Pork, Pork and More Pork

Despite the bad press pork has received over the years (not to mention the derogatory-named swine flu), it is the king of the barbecue.  Spare ribs, baby back ribs, country ribs, ham, shoulder, Boston butts, loins, sausages, tenderloins and chops.  Not to mention craiclins, bacon, pig roasts, and suckling pigs!  Basically everything but the oink is fair game for the honorable griller and barbecuer.

This weekend, I am firing up my kettle with Lazzari, adding some pecan chunks and then slowly smoking 12 pounds of boneless, brown sugar brined pork putt.  When it’s finished, it will be sliced, pulled, chopped, sauced and eaten. “Uncle John” will then send gifts of pork butt to my sister-in-law and brother-in-law who recently welcomed a pair of babies into the world; Quinn and Rowan, my 17th and 18th niece/nephew.

To prepare for a Sunday pork butt celebration, let’s pay homage to the humble pig.  From Bon Appetit:

Pork Recipes Slideshow

America’s pork is better than ever, thanks to the revival of traditional farming and the rediscovery of heritage breeds. These 20 recipes prove just how good it is. For more information on heritage pork, see our ingredient guide to Heritage Pork.

1

Pork Chops with Leeks in Mustard Sauce

Photograph by Hans Gissinger

• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5
• 6
• 7
• 8
• 9
• 10
• 11
• 12
• 13
• 14
• 15
• 16
• 17
• 18
• 19
• 20

The Art of the Butt (aka- pulling pork)

I seasoned and barbecued a 6 lb. pork butt tonight in about 4.5 hours.  That is against many bbq “truisms” which generally state that “low and slow” is the only way for good bbq.  I was (and am) one of the purists too, but I also keep an open mind and experiment quite a bit.

Tonight, after seasoning, I double-banked some Lazzari Mesquite Hardwood Charcoal, and got it red hot.  I mean hot.  I am guessing 350-400 degrees with my kettle lid on.  I placed the butt in the middle and let it rip (adding a generous handful of both pecan and apple chips).  The smoke was billowing out of my wide open vents.  The fire was raging.  The butt was in an inferno!   After about 90 minutes, still very hot, I pulled it.  The exterior was crispy, a little burnt, but not bad.  I partially wrapped in heavy duty tin foil and then added about 2 cups of apple juice and then crimped shut.

Because lump charcoal burns so much hotter, and a Weber kettle is not the most tightly sealed grilled known to mankind, the fire still raged- even with the vents closed.

This was now about 6:30 and I planned on another 3-4 hours of just setting in the grill.  But at 8:00, I checked the internal temp…201 degrees!  I pulled it from the grill and let set for 30 minutes, then easily shredded it with a fork.  The bone pulled out clean as a whistle.

High temperature BBQ is a reality.  I am not saying it is better than low and slow, but it is still good and makes a large butt less than time consuming on a work night.

I am finishing it with Big Ricks BBQ Sauce for an office pot luck on Tuesday.

Big Ricks—IMHO, the best commercial BBQ sauce on the market.

http://www.bigricks.com/ 

Pulled Pork

This show represents how you season, bbq, and finish a small butt (5-7lb) on a kettle.  A bit simplistic but you begin with a slather of yellow mustard, season w/your favorite rub.  Place on a grill, indirect heat.  Add several chunks of wood (pecan, apple, cherry, sassafras are my favorites) and slow cook.  Traditionally you would do about 1.5 hours per pound.  I cook a bit higher and faster on the kettle because of the grill and hardwood charcoal I prefer.  A bit non-traditional.

I bbq for about 3-4 hours until it looks “good” (art, not science) and then foil.  No liquids added, but I might in the future.  Wrap tight for another 2-3 hours, until internal temp hits 195 +/-.  Take off and let set.  You should be able to slice, chop and/or pull depending on your preference.  Sometimes pulling is the only option.  It is an imperfect art.  Still tastes good.

I sauce it after I pull/chop/slice.

Tasty…had a few ribbons in my time…no trophies.  Yet.