The Beer Dude: Pulled Pork and Beer

It's been a while since I have posted something on the blog with food. Today, since I have the day off, I have decided to let you all see what we are having for dinner tonight. Pulled pork sandwiches!

You might be disinterested, you may feel as though this is nothing special to post about. My friends, unless you have have some of my pork, you have no idea what you are missing.

Pulled pork is about the easiest recipe that you can think of. Depending on how much you want to make, it can feed a crowd, or a few grateful individuals. Here is what you will need.

4-5 lb bone in pork butt
spices
6 oz can of pineapple juice
buns
BBQ sauce

Start out with the pig.

4-5 lbs bone in. This is pork butt or shoulder. It is usually pretty cheap simply because of it's toughness. This is NOT a piece of meat you throw on the grill and try and consume. This is VERY tough chewy stuff. The only way to make this cut palletable is to cook it SLOW. Either by smoking or baking at a low temp for a very long time. Believe me, it is well worth the time to do this. Most cuts of meat are priced not on their taste but on their tenderness. Round steak, for instance is super cheap while tenderloin is pricey. It has nothing to do with how well this cut is going to taste, just on how long you have to prepare it for it tasting good. If you have the time, please check out some of the so called cheap cuts. If prepared the correct way, you will not be sorry.

You have to put a rub on this pork. Even though the market is flooded with premade rubs for beef, pork, poultry, etc, don't be fooled. These rubs that you buy at the store can be made at your own home for a fraction of the cost. A pre-made rub you would buy at the local grocery will cost you at least $4 for a 8-12oz shaker. 90% of what is in that shaker is salt. Don't be fooled into buying them. They may say they are true Carolina rubs or Memphis style rubs. All they are is a shaker full of salt and not much more. Make your own and save $4.

My rub below consists of few ingredients. They are:
Lawry's Seasoned Salt
Brown Sugar
Garlic Powder
Black Pepper

That's it, that's all. 2 parts brown sugar to 1 part salt. Add in your garlic powder and black pepper to taste.

Here is what it looks like all stirred up. I like a sweet rub myself. If you are more into salt or heat, use what you want. The rub is all about personal choice. Now rub the pig.

Rub it all over. Get in the crevices and cracks. Don't be shy with it. Pork butt is a dull tasting piece of meat. A lot of the flavor you get from this recipe is from what you add. It may look like a lot but remember you are cooking a 5 lb piece of meat. There is a lot of flesh to soak up the salt, sugar, seasonings, etc. Pour it on!

Since this is going to cook for so long, I like to add a little liquid to the mix. I use pineapple juice. You don't need a lot. I use an 8oz can. Again, you can use whatever you want to for flavor. I have used red and white wine, beer, stock, etc. I prefer pineapple juice. It lends to the breakdown of the tissue and provides a nice sweet flavor to the meat. No more than 12 oz's or you'll end up with soup. Special note: WHATEVER YOU DO, MAKE SURE YOU DO NOT PUT BBQ SAUCE ON THIS MEAT AS IT COOKS! If you do this, you will get BBQ flavored soup. No one wants that. Sauce is a condiment and should be used sparingly. You want to taste the flavor of pork and spices, not just sauce.

Once the pig is covered with rub, it is ready for the oven. Preheat your oven for 225degrees. Put the rubbed piece of meat in a cast iron dutch oven or roasting pan and cover it. Walk away.

As I stated, shoulder is tough. The only way to break down those fibers is to hammer the hell out of it with a mallet or cook it slow and a low. You will not believe how tender this piece of pork is when it is done.

Depending on how much you have, I usually cook my pork at 225 degrees for about 10 hours. That's right, 10 hours. It is so low a temp you can walk away from the stove and you are not going to worry about it burning or getting tough. This took me all of 10 minutes to prepare. Time for a beer.

I went within my comfort zone today. IPA. This is Sacred Cow IPA from Arbor Brewing in Ypsilanti, MI. I never thought that something good would come out of someplace so close to Ann Arbor but I've got to admit, this is one tasty IPA. Take a look at the color. In my opinion, this is what an IPA should look like.

Doesn't that look good? With an IPA, there is a fine line with me. I don't want the beer to be so skunky hoppy that it chokes me as I drink, but I don't want a watered down, light tasting, 88 calorie bunch of nonsense either. Meet me in the middle and I am a happy man. This is exactly what this IPA does. Good color, hint of malt, nice brash taste of hops. It quenches my thirst. It makes me long for another. There are also hints of a fresh herb taste. It's hard to describe, but if you have ever had the Fat Tire IPA, you will know what I mean. It's good beer. If I went to a bar and this was on tap, I would be hitting this plenty. It goes great with the pulled pork, and I think it would be a compliment to any bar menu out there. It is pricey. At $10/6pack, you can do better for the money. However, it is getting increasingly more difficult to find micro brew that is under the $10 range. My suggestion is to savor this fella and to find yourself a cheaper "everyday" beer. This is some serious good tasting brew folks. Go out and get a 6 pack at your nearest party store. If they don't carry it, request that they do. As far as an IPA goes, I would give this beer 4.5 out of 5 stars.