Best Pulled Pork - The Salty Marshmallow (2024)

FAQs

What is the secret to pulled pork? ›

Skim the fat off the top of the cooking liquid. For more moist and flavorful pulled pork, you can mix some of the cooking liquid back into the pork. Start with a little, mix, then add more until the pork is as wet or dry as you like. Alternatively, for barbecue pulled pork, you can mix in barbecue sauce.

Pork shoulder is ideal for pulling purposes. It has an optimum fat content that yields to create tender, melty meat, but it's essential you cook it slowly to allow the protein to break down properly.

We use brown sugar, onion powder, garlic powder, cumin, smoked paprika, a good amount of salt & pepper, and a pinch of cayenne! Make sure you use all of the seasoning! Also, really rub it into the pulled pork, get all of the nooks and crannies!

To rescue overly salty pork, fill a large pot with clean, cold water and submerge it, letting it rest inside the water for a couple of hours. During this time, the extra salt in the meat will naturally move into the water through the osmosis process. The soaking time depends on how thick and what cut of meat you have.

Transfer everything to a large slow cooker and add a splash of liquid — water is great, but so is broth, apple juice, or beer if you have them handy. Cover and cook on low until the meat is tender and pulls apart easily.

Additionally, spray chicken broth or apple juice on the meat to prevent it from losing more moisture in the crockpot. To add a strong flavor during the process, white wine can also be sprayed. You can shred the pork during smoking or in the crockpot.

This comes from the five ingredients in Five Spice, namely star anise, fennel, cloves, cinnamon and Sichuan peppercorns. The mix of flavours binds to pork well. Pork has a distinct taste, but it really works well as a blank canvas for the spices to do their thing.

Apply the sauce after the meat has been cooked. Depending on the cooking temperature and the type of sugar, a sweet sauce can get gummy or even burn. So, apply the sauce at the end, about 15-30 minutes before removing the pork to add rich flavor.

The slow cooker makes this a dump and go meal and allows the pork to become tender. The soda helps to tenderize the meat and mellows out the spiciness of the chipotle peppers. It is the opportunity to use your favorite dark soda pop in a savory recipe. Try using Dr Pepper, root beer, cola or cherry cola.

Myth #3: Pork is salty

This is due to the processing they go through — i.e. salt is added as part of the processing or curing. In contrast to this, fresh cuts of pork are naturally low in sodium. You can even include fresh New Zealand pork as part of a low sodium diet!

How to fix too salty? ›

Add an Acidic Ingredient

It won't reduce the sodium level of your dish, but adding an acidic ingredient, such as lemon juice, vinegar, or even a tomato product, can neutralize the saltiness of a dish. Start with a dash or a squeeze, stir well to combine, and give it a taste before adding any more.

Squeeze some lemon juice or orange juice over your dish. The sour flavor provides a new layer of complexity to the meal and should mellow out the salt. Drizzle in a mild vinegar like all-purpose vinegar, apple cider vinegar, or white wine vinegar to help mask the salt with acidity by distracting the taste buds.

Remove the cooking liquid from the slow cooker and skim as much fat as possible. Discard the excess fat (which will float to the top) and then stir the liquid back into the pork to keep it extra moist and flavorful. After skimming the cooking liquid, place the pork back into the slow cooker. Then, shred the pork.

The acid from the apple cider and apple cider vinegar help to tenderize the meat while also keeping it juicy and flavorful. The low and slow cooking method makes it fall apart as soon as your fork touches it and shreds beautifully.

Add pork juices: When the pork is cooked, add 1/2 cup of the juices from the roasting pan into the BBQ sauce and simmer for 5 minutes.