Thursdays Are For Cooking
I still like the slow cooker/Crockpot because it’s “set it and forget it” until you catch the scent of properly cooked food floating through the air. And this one is perfect for summer because it takes very little work on your part. I’d let this baby simmer all day, especially if I’m going to be outside with a camera or mowing the lawn or whatever else we do outside. So enjoy it with the summer days left to us.
Slow Cooker Pulled Pork (BBQ)
Ingredients
1 tablespoon paprika
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon packed brown sugar
1 boneless pork shoulder roast (2 ½ to 3 lb)
¼ cup water
1 cup barbecue sauce
Directions:
1 – In small bowl, stir together paprika, salt, garlic powder and brown sugar.
2 – Spray 5- to 6-quart slow cooker with cooking spray. Rub paprika mixture on pork to cover completely. Place pork in slow cooker. Pour water around pork.
3 – Cover; cook on Low heat setting 7 to 8 hours, or High heat setting 3 to 4 hours, until extremely tender.
4 – Transfer pork to cutting board. Let rest until cool enough to handle. Use 2 forks to shred pork.
5 – Discard liquid in slow cooker. Wipe out the slow cooker. Spray slow cooker with cooking spray. Return shredded pork to slow cooker; stir in barbecue sauce until well mixed. Cover; cook on High heat setting 10 to 15 minutes or until hot.
Note:
– You can substitute beef for pork if you prefer beef over pork. Same ingredients and seasonings and directions.
– Always season to suit your taste.
– Try to leave the lid on the cooker until the meat is done!
– Pulled pork is exactly what a slow-cooker is meant to be used for—to slowly braise food, in a steamy environment until exceedingly tender. Larger, tougher cuts of meat are particularly excellent cooked this way.
– Serve alongside garlicky mashed potatoes, wrap up in tortillas with taco garnishes, or go the sandwich route: shred the pork, pile it up on a crusty, toasted bun with a generous spoonful of coleslaw on top.
– Chuck pot roast is a good choice to slow cook until it falls apart. Waiting to stir in the barbecue sauce until the meat is done keeps the flavor fresh and the sauce nice and thick.
– For a spicier pulled pork, stir 1 teaspoon finely chopped chipotle chiles into the barbecue sauce before mixing with the pork.
Enjoy it with a good glass of your preferred beverage and some bodacious cole slaw, and chips or fries on the side. In winter, I like this with mashed potatoes.
Num, Num, Num, Num!!!! Ain’t nothing like a nice sized piece of beast in a crocked pot orasting lowly, all spiced up. I’ve been prone to do this a whole buncha times, big tendency to put him on at night soes when I wakes up of a morning that smell of orasted beast is a percurlating all thru the house. It goes good stuffed inside a big ol’ fat cat headed biscuit too. I do use more of the porked loins v the shoulders, fat content and all of that. Plus the K Roger will run the loins at between $1,69 – 1.99 lb v the shoulders (bone in) at 1.29/1.49. Those prices were pre COVID, haven’t bought any in a bit, so that’s gone up I’m sure. I also separate out some of the beast for those that may want to just have the “dry rub” flavor, or use the sauce as a dip. Tater salad and fresh ‘maters goes well with this too.
“Try to leave the lid on the cooker until the meat is done!” There is no try, there is only do! Quickest way to get Mama to knock you upside the noggin or rap that hand with a wooden spoon is to lift that lid on her crocked pot.
Tanks Ex…was delaying my provision run till I saw what was on tap for the Thursdays are for Cooking.
I don’t have a BBQ sauce recipe yet, but I think I can find one. I sometimes think the “canned”, commercially produced stuff is just not quite the way I want it – too much sugar, which buries the real flavor.
But I’m going to work on it before Autumn finds her way into my AO.
Try Stubbs. Not as sweet as KC style. More of a Carolina style.
I will, thanks!!
Once read a comment from a barbeque cookoff champ who essentially said he had enough to worry about with his meat, and that after all those companies spent all those millions making hundreds of sauces, making his own seemed redundant.
That’s true, but a lot of them have ingredients like high fructose corn syrup that I really don’t like.
Besides, it’s fun to try to make your own sauce or whatever. Otherwise, there’s no reason to cook anything unless it’s in a can or a freezer box.
I have my great Oma’s recipe for Lumpia (egg rolls) from Jakarta, Indonesia. I’m making 250 tomorrow and just finished the filling.
Time to rest.
Serve with Nasi Goreng and Bami..
Thanks Ex..
Thank You, Ex, for another great recipe.
You are so correct when you wrote “I still like the slow cooker/Crockpot because it’s “set it and forget it” until you catch the scent of properly cooked food floating through the air.”
As always, I enjoy reading KoB’s comments. Based on Ex’s and KoB’s excellent writing skills, they both would make a great team on a Food Blog as they describe their culinary pleasures.
Speaking of culinary skills and pleasures: Did you all see this? It was bound to happen…and it is not a joke:
“Someone Finally Made Edible Crayons for Marines”
https://www.marinecorpstimes.com/off-duty/military-culture/2020/08/05/someone-finally-made-edible-crayons-for-marines/
https://okashi-by-shina.myshopify.com/products/usmc-edible-crayons
😉😎😆
They actually look good.
That will be perfect for my son.
ninja… 😆 😆 😆 If she made these in a Bud Lite Flavor, I bet that Slow Joe would keep her in business for a long time. I’d buy her stock options on an IPO.
In my ‘Q’ snob days I would agonize over just the right spice mix for the rub, and again simmering and stirring the sauce pot for hours until it hit me.
There are perfectly good pre-made spice rub mixes available, and I really don’t like a tomato based ‘Q’ sauce.
So now I just get a commercial rub and add some spices, and use this for my pork or chicken ‘Q’ sauce:
Carolina Clear Sauce
2 cups apple cider vinegar
2 fat tablespoons of brown sugar
4 tablespoons sea salt
1 teaspoon (or more) hot sauce
1 teaspoon (or more) red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon (or more) freshly ground black pepper
Mix all, and if a habo pepper falls in, well that’s just too bad. Let rest a few hours or a few days- it just gets better with time. Great as a mop or dipping sauce, and no simmering needed.
“In my “Q” snob days….” Word! BTDT. Found a “Road Kill Grill” rub that’s pretty damn all around good for a rub, and works on all manner of beasties. The vinegar base you list here can go slightly out of lane either way with a tomato or mustard add on, just for gits and shiggles. And trying to make a sauce for multitudes is sucha PIA, I got in the habit of the commercial stuff too, Miz C_____ Lady Friend likes a Brown Sugar Sweet Baby Rays and I keep an assortment of different styles, as long as it doesn’t say Kraft.
‘Nother twist that works out well is use a larger porked loin, fill the crocked pot 3/4 with liquid and perculate him lowly all night (or most of the day). Take all of the liquid and about 1/2 of the lion and mix it up in that cast iron skillet to make a porked dressing. Nice change up from the chicken and dressing and gives an option to use the other 1/2 for sauced or dippable.
BTW…You’re late…As Miss Annie would say; Give an accounting of yourself. 😀 Hope you have spent this time searching for additional “Girls with gunz” for our Sunday Morning. Don’t be having no relapses on us.
Imma gonna see if this works!
What a proper skillet of cornbread dressing should look like.
The tomato or mustard additions are regional variations on the vinegar base sauce, and both are quite good. I just prefer the clear, YYMV.
As for my whereabouts the Standard Navy Reply is, “Taking care of personal business ashore, Sir!”
*grin*
Yepper, have had occasions where all 3 versions, along with various stages of hot, were on the table. Got tired of fighting that battle long ago, and just listened carefully or asked what folks preferred. Not a big fan of sauces myself, favorite dip for me is a cat head in brown gravy.
Hope the Missus enjoyed the conjugal visit y’all had! (dodges a thrown porked beast shoulder bone while grabbing a sammich)
And for those who like to cook under pressure….
1 to 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 pounds boneless pork shoulder, cut into two equal pieces
2 cups barbecue sauce, divided, plus more for serving
1/2 cup water
Toasted rolls, for serving
Instructions
Select Saute to preheat the pressure cooking pot. When hot, add the oil to the cooking pot. Brown pork on both sides, about 3 minutes per side. Brown each half of the roast separately. Remove to a platter.
Add 1 cup barbecue sauce and 1/2 cup water to the cooking pot. Stir to combine. Add browned pork and any accumulated juices to the pot.
Lock lid in place. Select High Pressure and set the cook time for 75 minutes.
When the cook time ends, turn off the pressure cooker allow the pressure to release naturally (approximately 20 minutes).
When the valve drops carefully remove lid. Carefully remove the meat from the pressure cooker and shred with two forks, discard excess fat as you shredded. (You can also use your stand mixer to shredded the pork.)
Strain cooking liquid, reserving 1/2 cup. (Optional: Use a fat separator to separate fat from the juices.)
Place shredded pork in the cooking pot with remaining 1 cup barbecue sauce and reserved 1/2 cup cooking liquid. Stir to combine and bring to a simmer, stirring frequently.
Serve on toasted rolls with additional barbecue sauce, if desired.
I recommend NOT using water for the pressure liquid. Use apple juice instead. Also, add a touch of liquid smoke in the pot.
Finally, although pulled pork sandwiches are very tasty, try putting the pork on top of a hoecake and then cole slaw on top of the port. You’ll thank me later.
You’re late also gc…’bout damn time you showed up. Been sharing your ideas with a friend that cooks under pressure. Haven’t pulled the trigger on a cooker yet, but plan on looking hard at the ones we discussed awhile back when I get to the big K Roger again. I think I was just overwhelmed at the multitudes of them, got a better idea of what to look for now.
I like the idea, too, of the apple juice v water for the cooking liquid. Somebody else had told me that before and I made a loin in the crocked pot with it. Couldn’t tell if that added the apple hint or if it was the applewood rub. Will try that again and use more this time. We need to get past all of this holing up so I can have some company here again. Thanks
KoB,
I apologize for being “late.”
For the past few months, I have been dealing with a medical concern with a family member. Yesterday, that concern came to head in a sense and frankly, reading the internet or posting anywhere was the last thing I wanted to do. It was only late at night that I did because I looking to do something that would calm me down.
I’ve cooked with and without apple juice which is why I recommend it. It is not an overwhelming flavor, but subtle.
Pork is very much a meat (like chicken breasts) that are looking for flavors. The apple plus a good rub is always a good thing, in my opinion.
As I have told AW1Ed and Ex-PH2, I appreciate the ability to post here in this thread because I don’t want it to seem that I am trying to hijack the thread itself.
They both have been kind enough to allow the postings and I think that is rather cool.
Take care and try pork on a hoecake. (Heck, try hoecakes with honey. That was allegedly George Washington’s favorite meal, and when we tried it, it was a revelation.)
It’s all good Bro. We will lift you and yours up in prayer for your problems. May His Blessing bring His Healing or His Comfort in this time of need. I well understand, having gone 65 years between hospital visits, that medical issues can and will become a cast iron bitch. TAH has been my lifeline and tether for the last few years, keeping me grounded and with something to look forward to everyday. I was concerned when you hadn’t shown up that there was an issue going on. That whole conspicuous in the absence thing. We are here for you and yours.
I enjoy the additions you bring to this thread, been a good long time since I cooked under pressure, but have done my fair share. Our pot/cooker line when I was running the Colonel’s Chicken Houses used individual pots, and Mama had a medium sized one she used on occasion.
Yep we all over putting stuff on hoecakes down heah, y’all. Hoecake, johnny cakes, Lacey Anne Cakes, flour or corn meal base have been a staple for generations for us. Was many a time that a hoecake with a little cane syrup WAS the meal. And shredded coleslaw has it all over chopped. There is an old school BBQ place down here that their “Pig Special” is topped with Cole Slaw. Located on the “Old Dixie Highway” US 41, there are folks that leave the I75 big road to come by just for that item. That outfit was started by a WWII Vet in ’46 and is still run by his son.
Well, of course those postings are allowed, GDC. It’s really open for that.
In re: apple juice as a cooking broth for pork, sounds good, but I have yet to figure out why a beef roast should be cooked in chicken broth, as some people do it, when it’s beef, for Pete’s sake. Like to like, that sort of thing.
The only reason I’m going to try to cook up a “new” BBQ sauce is that commercial sauces have far too much sugar in them for me, and some of them, like Sweet Baby Ray’s, list high fructose corn syrup as the first ingredient. That ingredient is so icky sweet that it overpowers everything else. I prefer spicy and just slightly salty, with a strong supporting background of “sweet” that doesn’t overpower the rest of the flavors.
Also, if I’m in a hurry, then the instapot pressure cooker works well, but if I’m not, and I just want a nice, hearty, tasty meal, the Crockpot is my favorite cooker. Otherwise, it’s stovetop this and that.