Alton Browns Pulled Pork Recipes

GRILLED PORK TENDERLOIN

Steps:

• Trim the pork tenderloin of any excess fat and silver skin.
• Place the lime zest, lime juice, honey, salt, and garlic powder in a small, lidded jar and shake to combine. Pour half of the marinade mixture into a 1-gallon resealable bag, add the chipotle pepper, and move around to combine. Add the pork tenderloin to the bag and seal, removing as much air as possible and place in a container to catch any leaks. Marinate in the refrigerator for 6 to 24 hours, rotating the bag halfway through the time. Place the remaining marinade in a covered container and refrigerate until ready to use.
• Remove the tenderloin from the bag and allow to sit at room temperature while preparing the grill. Remove the reserved marinade from the refrigerator.
• Fill a large chimney starter with natural lump charcoal and light. Once the charcoal is ashy and white, approximately 30 minutes, dump the hot charcoal onto the lowest grate of the grill and spread into an even layer using extra-long tongs. Place the cooking grate back on the grill and cover with the lid; heat the grate to medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes.
• Brush the grill with vegetable oil. Remove the tenderloin from the bag and place in the center of grate. Discard bag with marinade. Cover and cook for 12 to 15 minutes, turning every 1 1/2 to 2 minutes, until the tenderloin reaches an internal temperature of 140 degrees F.
• Remove the tenderloin from the grill and place on a large piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil folded at the edges to create a basket, and pour on the reserved marinade. Wrap tightly and rest for 10 minutes. Remove to a cutting board and slice. Garnish with cilantro and serve.

BARBECUE PORK BUTT

Steps:

• Place the water, salt and molasses in a large 12-quart container and stir until the salt dissolves. Add the pork butt to the brine and weigh down with a zip top bag filled with 2 cups of the brine to make sure it is completely submerged in the brine.
• Cover and refrigerate overnight. Remove the pork from the brine, and pat dry.
• Heat the smoker to 225 degrees F. Add the wood chunks, and place the pork into the smoker. Cook until the pork reaches an internal temperature of 150 degrees F, 4 to 5 hours.
• Once the meat reaches 140 degrees F, heat the oven to 300 degrees F. Wrap the pork in aluminum foil and transfer to a half sheet pan. Place on the center rack and cook until the pork reaches an internal temperature of at least 200 degrees F and is tender and pulling apart easily, 3 to 5 hours. Remove from the oven and rest, covered for 30 minutes before serving.

PICKLED PORK

Steps:

• Combine all of the ingredients except the ice and the pork in a 2-quart nonreactive saucepan, set over high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and maintain a simmer for 3 minutes. Remove from the heat, add the ice and stir. Place the pork into a 1-gallon zip top bag and add the cooled pickling liquid. Remove as much air as possible; seal the bag and place in the refrigerator for at least 3 days, turning the bag occasionally. Use within 2 weeks or remove from the pork from the brine and freeze.

ALTON BROWN BBQ PULLED PORK

Steps:

• Take a small cooler and set it on your scale and tare it to zero. Add 12 oz of pickling salt then tare again to zero. Add 8 oz molasses then tare again. Add 4 lbs (4 pints) of water. Mix with whisk. Put in butt (sometimes it may overflow, be sure to allow for this) and then top with a ziplock bag of ice. This is a cold brine. You can also stick it in a fridge if you have one big enough. Brine for 12 hours. Prepare rub: Add cumin, chili powder, coriander, paprika, onion powder, and fennel seed to a clean coffee grinder and grind. Pour into can to sprinkle on pork. Liberally apply to pork. Smoke over hickory between 200-250 for 8-12 hours. Pull apart with fork when done. It's done to tenderness, so if you can pull it like this, it is done.

COLESLAW

Steps:

• Generously salt the cabbage and drain in colander for 3 hours. Rinse thoroughly and dry.
• In a separate bowl, combine all of the ingredients except the cabbage and carrot. Whisk to combine evenly. Toss the cabbage and carrot with the dressing.
• Yield: Preparation time: 3 hours and 30 minutes Easy of preparation: easy

PICKLED PORK - ALTON BROWN

Steps:

• Combine mustard seeds, celery seeds, bay leaf, peppercorns, hot sauce, vinegar, sugar, salt, garlic and water in a saucepan. Place over medium-high heat until boiling, reduce to a simmer, and maintain for 3 minutes. Turn off heat and add ice.
• Cut pork butt into 2" cubes. Place in a large zip top bag. When the brine is cool, pour it in as well. Press out as much air as possible and seal the bag. Refrigerate for a minimum of 3 days, turning bag a couple of times a day.
• Keeps 2 weeks in the refrigerator; after that, drain and freeze. Note that this is NOT edible as is; it still has to be cooked!

PULLED PORK SHOULDER

Steps:

• Combine ingredients for the brine.
• Place the pork roast into the brine, making sure it is submerged, and refrigerate for 10-12 hours, or overnight.
• Using a spice mill or mortar and pestle, grind ingredients for the spice rub into a fine powder.
• At the appropriate time, drain the pork roast from the brine and pat dry with paper toweling.
• Apply the spice rub to the pork roast, massaging it in, using gloves if desired to keep the rub from sticking to your fingers.
• Mix together ingredients for mop/baste and set aside.
• Prepare smoker or grill.
• When the smoker/grill temperature has reduced to 210F, add the pork roast, cover grill, and cook for approximately 10 hours, or until internal temperature has reached 165-190°F.
• Do not exceed 190F for an internal temperature in the meat or it will be dry.
• Maintain smoker/grill temperature of 210F throughout cooking time (you may add soaked wood chips to the coals occasionally, if desired).
• During the last hour or so of cooking, brush on mop liberally, about every 15 minutes or so.
• When the pork is cooked, it should be tender enough that sticking it with a fork loosens the meat easily.
• The roast will appear dark (it's what is called a"bark") when fully cooked.
• Allow pork roast to"rest" for 45 minutes to an hour before pulling (try not to pick at it and eat all of it before you get a chance to pull it!).
• To pull, use your fingers or 2 forks to shred meat on a cutting board.
• To make a sandwich, thin your preferred barbecue sauce and toss with meat in a bowl.
• Place meat on a bun/roll with some cole slaw (if desired).
• May also just eat off the plate, no sandwich.
• You'll find yourself grabbing pieces to munch on anyway.

ALTON BROWN'S PULLED PORK

Steps:

• Combine molasses, pickling salt, and water in 6 quart Lexan. Add Boston butt making sure it is completely submerged in brine, cover, and let sit in refrigerator for a minimum of 8 hours. 12 hours is ideal. Place cumin seed, fennel seed, and coriander in food grinder and grind fine. Transfer to a small mixing bowl and stir in chili powder, onion powder, and paprika. Remove Boston butt from brine and pat dry. Sift the rub evenly over the shoulder and then pat onto the meat making sure as much of the rub as possible adheres. More rub will adhere to the meat if you are wearing latex gloves during the application. Preheat smoker to 210 degrees F. Place butt in smoker and cook for 10 to12 hours, maintaining a temperature of 210 degrees F. Begin checking meat for doneness after 10 hours of cooking time. Use fork to check for doneness. Meat is done when it falls apart easily when pulling with a fork. Once done, remove from pot and set aside to rest for at least 1 hour. Pull meat apart with 2 forks and serve as sandwich with coleslaw and dressing as desired.