease stays in the PC and they will be THE MOST TENDER ribs you ever ate.

You're welcome!

 

[chaparrito]

I am wondering why you gave up trying to cut the small end off. Was it a bone-in shoulder?
Boning out a pork shoulder without ending up with stew meat is a fun skill to learn. Bone-in is always cheaper.