Cooking with Platypus - Winter Warmer Series 3: Pulled Pork with Barbecue Sauce

All looks good. Most of the recipes I have seen, along with BBQ pit boys and the completion BBQ folk agree it's not worth putting the rub on in advance. Just take it out the fridge, add the rub and leave it 30mins to warm up before cooking. *However* This would be for the BBQ with the intention of smoking it. So it might make a difference. The additional flavours are normally found in the bark and don't really penetrate that far into the joint.

6 Hours doesn't sound very long either, you kind of have to use an it's done when it's done method, as if the fat doesn't get up to temp it won't break down. So you get stringy rather than melt in the mouth. The internal temp needs to get to 180F and cooking should be between 230-250F.

I quite often smoke shoulder joints for pulled pork. I will try and document it next time. Last portion I had last month I used as much chilli sauce as you would normally BBQ, it was rather hot, I think I gave myself Chilli Euphoria. Good though!
 
I made pulled pork with BBQ sauce and slaw on Saturday evening, and it was superb. I bought 2.6Kg of bone-in Pork shoulder on Friday, made the rub and applied Friday evening. I used the recipe posted by Platypus except I used smoked paprika and no sugar (because of the sugar in the BBQ sauce). Wrapped and left in the fridge for 18 hours before being cooked for 6 hours at 140 degrees (it was sat on a bed of onions with a little water in the bottom of the oven dish).

For the BBQ sauce, I used Heston's recipe which was lovely.

For the slaw, I used the recipe in the opening post as a guide but with a couple of changes:
- 1/4 white cabbage
- 1/4 red cabbage
- white onion
- red onion
- radishes
- mayonnaise
- Dijon mustard
- cider vinegar
- 1/2 lemon
- sugar

After 6 hours, the pork was removed from the oven and rested. With 2 forks, the meat pulled away from the bone so easily. Put onto white buns with the slaw and BBQ sauce, and a side of McCain Gorgeous Chips (chunky chips basted in beef dripping!!) it was a great meal. It was washed down with American beer bought from Real Ale in Twickenham.

Next time I'll probably use less paprika in the rub (it was a little hot for me), and I won't drink a bottle of red wine before I start on the beer!!
 
FrenchTart said:
No it doesn't? Where he pulls it apart it looks incredibly moist and lush.
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Compared to the pulled pork I've seen and cooked it looks dry, my opinion the fact it was roasted in an oven too with no covering proves to me it could have been better..
 
Neoni said:
Compared to the pulled pork I've seen and cooked it looks dry, my opinion the fact it was roasted in an oven too with no covering proves to me it could have been better..
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I think maybe you're overestimating the quality of your pulled pork. The OP's looks fine and popular opinion amongst those that know what they're doing is that covering the pork is not required. Obviously smoking it properly in a BBQ/smoker will be superior but as alternative methods go, this is a very good one.
 
I should have taken some pics of mine, but I can assure you that after 6 hours cooking, the pork was perfectly tender and juicy. Perhaps the water in the oven dish helped, but the good layer of fat on the meat certainly did.
 
FrenchTart said:
I think maybe you're overestimating the quality of your pulled pork. The OP's looks fine and popular opinion amongst those that know what they're doing is that covering the pork is not required. Obviously smoking it properly in a BBQ/smoker will be superior but as alternative methods go, this is a very good one.
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Your taking all the moisture out by it not being covered..

I always double wrap pork and slow roast for a good 8 hours and I'm not over estimating anything, pork being my favourite meat I'm pretty particular!
 
molinari said:
I should have taken some pics of mine, but I can assure you that after 6 hours cooking, the pork was perfectly tender and juicy. Perhaps the water in the oven dish helped, but the good layer of fat on the meat certainly did.
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I'd have loved to see pictures. It sounded like it was going to be awesome :)

Neoni said:
Your taking all the moisture out by it not being covered..

I always double wrap pork and slow roast for a good 8 hours and I'm not over estimating anything, pork being my favourite meat I'm pretty particular!
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No you're not.

You're either cooking at too high a temperature, for too long a length of time or you're using too lean a piece of meat to be suitable for slow cooking in an oven (leaner cuts would require you to either wrap things up, add liquid or use an even lower temperature).
 
FrenchTart said:
I'd have loved to see pictures. It sounded like it was going to be awesome :)



No you're not.

You're either cooking at too high a temperature, for too long a length of time or you're using too lean a piece of meat to be suitable for slow cooking in an oven (leaner cuts would require you to either wrap things up, add liquid or use an even lower temperature).
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I cook on a low temperature wrapped up for 8 hours final 30 mins I turn the heat back up and unwrap, it's my opinion I'm entitled to it..
 
Neoni said:
I cook on a low temperature wrapped up for 8 hours final 30 mins I turn the heat back up and unwrap, it's my opinion I'm entitled to it..
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You can of course have any opinion you like - including an incorrect one.

However, you're going to be corrected if you come out with information that is wrong and everyone else is just as entitled to point out exactly how you are wrong.
 
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FrenchTart said:
You can of course have any opinion you like - including an incorrect one.

However, you're going to be corrected if you come out with information that is wrong and everyone else is just as entitled to point out exactly how you are wrong.
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So there is a right and a wrong way of cooking meat? Get out, talking nonsense.. It's personal preference.
 
Sorry to break it to you but there actually are correct and incorrect ways to cook meat. Personal preference obviously plays a large role in how you like your food but that doesn't stop something like boiling a ribeye steak being a crime.

I have no problem with you wanting to cook anything however you prefer to eat it but correcting superior cooking methods with your own inferior ones is obviously going to draw criticism.
 
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FrenchTart said:
Sorry to break it to you but there actually are correct and incorrect ways to cook meat. Personal preference obviously plays a large role in how you like your food but that doesn't stop something like boiling a ribeye steak a crime.
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You know what I was getting at, but you still could boil a steak if you chose to, correct? That's my point
 
Neoni said:
What makes my way of cooking inferior? Again your opinion.
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Not really. Just have a read up on some of the science of cooking meat.

Your method will partially steam the meat. This will make it appear to be more moist and I'm sure it tastes okay but generally speaking this isn't something you want to do to meat if you want the best from it.
 
FrenchTart said:
Not really. Just have a read up on some of the science of cooking meat.

Your method will partially steam the meat. This will make it appear to be more moist and I'm sure it tastes okay but generally speaking this isn't something you want to do to meat if you want the best from it.
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I've cooked plenty of pork cuts, and for me using the foil to date has produced the best and tastiest results yet - again it's all down to personal preference
 
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