Pulled pork question

cbr0011

Question to all the experts. Once you pull the pork, do you add anything to make it more flavorful? Make a little of the rub and vinegar, mix it with the meat. My pulled pork needs some flavor.

Skiddymarker

Two schools on this I think, the purists, let the pork speak for itself, and those that use the pork as the platform for something else. 

The purist version I'm familiar with has a ton of seasoning on the butt; lots of smoke, mustards, rubs, spritzed during the cook with apple juice/cider etc... 

Me, I'm lazy so I use a vinegar based sauce, Lexington style I'm told, that is used for both the pulled pork and the slaw that is served on the bun with the pork. The Butt is cooked with some seasoning, but generally a Ronco cook, set it and forget it. This is my family'e favourite. 

Others use a BBQ sauce and serve slaw on the side. Still some others actually make a gravy and serve the pulled pork like a beef pot roast with taters and veggies. Depends what you like and depends how you intend to "consume" it. 

Duckhook18

I usually add a little of my rub once its pulled. Never any vinegar or sauce. If it needs more flavor try injecting before you rub it. Chris Lily has a good injection recipe in the Big Bob Gibson BBQ cookbook. Good luck.

Que_n_Brew

After I get a nice bark I pan it and cover with foil. When done, I like to pour the juice that formed into a glass (real glass so you can see) and then let the butt rest for an hour in the pan covered with foil...or you can put in a cooler with towels. After an hour, the fat in the juice will rise to the top, you can then suck it out with a bubble baster leaving you the "good stuff". I add some the the juice back to the butt after I pull to add flavor and moisture. Good luck!

Grambler

I use this vinegar recipe just because I love vinegar. http://www.amazingribs.com/recipes/BBQ_sauces/east_carolina_BBQ_sauce.html

Chubbs

After I pull I put it in a foil pan sprinkle a little more rub, spray it with my vinegar sauce, then toss. My guests usually rave about the flavor without me paying them so I guess it is good

cbr0011

I love it.  Thanks everyone.

GA_Dawgs

Sometimes, I add some of my vinegar sauce. Not enough to overwhelmingly flavor, just enough to accent. Other time just meat. Either way, everyone loves it. Lots of ways to get it to where you want it to be. The most fun is experimenting. Good luck and have fun

Tjcoley

I'm more of a moderate purist. After spending hours smoking a pork, I want the flavor of the smoked meat to come through. BBQ sauce on the side for those that need it, but for me, just pulled pork on a simple bun.

Charlie tuna

The turbo cooking method ALWAYS yields plenty of juice to mix back into the pulled pork. Some here will say this is fat. But the butts that i have refrigerated after cooking form two types of jell. One is yellowish and is fat, the other is flavor and is like a brown jello. Since there is three times as much flavor as fat, I will sacrifice the dangers of the fat to save this rich flavor. On a low and slow these items are lost in the drip pan or burnt on the plate setter. The turbo style pulled pork has more moisture than low and slow.

HDumptyEsq

I'm with Que n Brew and Charlie tuna here. Plus I'm an advocate for brining (1 butt for 3 days plus a day for drying). No need for further flavoring.

lewisj82

I'm a purist on this one. Just pull the pork, maybe a sprinkle of rub and brown sugar, but that's about it. Put your own sauce how you like it!

WalrusBBQ

Vinegar sauce!

SmokeyPitt

I will sometimes sprinkle some extra rub in the pulled pork to get a little more seasoning throughout.  I usually let people decide on their sauce when it is fresh. However, if I am reheating it any way other than sealed inside a foodsaver bag I add a vinegar based sauce to it when heating.  Just a little to help put back the moisture that is lost through when reheating.  

From a "purist" perspective...unless you are cooking the pork nekked (no rub or injection) and eating it plain- I don't think it matters when you add stuff .