Pulled pork
Encyclopedia
Pulled pork is a form of barbecue
in which pork
, usually shoulder cut (sometimes referred to as Boston butt
) or mixed cuts, is cooked using a low-heat, long-cook method. With these extended times at low temperatures, the meat becomes tender enough that its weakened connective tissue allows the meat to be "pulled", or easily broken into individual pieces. Pulled pork is found around the world in a variety of forms.
or a domestic oven.
The preparation of pulled pork differs from region to region. In areas such as Tennessee
, pulled pork is typically made from a mixture of the blade shoulder and arm shoulder meat and served with a tomato-based barbecue sauce. In areas such as North Carolina
, either a whole hog, mixed cuts of the hog, or the shoulder cut alone are commonly used, and the pork is served with a vinegar
-based sauce or no sauce.
Pulled pork is most commonly served in a sliced bun as a sandwich
or by itself.
Barbecue
Barbecue or barbeque , used chiefly in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, New Zealand and Australia is a method and apparatus for cooking meat, poultry and occasionally fish with the heat and hot smoke of a fire, smoking wood, or hot coals of...
in which pork
Pork
Pork is the culinary name for meat from the domestic pig , which is eaten in many countries. It is one of the most commonly consumed meats worldwide, with evidence of pig husbandry dating back to 5000 BC....
, usually shoulder cut (sometimes referred to as Boston butt
Boston butt
Boston butt is a cut of pork that comes from the upper part of the shoulder from the front leg and may contain the blade bone. In the US, smoked or barbecued Boston butt is a southern tradition...
) or mixed cuts, is cooked using a low-heat, long-cook method. With these extended times at low temperatures, the meat becomes tender enough that its weakened connective tissue allows the meat to be "pulled", or easily broken into individual pieces. Pulled pork is found around the world in a variety of forms.
Preparation
In the United States, pulled pork is commonly slow-cooked by a smoking method, though a non-barbecue method might also be employed using a slow cookerSlow cooker
A slow cooker, also known as a Crock-Pot or Slo-Cooker , is a countertop electrical cooking appliance that is used for simmering, which requires maintaining a relatively low temperature compared to other cooking methods for many hours, allowing unattended cooking...
or a domestic oven.
The preparation of pulled pork differs from region to region. In areas such as Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
, pulled pork is typically made from a mixture of the blade shoulder and arm shoulder meat and served with a tomato-based barbecue sauce. In areas such as North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
, either a whole hog, mixed cuts of the hog, or the shoulder cut alone are commonly used, and the pork is served with a vinegar
Vinegar
Vinegar is a liquid substance consisting mainly of acetic acid and water, the acetic acid being produced through the fermentation of ethanol by acetic acid bacteria. Commercial vinegar is produced either by fast or slow fermentation processes. Slow methods generally are used with traditional...
-based sauce or no sauce.
Pulled pork is most commonly served in a sliced bun as a sandwich
Sandwich
A sandwich is a food item, typically consisting of two or more slices of :bread with one or more fillings between them, or one slice of bread with a topping or toppings, commonly called an open sandwich. Sandwiches are a widely popular type of lunch food, typically taken to work or school, or...
or by itself.
See also
- PorchettaPorchettaPorchetta is a savory, fatty, and moist boneless pork roast of Italian culinary tradition. The body of the pig is gutted, deboned, arranged carefully with layers of stuffing, meat, fat, and skin, then rolled, spitted, and roasted, traditionally over wood...
is an Italian roast pork recipe made using herbs and large amounts of salt and it is sometimes referred to as "Italian pulled pork". - Pig pickin'Pig pickin'A pig pickin is a type of party or gathering held primarily in the American South which involves the barbecuing of a whole hog . Females, or gilts, are used as well...
, an event at which barbecue pulled pork is cooked and served. - RousongRousongRousong , also sometimes called meat wool, meat floss, pork floss, pork sung, is a dried meat product that has a light and fluffy texture similar to coarse cotton, originating from Fujian. Rousong is used as a topping for many foods such as congee, tofu, and savory soy milk. It is also used as...
, or meat floss. - CarnitasCarnitasCarnitas, literally "little meats", is a type of braised or roasted pork in Mexican cuisine.Pork carnitas is traditionally made using the heavily marbled, rich 'boston butt' or 'picnic ham' cuts of pork...
, slow-cooked shredded pork that has then been roasted. - Ropa viejaRopa viejaRopa vieja, which is Spanish for "Old Clothes," is a popular dish of the Canary Islands, Cadiz, Greater Miami and the Caribbean, especially Cuba, Panama, Puerto Rico, and the Dominican Republic...
, slow-cooked shredded beef. - RillettesRillettesRillettes is a preparation of meat similar to pâté. Originally made with pork, the meat is cubed or chopped, salted heavily and cooked slowly in fat until it is tender enough to be easily shredded, and then cooled with enough of the fat to form a paste...
, a French manifestation. - Cochinita pibilCochinita pibilCochinita pibil is a traditional Mexican slow-roasted pork dish from the Yucatán Península. Preparation of traditional cochinita or puerco pibil involves marinating the meat in strongly acidic citrus juice, coloring it with annatto seed, and roasting the meat while it is wrapped in banana...
, a Mexican version.