In this video, Sunny creates a rub for pork shoulder, then slow cooks it with a special sauce that’s made with a special ingredient that she shares with us!
Sunny Anderson Pulled Pork – Just 4 Ingredients!
For this recipe, all you need are the following:
Ingredients
- One 4- to 5-pound boneless pork shoulder (Boston butt), fat cap removed
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons ground cumin
- Two 15.5-ounce jars salsa (mild, medium, or hot, however you like it)
- 1/2 cup peanut butter
For details regarding the preparation instructions for this recipe, you can either watch the video above, or you can access written instructions here.
How To Make Good Pulled Pork
It’s not a new thing to cook meat slowly, but there is something about US-style pulled pork that has really piqued our interest and made us eager to try it out. The important thing to remember about this current great, however, is that even though we are familiar with some of its details now, it’s still worth remembering that some details were simply lost in the long voyage across the pond. It is worth noting that authentic pulled pork is actually a barbecue dish, cooked over a charcoal fire for hours until it has fallen apart, ready to be easily shredded or ‘pulled’ apart to prepare it for serving.
As so many of us lack large outdoor fire pits, you’ll be pleased to know that pulled pork is something you can prepare in a standard home oven – although, like any national dish, there’s plenty of disagreement about seasonings, the correct cooking temperature, and the appropriate serving method as well. Here are some essential cooking tips that our kitchen team has compiled over a period of time.
What Is The Best Cut Of Meat For Pulled Pork?
The pork shoulder is one of the best cuts of meat to use for pulling purposes.
There is the ideal fat content in this meat, which yields a tender, melt-in-your-mouth meat, but you have to cook it slowly because it is necessary to allow the proteins in the meat to break down properly while cooking. It is not a good idea to take it out of the oven too early, or else you might as well eat your rubber galoshes for dinner instead.
Pork Boston butt is one of the most highly prized cuts of pork in the United States, which comes from the upper part of the shoulder; however, at the end of the day, it is up to you whether you want to eat it with or without the bone. Some people argue that bone-in shoulder meat stays moist for a longer period of time, yet supermarket shoulder meat comes boneless and that is fine as well. Make sure you purchase the best quality meat you can afford, as always.
Does it matter if the meat is skinless or not?
Pork shoulder that is going to be pulled needs to always be skinless in order to allow the flavors of the meat to permeate the meat.In case your butcher can’t do it for you, don’t let the skin go to waste either. If you are removing the skin yourself, don’t throw it away – roast it until it becomes crunchy and serve it as a snack or as a side dish.
In short, what is a dry rub? What are the benefits of it?
There might be a misconception that marinade equals juiciness, but the truth is that in the case of pulled pork, the tenderness and flavor are created with a dry rub of spices, sugar, and salt that are applied in a dry manner.
Salt, sugar, and paprika are the heavenly trinity of flavor that gives the pork its own distinct character, which allows you to get more creative with your serving sauces, and lets the pork sing with its own pure flavor. You can, however, increase the flavor of your dry rub by adding garlic powder, mustard powder, cayenne pepper, or cumin to it prior to cooking if you want to enhance the flavor.
Tenderizing the meat overnight
It would be good to try mixing sea salt with sugar and rubbing it over the pork before it goes into the fridge overnight, if you have the time. If you do not rinse it thoroughly before roasting it with the spices of your choice, then you will end up with meat that is really salty, and this is not a good thing. In the event that you are planning to cook pulled pork in a single sitting, the American food writer Jennifer Joyce recommends that you sear the shoulder in a non-stick pan before adding the rub to it.
What is the best way to prepare pulled pork?
Jennifer Joyce positions the prepared pork shoulder on a wire rack, which is then placed into a baking pan, before putting it into the oven to bake. Then she pours water in the bottom of the tin, and then wraps the whole thing tightly in foil to ensure that a steamy micro-atmosphere will form in the tin, preventing the dreaded dry meat from occurring.
Pork is shredded after it has been cooked
Pulling the cooked meat is a very simple process – simply use two forks to separate the meat as you push it outwards from the center of the meat. Ensure that all fatty bits of meat are discarded and that you are careful not to overshred the meat, so that big chunks of meat may still remain intact to suit different personal tastes.
What to serve with pulled pork
There is no better way to serve pulled pork than with sweet bread.
It might also be worth trying cornbread as an alternative to a burger-style serving, since its dense, porous texture is great for soaking up the juices from the meat. A pulled pork taco, containing a good amount of crunch and a fiery flavor, is another great option that we love.
To make sure there is something that has bite to balance out the pork and bread, you can serve it with coleslaw, everyone’s favorite shredded salad.