This Little Piggy Pulled Pork
Summertime is just around the corner which means it’s time for good ole pulled pork sandwiches! Here at Kitchen Craft, we have the perfect recipe for you and your family. So the next time you have a cookout in the backyard, this is what you should be cooking and here’s how it’s done!
History
People have been cooking Pulled Pork for many years. It was first created in the early 1970’s in West Tennessee. The term “pulled pork” was first used to describe the local style of serving barbeque. It mainly served as a Tennessee favorite. But then in the late 1970’s it worked it’s way to outside states. It appeared in restaurant ads in Louisville and Jackson, Mississippi. The Kroger supermarket chain boosted it’s migration and in 1980, it began an advertisement on “Pulled Pork BBQ” along with fried chicken and sub sandwiches. The marketing helped boost it’s popularity, however, the real boom happened in the 1990’s and early 2000’s. Backyard cookouts started to become very popular and everyone was making pulled pork at that point. People still enjoy those meals and cookouts today.
Ingredients
You will need a 1-9 pound pork shoulder arm picnic. For marinade ingredients, you’ll need 1-cup of vegetable oil, 1/2 cup of apple cider vinegar, 6-cloves of garlic, 2-tablespoons of coarse salt, 2-tablespoons of the Spice Mix, 1-tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, and juice from one lime. Spice Mix ingredients include 2-tablespoons of black peppercorns, 2-tablespoons of dried oregano, and 1-teaspoon of whole Allspice. Remember to grind the first three ingredients in a spice grinder. You will need 2 tablespoons of this spice mix for the marinade. Store the rest in an airtight container for up to 1 year.
Instructions for preparing the meat
Clean and pat the pork shoulder dry. Then, score the skin in a crosshatch fashion. Once you’re finished with both steps, just set the pork aside and begin work on other steps.
Instructions for marinade
There’s a bit more steps for this. First, you must grind the black peppercorns, oregano, and Allspice for the Spice Mix. Then, pulse garlic, salt, 2 tablespoons of the Spice Mix, Worcesterhire sauce, and lime juice in a food processor bowl fitted with the blade attachment. Place the pork shoulder in a 2- gallon re-sealable plastic bag. Pour the marinade mix into the bag over the meat. Seal the bag on a baking sheet and move the marinade around to entirely coat the meat. Make sure to place everything under refrigeration for at least 24 hours and up to three days.
Cooking
It’s time to cook this delicious meal! First, let the pork shoulder warm up for about 30 minutes. Second, slice some onion rings into the 8 Quart Stock Pot. Then, pour ½ cup of water over the onions. Place the pork shoulder on top of them now. Cover the pot and cook over medium heat until you see steam. Spin the lid, turn it to low, and cook for 3½ hours. Let it rest after for 30 minutes. Transfer the meat to a baking sheet. Pour the broth in a separate container and separate the meat from the bone. “Pull” the pork to separate the strands of meat from each other. Finally, cool both the meat and broth once you’re finished.
Tips
This is a great recipe to make ahead of time. The pork freezes beautifully. Portion it into quart size freezer bags once it has been pulled. Also, chill the broth for several hours then remove the top layer of fat. The broth can be used plenty of things like soup of course. It’s also really nice to add it back into the pork to add in some extra flavor and moisture. A little hint is to use care not to puncture the marination bag with the pork bone. Might we also comment that this recipe is only three steps: marinate the meat, cook it, and then “pull” the meat to form pulled pork.
Conclusion
That concludes our steps on how to make this tasty recipe. The summer heat is much more enjoyable when you’re eating this with your friends and family! So, it’s time to grab the grill and get cooking!