![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Entry tags:
pulled pork revisited
I finally made the pulled pork. I decided to just punt and use the McCormick Crockpot BBQ Pulled Pork mix I'd used once before. It's intended to work with hunks of pork shoulder, but worked just fine with the precooked, unseasoned pulled pork I had.
You have to add cider vinegar, brown sugar and ketchup to the spices in the packet.
This time it came out *way* better than the previous attempt. I think two things made the difference. Since the recipe says "firmly packed" brown sugar and I had trouble getting it mixed well last time, this time I dug out a flour sifter and sifted the sugar into the vinegar.
I then stirred that well until most of the sugar was dissolved. Then I added the spices from the packet and stirred well. I added the ketchup to the bowl last and it stirred in fairly easily. Then I could just pour it over the meat in the crockpot.
I opted for cooking on low for 8 hours rather than on high for 4 hours. I think I did that last time too.
But this time I used a meat thermometer to check the temp every hour or two. The probe fit nicely through the hole in the crockpot lid for its temp probe (which I wasn't using) .
After 5 or 6 hours, things were up to 186°. More importantly, there was no resistance when I stuck the probe in.
So I took off the lid and used a small serving spoon to stir things up until they were well mixed.
The last hour or so, the smell escaping through that hole in the lid was driving me crazy.
When it was done, it was *so* good. I used some burger buns to make sandwiches. Mmm.
I used a slotted spoon to get the rest of the meat out and into a plastic container with a lid to go int the fridge.
That left a bit of meat and a lot of liquid (too thin to really be a sauce) left. I ladled that out into another container and put that in the fridge too.
I've made more sandwiches with the cold meat. Still delicious even without reheating.
I think I'll try using the leftover liquid along with some of the meat to cook up a batch of lentils later.
Definitely on the list for next time I get a batch of pork in the food boxes.
You have to add cider vinegar, brown sugar and ketchup to the spices in the packet.
This time it came out *way* better than the previous attempt. I think two things made the difference. Since the recipe says "firmly packed" brown sugar and I had trouble getting it mixed well last time, this time I dug out a flour sifter and sifted the sugar into the vinegar.
I then stirred that well until most of the sugar was dissolved. Then I added the spices from the packet and stirred well. I added the ketchup to the bowl last and it stirred in fairly easily. Then I could just pour it over the meat in the crockpot.
I opted for cooking on low for 8 hours rather than on high for 4 hours. I think I did that last time too.
But this time I used a meat thermometer to check the temp every hour or two. The probe fit nicely through the hole in the crockpot lid for its temp probe (which I wasn't using) .
After 5 or 6 hours, things were up to 186°. More importantly, there was no resistance when I stuck the probe in.
So I took off the lid and used a small serving spoon to stir things up until they were well mixed.
The last hour or so, the smell escaping through that hole in the lid was driving me crazy.
When it was done, it was *so* good. I used some burger buns to make sandwiches. Mmm.
I used a slotted spoon to get the rest of the meat out and into a plastic container with a lid to go int the fridge.
That left a bit of meat and a lot of liquid (too thin to really be a sauce) left. I ladled that out into another container and put that in the fridge too.
I've made more sandwiches with the cold meat. Still delicious even without reheating.
I think I'll try using the leftover liquid along with some of the meat to cook up a batch of lentils later.
Definitely on the list for next time I get a batch of pork in the food boxes.