Pulling Pork

Pork butt will most definitely more difficult to pull if you let it cool first, unless you are using some sort of mechanical chopper, but that's not really "pulled" is it?!?! My best suggestion is as follows...

Get yourself some gardening gloves and some latex gloves that will fit over both the gardening gloves and your hands. Then, when your cut is ready, just tear into it. Rip it into shreds! Discard the bone (if you're using a boston butt), and any extraneous fat or connective tissue. If this process is tough for any reason, your cut is most likely a litte underdone, or less likely, way overdone. I find this process is easiest when done in a deep pan, such as a turkey roasting pan. If you are doing several butts, go to Sam's or your local restaurant supply house and get a buss tub instead of a pan.

Certain cookbooks might tell you to use two forks to shred the meat, but the above method is much faster. Just be sure to toss the latex gloves and to wash the gardening cotton gloves after use.

Have fun!

I always wrap mine in heavy foil, then into a dry cooler for for 30-45 minutes to let the juices settle.

Then I unwrap and pull it. I've used forks, gloved hands, and now I use what they call Bear Paws. They are plastic handles which look like claws. When the pork is hot like that it pulls very easy.

Then I usually fill a pan or serving platter with the meat, and pour a little of Smokin Okie's basting sauce over it to keep it moist, and place the BBQ sauce on the table.

One sauce that's a big hit here at my house is the Hot BoneSuckin Sauce. It's just the right combination of "sweet and heat". It's addictive.


Hope this helps....

SmoKen

Either of the above methods work, I would only add you may want to add some of your rub to the pulled pork and mix in well.
Jim

agree with jim on the rub... but first the pull:

I actually use a large chef knife and a long pair of tongs. But all I do is grab a chunk of butt with the tongs, then *press down* on that chunk with the knife... not really cutting. It just falls apart, in strands and chunks. I do not like to pull it down so far that it is fully shredded... I like it chunky with strands. Sometimes I cut down with the knife on bark or on very long strands. Anyway, works for me. A butt (not picnic) that is done properly will just fall apart no matter what you do.

to finish, I now add some rub, then hit it with a N. Carolina type vinegar sauce. yum

I use meat scissors on the bark if it is hard or crusted. You don't wanna leave it out. Definitely want it well done if pulling. Makes it alot easier. I wrap in foil for at least an hour after bringing inside. I do not add any more rub or sauce. I let the initial rub speak for itself and if anyone wants they can add it to the sammich as needed. I just want the meat and a bun.

I was wondering this same thing, so I thought I'd add my 2c.

When I pull I like to get rid of the fat coating that sheathes many of the muscle structures, so I will pull the butt muscle by muscle. I just pull a chunk off so I can see the formation underneath and pull one muscle out. Then I scrape the extraneous fat off and just pull into thickish strands rather than shreds 'cause I know it will disintegrate a little more when the samiches are made. I will break the bark up finer so it will mix and impart it's flavor to the rest.

I put the pulled pork in an aluminum tray until I have a layer, then sprinkle a little rub on top and start another layer 'till I'm done. However I don't put any sauce in there if I'm going to freeze it because I find it can make it mushy later.

What's to be frozen gets sealed with the foodsaver. The rest is then dosed with Smokin' Okie's basting sauce and served. I find that BBQ sauce is entirely unneccesary with the basting sauce but I set it out just in case. Some people just need it to think they're eating BBQ!