Pulled Pork suggestions

[quietwatersfarm]

This has been finally prompted by a couple of threads elsewhere. The rendezvous rub recipe vagreys posted a while back and then terracotta smoker videos.

I am cooking for an event later in the year (for about 50-60) folks and have been working on various pork recipes in order to offer some really tasty options.

Its an outdoor do which will last all day (and probably most of the night!) and so everything is being prepared to cook on woodfire grill or smokers (about three of those terracotta rig ups look ideal ).

I have nicked and amended a couple of Francis Mallmann recipes, Ive got a couple of our own tried and tested, and I wanted a whole heap of really slow cooked pulled pork.

How do you guys think the rendezvous rub would suit a bunch of eight to ten hour smoked shoulder?

other suggestions welcome

[DanMcG]

I'm not familiar with the rub you mentioned so I can't comment on it, but for other suggestions this is how I do pork shoulder for pulling.
Rub it down the night before with your favorite rub and let it sit in the frig uncovered till smoke time.
Run your smoker up to 225°-250°F and throw on the meat, every hour spray it with your favorite sweet liquid with a spritz bottle. I use apple or cherry juice, some prefer a liqueur of some sort. this will give you a nice bark.
When it hits 165° F internal wrap in in heave aluminum foil and let it go to 200°-205° internal then pull it and wrap it in towels and place it in a warm cooler to let it rest for an hour. this will let the juice redistribute in the meat. the rest is really important and makes a big difference in the end product.
Figure on an 1.5 hours per pound to get it to temp plus the 1 rest.

I hope this helps you some.
Dan

[slick4591]

I'm going to have to try that ice chest thing one of these days.

Injected and spritzed apple juice seems to be the way to go. You can rub it if you want, but the apple juice and a good wood is really all you need.IMHO

[NCPaul]

In North Carolina, they would put a bit of vinegar and hot sauce on it after pulling. Not everyone likes this. In South Carolina, they would give it a bit of mustard sauce. Not everyone likes this either. In other places, they would add some other "finishing" sauce. I suggest you make it to suit your taste; that way, if there are leftovers, you'll like them.

[quietwatersfarm]

This is the rub recipe, which is apparently based on Charlie Vargo's in Memphis, Ive heard such good reports but not tried it myself.

Guess its a good excuse for some slow cooked tests

1 tablespoon whole cumin
1 tablespoon kosher salt
3 tablespoons turbinado sugar
1 tablespoon coarsely ground black pepper
1 tablespoon oregano
1 tablespoon thyme
4 tablespoons sweet paprika
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon whole mustard seed
1 teaspoon mustard powder
1 teaspoon whole coriander seed
1 teaspoon ground coriander seed
1 teaspoon ground bay leaf -- optional
1 teaspoon celery seed
1 1/2 teaspoons granulated garlic
3/4 teaspoon cayenne

[Iamarealbigdog]

rub looks interesting,

IMHO it needs more sugar and salt

I would also consider dropping the mustard and the ground bay leaf. If you like the mustard addition, cover the meat with mustard prior to the rub.

You need more sugar to give you the nice bark.

Consider an injection for your pork, use the spritz as a base. We tried a recipe with 4 cups of apple juice and 1 cup kosher salt, thought we would die but it worked out very nice, can't figure out where all the salt went but the meat was superb...

prepare for 12-16 hr for butts and 18-22 for an entire sholder at 220-230

[vagreys]

That rub is really intended for Memphis-style dry ribs, which are not particularly sweet and only moderately salty. If you are cooking the shoulders for a long time, you will want to regulate the sugar.

I use a variation on this rub for doing shoulders, leaving out the sugar. I do this because, on shoulders cooked low-and-slow for hours, the sugar burns and goes bitter. The only place the rub flavors usually remain is in the fat. When put on ribs, the turbinado sugar doesn't entirely melt, and there are these wonderful tiny bursts of sweetness that complement the rib meat, and help balance the spices.

Sometimes, and depending on how I'm going to use the shoulders, I will rub them with simple salt and pepper, and then use a mop baste through the cooking. I frequently have cooked for 60-200. I think 50-60 sounds like a lot of fun! Good luck with planning your event.

Edited to add: I think the version of the rub that uses fresh garlic in place of the garlic powder (where you make a paste of the salt and garlic and blend the rub with your fingers) is better. I provided the version using garlic powder because it is easier to blend.

[quietwatersfarm]

Thanks for that, I think I like your idea of a mop baste as it goes along and I take your point about the sugar.

It should be a good excuse to pull some shoulders out in the meantime and try some adjustments to the recipe before the day. Love that rub recipe though and have beem waiting for an excuse to do it justice

Im doing a whole batch of Boudin for the grill too and a big warmed bowl of Nduja so there will be a decent choice for folks

[Iamarealbigdog]

Welcome to the world of BBQ

I would take a different position regarding the sugar... (yes for competition we hit the bark with sugar to give a nice caramelized effect)


Black pig pulled pork


best thing to do is cook your pork a few different ways. One of the teams I know just use commerial rubs

Cheers

[vagreys]

Sounds great! I'm sure the Boudin will be a hit.

Rendezvous ribs are made with baby back (loin back) ribs. They are brined and cooked relatively quickly over direct coals, with the dry rub added late in the process. I use spareribs and do them in the older Memphis dry rub style, where the rub is applied as early as the night before, and then reapplied about an hour before the ribs are finished, but no brine. They are cooked low and slow with indirect heat and smoke. They are served with a spicy-sweet table sauce.

Have fun experimenting. Hopefully, you will have to do a lot of taste testing.