Place your whole butt or shredded pork in an ovenproof dish and add in a little liquid to replace some of the lost moisture. This can be apple juice, cider vinegar, broth, or a thick BBQ sauce. Cover the dish in a double layer of foil, to lock in the moisture, and set it on a baking tray in the middle of your oven.
What can I add to pulled pork to make it moist?
To combine both methods, all you will really need to do is open the lid of the crockpot every so often and spray white wine, apple juice, or chicken broth in it to keep it moist. To make sure that all parts of the pulled pork are being sufficiently moistened, you will also want to stir it up while you are doing this.
Why is my pulled pork so dry?
If you over braise it will come out dry. salt your juices/sauce to taste then rest overnight. If you have a whole lot of juices: Place drippings in the widest pan you have and heat on top of stove until the vollume of liquid is reduced to the amount needed to submerge the pork.
How do you keep smoked pork moist?
1. Dry-brine or rub. Dry-brine or rub your meat with 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt per 1 pound of meat at least 2 hours prior to cooking if not the night before. In addition to adding flavor, this also starts a process known as denaturing that helps the meat to retain more moisture during the cooking process.
Does pulled pork need to be covered in liquid?
I use the term “liquid” loosely—some of your liquid could be ketchup or barbecue sauce or mustard. … Your liquid should not cover your pork in the slow cooker: it should only come up about a quarter of the way up the sides. The pork will make more liquid as it cooks, and you need to leave room for that.
Is it best to shred pork hot or cold?
Smoked pork holds better whole and the spectacle of breaking it up in front of your guests adds impact. Pulling pork after the butt is cold. Don’t. If for some reason you can’t pull it while still warm, you will need to slowly reheat it.
Why does my pulled pork not pull apart?
It could be one of two reasons. Either you cooked it too long at too high a temperature so it dried out. Or you didn’t cook it quite long enough for it to pull apart easily. I find cooking in a bit of liquid helps make it more tender as well.
How do you tenderize tough pulled pork?
Because the shoulder is a hard-working muscle, the meat is very tough. A low, steady temperature cooks pork shoulder the best works to tenderize a pork shoulder. To slow-cook, place the pork shoulder in a Dutch oven or another heavy pot, then pour enough broth, beer, or other liquid to partially submerge the meat.
Should you rub your pork shoulder overnight?
The meat will drain some excess brine. I will pat it relatively dry, apply a liberal amount of mustard all over, and apply the dry rub and wrap it up overnight. The mustard allows the dry rub to adhere better, and the vinegar helps in the cooking process.
What can I do with leftover dry pork?
Cut into thin fingers and use in fried rice. Make a good gravy & sauce the hell out of those slices and serve over mashed potatoes or on french bread for pork debris poboys. Cut into chunks and use as the base for a shepherd’s pie. Shred and toss with salsa for pork tacos.
At what temperature does meat stop absorbing smoke?
There is no time limit on smoke absorption. The ring stops growing when the meat hits about 170°F and myoglobin loses its oxygen retaining ability, not 140°F.
Why is my smoked meat dry?
A common mistake is exposing the meat to too high a heat, resulting in dry tough meat. The fix: … It’s important to get the smoker stabilized before adding your meat. Let it sit for 15 to 20 minutes with a thermometer away from direct heat until the temperature stabilizes and only then add your meat.
What is the hardest meat to smoke?
MM: The most difficult — and everyone is taught this, whether they’re competitive cooks, barbecue enthusiasts, or the novice getting started in their backyard — is beef brisket. That’s probably the hardest one to get done properly. It’s a hard meat to get tender, but if you follow good recipes, they can get done.
Can you overcook pulled pork in a slow cooker?
If you keep your slow cooker set to “LOW”, it’s almost impossible to overcook it, as the pork shoulder self-bastes and stays moist. But the “HIGH” setting will boil the meat and you can overcook it if you cook it for too longer.
Should I cover pulled pork in the oven?
Yes, cover it. You want the pulled pork to be tender, not crisp. If you want a crisp exterior, cover it for half the cooking time and uncover it for the remainder of the time.
Do you cut the fat off pork shoulder before slow cooking?
Pork shoulder has a good amount of fat layer on the surface. Make sure to cut away most of the excess fat, leaving just a small amount for flavor. This will make it easier to remove the fat later when making the barbecue sauce.