Stove Top Pulled Pork - Slimming World recipes (2024)

FAQs

What is the secret to pulled pork? ›

Low and Slow

After achieving a beautiful, deep brown sear, lower the heat to 325 to allow the pork to become tender. The shoulder will cook in its own juices, creating deeply savory and succulent meat. Covering the meat keeps the moisture internal, resulting in the perfect bite.

Pork shoulder has a decent amount of fat on the surface. It's a good idea to cut away this excess fat prior to cooking, but do leave a small amount as it adds to the flavour.

What is the best cut of meat for pulled pork? Pork shoulder is ideal for pulling purposes. It has an optimum fat content that yields to create tender, melty meat, but it's essential you cook it slowly to allow the protein to break down properly.

If it is expected to be served within a few hours after smoking, it is better to store it in a crockpot set at the lowest possible temperature. Additionally, spray chicken broth or apple juice on the meat to prevent it from losing more moisture in the crockpot.

Transfer everything to a large slow cooker and add a splash of liquid — water is great, but so is broth, apple juice, or beer if you have them handy. Cover and cook on low until the meat is tender and pulls apart easily.

The acid from the apple cider and apple cider vinegar help to tenderize the meat while also keeping it juicy and flavorful. The low and slow cooking method makes it fall apart as soon as your fork touches it and shreds beautifully.

Cooking time will be between 2 to 4 hours, depending on the amount of pork and whether it's bone-in (which takes longer to cook). This is entirely hands-off time. The pork is done when it's so tender that it literally flakes apart when you poke it with a fork and falls off the bone.

I always try to leave no more than an eighth of an inch of fat when preparing pork for slow cooking. sure, if you want to remove most of the pork flavor which comes from the fat. Just leave it on, and cut or pour it off after it cooks down.

Slow cooked pork in the oven will make its own pan juices. So, there is no need to add liquid. In fact, you will need to drain off the liquid pan juices into a container to save for later so that they do not dilute any BBQ sauce. These pan juices can also be added back later to keep it moist.

The smoke flavor is much more intense after the pulled pork has been sitting overnight. I simply take a container from fridge, bring to room temperature and re-heat at 175-200 degrees in a glass container for an hour or two (add a little apple juice or sweetened cider vinegar if needed).

How do you add flavor to pulled pork after cooking? ›

This thin, vinegar-based finishing sauce, which differs from a BBQ sauce, is the secret ingredient to kick up my smoked pulled pork. After you've pulled your pork butt, drizzle over the meat and combine. The vinegar adds contrast to the smoky flavor and cuts through the fat in the meat.

Many competition barbecue teams will wrap briskets and pork butts in aluminum foil during the final stages of cooking and add broth, juice, or other flavorful concoctions to the foil package.

Not today, dry pork

If your plans for pork don't include BBQ sauce, Home Cook World suggests using other liquids like broth, apple juice, or an apple cider and vinegar combo.

If food has been hygienically prepared, cooled quickly after cooking (or reheating) and stored cold, reheating more than once should not increase the risk of illness. But prolonged storage and repeated reheating will affect the taste, texture, and sometimes the nutritional quality of foods.

All you'll need to do is pour an entire can of root beer into your slow cooker — or whatever vessel you're using to make your pulled pork — and let the soda work its magic. The sugar and carbonization will work together to flavor your meat and make it melt-in-your-mouth tender.

The kind of meat you're smoking will influence the texture of your shreds. Pork shoulder and butt contain tons of fat that keeps the meat juicy and soft when cooking. Your meat could not shred properly if you attempted to smoke a leaner cut, such as tenderloin. The issue of the meat bark is another issue.