Pulled pork question - whats and whens of the sauce

Hobbs · February 2007

I have never done pulled pork and up until I recently received an egg I had never even heard of cuts of meat called Boston Butt or Picnic Roast. I now, basically, understand the mechanics of smoking the butt (or roast), however, it's the sauce I am fuzzy on.[p]My questions are:
1) Do you add the sauce (either vinegar or tomato based) to the whole lot of pulled pork before serving or do you serve the pulled pork unaltered and let the consumers add their own sauce?
2) If you add it to the pork before serving, how much do you add (should the pork be swimming in sauce, just lightly covered, somewhere in between, etc...) and does it matter if you are using vinegar or tomato based?
3) Do you have any recommendations for vinegar based sauces that will wow my family and astound my friends (I assume that a tomato based sauce is what I commonly know as bbq sauce like Sweet Baby Ray's or Famous Dave's)?

Celtic Wolf · February 2007

Hobbs,[p]1. Yes.. best way to answer that one.[p]2. As soon as you pull it. As much or as little as you want. I add enough to know it's there and have more on the table to be added by the guests[p]3. Vinegar based sauces are a hit and miss with people. Search the web for Eastern NC BBQ Sauce. Tweak them to YOUR taste.[p]

Metalhead · February 2007

Hobbs,
I ain't too hip on sweet sauces so I like the vinegar based
sauces. Basicly it is water, vinegar(apple cider), salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, brown sugar, and a tad of ketchup. Very tasty and keeps pork moist
mine has white and black pepper[p]good luck and happy eating

BBQ-BoB · February 2007

Hobbs,
I'd suggest doing a coarse chop on the pork after removing the main fat globs and serve the sauce on the side/table. Allow yourself to taste the meat. Too many places seem to smother the meat in sauce and call it bbq. Sauce is a condiment.[p]If you use a vinegar sauce just start adding just enough to moisten things. You can thin out a thick tomato based sauce with some fruit juice such as apple, white grape, or even Kern's brand apricot juice and again add just enough to moisten the meat but not cover it up. You can always add more at the table.[p]My favorite way to enjoy a bbq sandwich is to take that coarse chopped pork (or pulled pork) and put it on a bun, squirt some sauce over the top and put a good spoonful of mayo based slaw on top. Cap with the bun and enjoy! Gotta get a little on ya too![p]Go to my web site and look under recipes. You'll see a sauce recipe for a bastardized piedmont sauce that uses Sweet Baby Ray's. Not a bad sauce at all on a sandwich! www.bbqbobs.com[p]Good luck with things![p]Bob

DoMoBeMo · February 2007

One thing about barbecue is that there are as many opinions on how to do it, as there are people doing it. Texans usually like heat. People around Kansas City generally like sweet, Tennesseans like tomato base, and in North and South Carolina, vinegar or mustard base sauces are popular. The best thing is, nobody's wrong and everybody's right. It all comes down to your preference. I believe the flavor of barbecue should stand on it's own, but I like sauces too. So I never put sauce on barbecue until it hits the plate. That way everybody at the table can choose for themselves. Have fun trying different things. People in this forum are very helpful and have a wealth of information. They've saved this newbie a lot of frustration.

jake42 · February 2007

<p />Hobbs,
I usually pull the pork, mix a little more rub into it.
And let the sauce be added by the consumer. I have found this Blues Hog sauce to be the best prepared sauce for the pork although Dr BBQ has a great recipe in his book for a vinegar based sauce too.

fishlessman · February 2007

Hobbs,
i find some dont like any sauce so on the side. i add some of elderwards vinegar sauce when pulling and tell every one i didnt, i think it adds a little to the bbq flavor and doesnt overpower the pull. then i let the guests drown out the flavors with sweet sauces. i find that up here most folks would rather eat the pull with beans on the side and skip the hamburger buns altogether.

Pulled pork question - whats and whens of the sauce

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