rentasquid
New member
This one is probably my favorite. My wife and I cooked food for coaches and officials at swim meets, and I usually fix this. It always gets excellent reviews, and we never had any left over for ourselves. The recipe is basically from Alton Brown(he made his own smoker with a couple of large patio flower pots, an electric burner and a few odds and ends. I adapted it to what we had, and it turns out mouth-watering!
Brine:
8 ounces or 3/4 cup molasses
12 ounces pickling salt
2 quarts bottled water
6 to 8 pound Boston butt(we usually get a Pork Shoulder or Pork Butt)
Rub:
1 teaspoon whole cumin seed
1 teaspoon whole fennel seed
1 teaspoon whole coriander
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon paprika
Combine molasses, pickling salt, and water in 6 quart Lexan container(you can use most any large plastic container...Lexan just wont stain or give your food a funny taste). Add Boston butt making sure it is completely submerged in brine, cover, and let sit in refrigerator for a minimum of 8 hours. 12 hours is ideal. (I also trim excess fat chunks from the roast, since it is usually rendered off during the cooking process anyway, and it tastes better without huge chunks of fat).I usually start soaking it around 8 or 9 in the evening and let it soak until early morning.
Place cumin seed, fennel seed, and coriander in food grinder(fresh ground spices taste best, and we use a coffee grinder) and grind fine. Transfer to a small mixing bowl and stir in chili powder, onion powder, and paprika. Set aside in a ziplock until morning.
Remove Boston butt from brine and pat dry. Sift the rub evenly over the shoulder and then pat onto the meat making sure as much of the rub as possible adheres. More rub will adhere to the meat if you are wearing latex gloves during the application.
Here is where I differ from Altons cooking method. I dont have all day to smoke the meat, so I cook it in a roaster(the stand alone type that you can get at Wallyworld for $30.00). I turn up the heat to about 300-325 F. If you have a little rack to keep the meat out of the juice, it is better. The meat stays togather better. I start it cooking before I leave for work(7:00am) and let it cook until I get home (4:30). My wife usually checks it throughout the day to make sure it isnt cooking too hot. I try to keep the air temperature in the roaster at 200-225 F. I then fire up the smoker and smoke the meat with hickory for 3-4 hours. That is enough to infuse the meat with the good smokey flavor, but not enough to overwhelm the flavor of the meat. To follow Alton Browns method, continue to with this next section....Preheat smoker to 210 degrees F. Place butt in smoker and cook for 10 to12 hours, maintaining a temperature of 210 degrees F. Begin checking meat for doneness after 10 hours of cooking time. Use fork to check for doneness. Meat is done when it falls apart easily when pulling with a fork.
Once done, remove from pot and set aside to rest for at least 1 hour. Pull meat apart with 2 forks and serve as sandwich with coleslaw and dressing as desired. I always chop the meat into 1" segements as well, so that you have a more uniform serving. Dont put BBQ sauce in with the meat ahead of time! It is best served warm on the side. This meat really doesnt need any sauce, but it still tastes good with it too.
I've tried lots of pulled pork recipes, and this one is the best I've ever tasted(including from resturants). It tastes much better than that vinegary stuff they serve in the Carolinas(sorry Jeff
)
I dont usually make this size batch. We usually cook for 80-120 people so we quadruple the amount of everything.
J.
Brine:
8 ounces or 3/4 cup molasses
12 ounces pickling salt
2 quarts bottled water
6 to 8 pound Boston butt(we usually get a Pork Shoulder or Pork Butt)
Rub:
1 teaspoon whole cumin seed
1 teaspoon whole fennel seed
1 teaspoon whole coriander
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon paprika
Combine molasses, pickling salt, and water in 6 quart Lexan container(you can use most any large plastic container...Lexan just wont stain or give your food a funny taste). Add Boston butt making sure it is completely submerged in brine, cover, and let sit in refrigerator for a minimum of 8 hours. 12 hours is ideal. (I also trim excess fat chunks from the roast, since it is usually rendered off during the cooking process anyway, and it tastes better without huge chunks of fat).I usually start soaking it around 8 or 9 in the evening and let it soak until early morning.
Place cumin seed, fennel seed, and coriander in food grinder(fresh ground spices taste best, and we use a coffee grinder) and grind fine. Transfer to a small mixing bowl and stir in chili powder, onion powder, and paprika. Set aside in a ziplock until morning.
Remove Boston butt from brine and pat dry. Sift the rub evenly over the shoulder and then pat onto the meat making sure as much of the rub as possible adheres. More rub will adhere to the meat if you are wearing latex gloves during the application.
Here is where I differ from Altons cooking method. I dont have all day to smoke the meat, so I cook it in a roaster(the stand alone type that you can get at Wallyworld for $30.00). I turn up the heat to about 300-325 F. If you have a little rack to keep the meat out of the juice, it is better. The meat stays togather better. I start it cooking before I leave for work(7:00am) and let it cook until I get home (4:30). My wife usually checks it throughout the day to make sure it isnt cooking too hot. I try to keep the air temperature in the roaster at 200-225 F. I then fire up the smoker and smoke the meat with hickory for 3-4 hours. That is enough to infuse the meat with the good smokey flavor, but not enough to overwhelm the flavor of the meat. To follow Alton Browns method, continue to with this next section....Preheat smoker to 210 degrees F. Place butt in smoker and cook for 10 to12 hours, maintaining a temperature of 210 degrees F. Begin checking meat for doneness after 10 hours of cooking time. Use fork to check for doneness. Meat is done when it falls apart easily when pulling with a fork.
Once done, remove from pot and set aside to rest for at least 1 hour. Pull meat apart with 2 forks and serve as sandwich with coleslaw and dressing as desired. I always chop the meat into 1" segements as well, so that you have a more uniform serving. Dont put BBQ sauce in with the meat ahead of time! It is best served warm on the side. This meat really doesnt need any sauce, but it still tastes good with it too.
I've tried lots of pulled pork recipes, and this one is the best I've ever tasted(including from resturants). It tastes much better than that vinegary stuff they serve in the Carolinas(sorry Jeff
)I dont usually make this size batch. We usually cook for 80-120 people so we quadruple the amount of everything.
J.
uke: