ISO - Pulled Pork

[DFen911]

Ok so I have a 5lb boneless pork tenderloin, center cut. Just got drafted to cook dinner for my folks! *gasp..I know!* They have guests over and I just happened to have this in my fridge. So I offer to do a nice stuffed pork roast...and that's why my mother got the deer in the headlights look.

So I remember so...remembering some ideas I heard bounced around here..made me think of something along the lines of Cuban pulled pork sandwiches. Well I guess I muttered this outloud and my mom said "Oh yes! that's perfect!"

So..um...if anyone has any recipes to share I'd be very grateful

ps - my family loves spice too so spicy isn't an issue.

Thank You!!

[firechef]

Here is one from the Pork people...you know, "the other white meat" types.

Cuban Knife and Fork Pork Sandwich

Chef:


Yield: 12 servings

Pork Shoulder - 3 lbs.

For Herb Paste

Garlic Minced - ¼ cup Fresh Cilantro (chopped) - 1 cup
Lime Juice - 1 lime Salt and Pepper - 2 Tbsp
Extra Virgin Olive Oil - ¼ cup Minced Ginger - 2 Tbsp
Jalapeno Peppers (minced) - 3 peppers

For Mojo Sauce

Extra Virgin Olive Oil - ¼ cup Pineapple (diced) - 4 cups
Lime Juice and Zest - 3 limes Fresh Cilantro (chopped) - 1 cup
Red Bell Pepper (small diced) - 1 Pepper Sweet Yellow Onion (small diced) - 2 onions
Mango (diced) - 2 cups Orange Juice and Zest - 2 oranges
Garlic ( minced) - ¼ cup Fresh Parsley (chopped) - 1 cup
Red Chile Flakes - 2 Tbsp Salt and Pepper - To taste

For Sweet Potato Coconut Hash

Sweet Potato (medium dice) - 6 cups Sweet Yellow Onion (diced) - 2 onions
Ground Cinnamon - 3 Tsp Dark Brown Sugar - 9 Tbsp
Butter (melted) - ¾ cup Shredded Coconut - 1 ½ cup
All Spice - 1 ½ Tsp Salt - To taste

Pork

Grill pork shoulder on medium-hot grill 45 minutes. Remove from grill, rub with herb paste and place in roasting pan. Cover with foil and cook in oven at 325° F for 2 hours. Remove from oven and let stand for 1 hour. Shred meat prior to service.

Herb Paste

Mix all ingredients and stir until paste consistency.

Mojo Sauce

Caramelize onion in sauté pan and place in large mixing bowl. Add remaining ingredients and stir well.

Sweet Potato Coconut Hash

Blanch sweet potato and chill. Carmaelize onion over medium heat. Add potato and cook for 5 to 7 minutes. Add remaining ingredients and sauté until sweet potatoes are brown.

It is different...I'll see what else I have for pulled pork stuff around here.

[DFen911]

Lol ok I had to copy and save this one, cause it sounds yummy.

As I read thru it I forgot some "issues". My parents hate cilantro. ( I know I know...freaky as that is it's a fact)

Also they have no grill. So whatever I do I will do in the oven or a crockpot type device.

**slinks off**

[firechef]

Here is another one...

Spiced Pulled Pork Sandwiches

PREP AND COOK TIME: About 3 hours, plus at least 2 hours to chill

NOTES: The spiced pulled pork filling for these sandwiches can be made (through step 4) up to 2 days ahead; cover and chill. Bring to room temperature (or warm slightly in a microwave oven) before filling sandwiches. Serve sandwiches piled on a large platter.

MAKES: 8 to 10 sandwiches

1 1/2 pounds boned pork shoulder or butt, fat trimmed

4 ounces green onions, rinsed, ends trimmed, and coarsely chopped

2 cloves garlic, peeled

2 fresh Fresno or other hot green chilies (about 1 oz. total), rinsed, stemmed, and seeded

2 tablespoons tomato paste

2 tablespoons brown sugar

2 teaspoons ground allspice

1 teaspoon ground dried thyme

About 1 teaspoon salt

About 1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/4 cup cider vinegar

8 to 10 soft dinner rolls (about 1 oz. each), sliced in half horizontally

1. Rinse pork and pat dry.

2. In a blender or food processor, whirl green onions, garlic, chilies, tomato paste, brown sugar, allspice, thyme, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper until finely chopped. Add vinegar and whirl until smooth. Scrape mixture into a heavy 5- to 6-quart pan. Add pork and turn to coat completely. Cover and chill at least 2 hours or up to 1 day.

3. Add 1 cup water to pan, cover, and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat; reduce heat to very low and simmer pork, turning once, until meat is very tender when pierced and shreds easily with a fork, 2 to 2 1/2 hours.

4. Remove from heat and let cool about 15 minutes. Transfer meat to a bowl. Skim and discard fat from surface of cooking liquid. Measure liquid; if there's more than 1 1/2 cups, boil over high heat until reduced to 1 1/2 cups. With a fork or your fingers, pull meat into thin shreds; remove and discard fat. Mix meat with cooking liquid. Add more salt and pepper to taste.

5. Spoon about 1/4 cup pulled pork onto each roll bottom; set tops in place.

Per serving: 262 cal., 30% (78 cal.) from fat; 17 g protein; 8.7 g fat (2.7 g sat.); 28 g carbo (1.3 g fiber); 550 mg sodium; 46 mg chol.

Copyright 2002 Sunset Publishing Corporation

Notice there is no grill required here...nor cilantro for that matter!

[firechef]

Here is a Jerk Pulled Pork that I love...similar but different to the Cuban version.

Jerked Pulled Pork Sandwiches

1 5-6 pound pork butt

Rub:
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground thyme
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Jerk Barbecue Sauce:
1/4 cup minced onion
1/4 cup minced scallion
1 3/4 cups tomato sauce (15-ounce can)
3 tablespoons dark brown sugar
3 tablespoons honey
3 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons ground thyme
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon minced Scotch bonnet pepper, if you can take it

Plain, soft sandwich rolls or buns

First, fire up the smoker, bringing it to about 200° and maintain that temperature throughout the cooking. (Jamaicans use charcoal and pimiento wood, but any smoker type, with any hardwood or wood chips, will do well.)

*Note: You may have success using a crock pot or a covered roasting pan in the oven instead of a smoker, but the pulled pork will not have that wonderful smoked quality, of course.

Set the pork butt out to bring it to room temperature. Prepare the rub by combining all its ingredients. Dust the pork butt completely with the rub and place it in the smoker. Remember, indirect heat only; no flames. Smoke it until very tender, 7-8 hours, longer if you keep lifting the lid. It should be at least 160°.

In the meantime, prepare the Jerk Barbecue Sauce. Sauté the minced onions and scallions until soft. Stir in the remaining ingredients, heat, then simmer over low heat for 20-25 minutes. Cool. (Don't worry, the sauce thickens.)

When the pork butt is falling-apart tender, remove it from the smoker. Pull the "strands" of pork apart and place them in a large bowl. Coat the pulled pork well with Jerk Barbecue Sauce to taste.

Assembling pulled pork sandwiches is easy: Heap about 3/4 cup, perhaps less, of pulled pork onto a sandwich roll and serve. (No other condiments are necessary.) Makes 10-12 generous sandwiches.

I do this one in the croc-pot and add a VERY small amount of liquid smoke to it all...

[DFen911]

Ok both of these sound perfect!! Lol on the second one as I was reading it I was thinking about "hhmm wonder if I could add liquid smoke" and then saw your comment and viola!

Thank you so much LJ!

[luvnit]

This thread is making me hungry! This is what I am imagining in my brain. Another delectable dish I need to try... espeically for a crowd. Thanks LJ (and Denise)

[firechef]

I don't have any more "Cuban" or Jerked Pulled Pork so I am glad these might just work. I do make a "killer" good old Iowa Pulled Pork. I have a 20 pound whole bone in shoulder including the butt in the freezer for smoking this summer. I will use Peach Wood for the smoking and a Peach injection and a nice spicy dry rub and then a good sauce with a nice mix of sweet and spicy.

[Gourmet_Mom]

Good luck Denise! Here we use Boston butt for "pulled pork" sandwiches. I'd go with LJ's last recipe. But that's just me!

[DFen911]

That's the one I think I'm going to do I will probably put it in the crockpot only because I don't have a real heavy dutch oven type pot I can put in the oven with a tight fitting lid to keep the moisture in.

I figure 2-3 drop of the liquid smoke should simulate the smoke flavor. The whole recipe sound delish.