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As some of you know, every couple months my buddies and I make a run down to Lockeport, CA (130+ miles round trip) to get some of the world's best sausage from a specialty meat company located there. Also, great pork hocks for split pea soup and the best beef sticks I've ever eaten. As part of the day's festivities we make lunch a regular event at some special place along the way.

A "dive" restaurant/bar was highly recommended so we drove the extra 10 miles (one way) to give it a try. Some of these "dives" are hiden gems.

After we ordered our beers (Draft Foster's for me), I asked the waitress, "What's your specialty? Why do regulars come back here?" She said, "The garlic steak sandwiches or the pulled pork sandwich, made with our own home made sauce." Well, I've gotten cautious on pulled pork because my experience with the ole Elite. I asked, "Do you slow cook it?" Waitress says, "Oh yes. We slow cook it every morning." ????????? It was only 11:30. "Where do you cook it?" "In the oven and then simmer it in our sauce."

The lady was very nice, very pleasant and offered us a sample. Wow. It was moist...no wet, soup like and soft, no chew to it. The sauce was twice as sweet as Baby Rays. No smoke (oven like she said). I said, "Thank you. I'll take the garlic steak sandwich." Fantastic, by the way. The homemade pesto pasta side was also excellent. Fosters was ice cold. A great stop and good lunch. We left a generous tip.

For folks there that enjoy their pulled pork sandwiches, more power to them. If I recommended it to those of you from "The Forum", you would appropriately chew me out if you tried it. Cookshack experience, or not, I've never quite tasted pulled pork like it.
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MaxQ. I'd love to share the info with you, but this outfit is very old fashion. I looked for their site originally, and they didn't have one...still don't. All I could find was their location and a map. When you're at the store, they don't even have a menu of their sausages, and what's in them...garlic, onion, allspice, smoked, pesto basil, etc. You have to ask each time until you remember. They aren't even bad marketers...they don't market. All they do is make sausages, pork hocks, etc., but they've got the best sausages, smoked ham hocks and beef sticks I've ever eaten. Thanks again Bodidio.

When I got home from the trip, I gave a garlic beef stick (they're big) to each of the 3 guys doing some work at my house. All I heard from the other room was "Wow." "Incredible." "Damn, these are good." "Damn." Smiler
Last edited by pags
Now THAT would have been good in a freeze dried package for the exchange. Wink

Pulled pork is funny, I'm certainly see that in the restaurant.

There is a local place that does mostly pork, amazing quality (Berkshire) but there just wasn't much flavor throughout. It tasted like it was also done in an oven.
I always thought my oven made pulled pork was good, but yesterday I did a 4.2 lb butt in my SM008 with some cherry and oak. Put my usual rub on it and let her rip. You fellas are right, it's tricky as heck getting the probe thermometer in just the right spot. I smoked it full out, 250, the whole way for 4.5 hours. Rain was moving into our area fast so I preheated the oven to 300 and once it was up to temp transferred the butt into my trusty old Descoware dutch oven. Just dumped the remained of the mop into the pan. Let her go at 300 for another 90 minutes when I had the internal temp to 187. Covered the pan for 1/2 hour then pulled. My sauce looks real red, but it is by volume: apple cider vinegar, rice wine vinegar, diced onions, molasses, hoisin sauce, Mae Ploy sweet and hot sauce, ketchup (1/3 cup), spicy brown mustard, chopped garlic and spices. It was quite good, got a little Mr. Brown in a few places. Think I should have taken it up to 190 or 195.

And we had it with KFC copy cole slaw, Bobby Flay's german potato salad and tiny italian rolls. WOW. I'll never eat pulled pork in a restaurant if it's made in an oven...




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