Pulled pork a handy option for easy meal

Anyone who tries to navigate Route 1 in June knows the warm temperatures bring carloads of visitors to our beautiful beaches. If you’re staying in a rental house or hosting friends and family, it’s handy to have a few options for easy meals. Instead of waiting for everyone to finish showering off the sand before searching for a restaurant, you can offer a tasty home-cooked meal everyone will enjoy - this week it’s pulled pork.

Pulled pork is the name for a dish that requires a specific cooking method to achieve the right results. Ideally, a seasoned pork shoulder is cooked over a low, smoky fire until it can be literally pulled into shreds with forks or fingers. While the aromatic smoke adds a great deal of flavor, creative cooks have used spices to create successful oven-baked or crockpot-simmered versions.

This style of cooking pork is hundreds of years old, and every region across the country has its own variations on the exact rub ingredients, sauce rules, choice of firewood, appropriate toppings and serving style. However, you will find agreement on which cut of meat to select when preparing pulled pork: the upper shoulder, known as pork butt or Boston butt.

We have to return to the Colonial era in New England to understand why meat from the shoulder of the pig is called butt. As pigs were butchered, the least desirable cuts (including the shoulder) were packed in barrels known as “butts.” Most of these were sold as inexpensive food for travelers or to provision ships setting sail. Since Boston was a major seaport, pork shoulder became known as Boston butt.

Beyond its nickname, pork shoulder was considered a less-than-choice cut of meat because it is both tough and fatty. These same two features also make it ideal for pulled pork: the long, slow cooking process renders the fat and melts the collagen in the muscle, transforming the meat into moist, tender pieces. Pulling the pork into shreds isn’t difficult because the meat practically falls apart on its own.

I’ve included two recipes for making pulled pork, neither of which requires a smoker, since most people who own one are well-versed in how to use it for this dish. The first version of pulled pork takes almost two days to reach the table, but the wait is worth it. The meat is coated with a highly seasoned rub and then brined for 24 hours in the refrigerator. This adds extra moisture to keep the meat from drying out during the long cooking process.

Afterward, the Boston butt is set in a roasting pan and baked in a slow oven for about 6 hours. To ensure the perfect degree of doneness, a probe thermometer is a necessity - treat yourself to one that features an alarm that sits on your counter while the connected probe stays in the meat in the oven.

At 200 degrees, the meat is done and you can turn off the oven to let the pork rest. Once the internal temperature falls to 170 F, take the pan from the oven and call in your guests to start pulling. Save any leftovers; they freeze well and reheat beautifully.

Another option for making pulled pork is perfect when everyone in the house goes to the beach for a long day in the sun. Assemble the pork shoulder and a combination of spices and seasonings in a slow cooker. Set the dial on low and head for the beach; eight hours later you’re ready to start pulling the pork. As you can see from the photo, we like to serve this on soft bakery buns, topping the meat with cole slaw for a creamy crunch to complement the savory pork.
 
Brined Pulled Pork
1/2 C salt
2 qts cold water
1/2 C brown sugar
3 T seasoning mix
2 bay leaves
6 lb Boston butt

In a large bowl, stir salt into cold water, mixing until completely dissolved. Add the brown sugar, 3 T seasoning mix (below) and bay leaves, stirring well to combine. Submerse the meat completely in the liquid in the bowl (if it fits) and cover with plastic wrap. Alternatively, combine liquid and meat in a 2-gallon zip-top bag. Refrigerate for approximately 24 hours. When ready to cook, preheat oven to 225 F. Coat the inside of a baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Sprinkle additional seasoning mix all over the pork and place in the roasting pan, fat side up. Insert a probe thermometer into the thickest part of the meat, not against the bone.
When the temperature reaches 200 F, turn off the oven and let the roast rest inside. Monitor the temperature, removing the pan from the oven when it reaches 170 F. Remove the slab of fat on the top of the meat and use two forks to pull apart the pork into shreds. Serve on a bun with cole slaw.
 
Seasoning Mix
1 t cayenne
1 T chili powder
1 T cumin
1 T garlic powder
1 T onion powder
1 T paprika
1 T pepper
1 T salt
1/2 C dark brown sugar

Mix ingredients together with a fork. Store in an airtight container. Use as a dry rub on pulled pork or barbecued ribs.
 
Slow Cooker Pulled Pork
1 chopped onion
3-lb pork shoulder*
1 T salt
2 t white pepper
1/2 t cayenne
1 t garlic powder
1/2 t savory
1/2 t thyme
3 T paprika
3 T olive oil
1/2 C honey
1/4 C apple cider vinegar

Place the chopped onion in the bottom of the slow cooker. If necessary for size constraints, cut the meat in half. Place the pork on top of the onions. Stir the remaining ingredients together in a mixing bowl until a paste forms. Spread the seasoning mix over all sides of the pork.

Cover and set the temperature to low. Cook until the meat separates easily with a fork, about eight hours.