Meats 'Cinna-Pork' - Best Pulled Pork Recipe EVER (IMHO... :)

[SoJer]

Note: I will try and come back Later and 'Refine / Quantify' this a bit better, as-per Lady Weedy's Fine Advice.. Yanno, it's just that 'us Italians' are more of a 'measure by subjective-memory / taste' (vs 'Exact measuring' etc) but.. Her Point is well taken, so I will 'refine, later'

- Large Pork Shoulder
- Several (5-6) Large Cloves Garlic
- Course mill-ground Sea Salt
- Very Course mill-ground Pepper
- Large can Condensed Milk (14 oz)
- 20oz bottle Coca-Cola ('Mexi-Coke', the 'Original Flavor / Classic' in Glass, with cane sugar, is a Must - NOT 'diet' or 'zero', yukk..)
- 2-3 Whole Cinnamon Sticks..
- 1-2 Large Bay Leaves
- Fresh Cilantro
- Sliced-Onion (optional, but Recommended..)
- Rosemary (optional, but Highly Recommended..)
- Cumin (optional, but Recommended..)
- Red Pepper-flakes (optional, but Recommended..)

..'Stab' the pork in various spots / Insert cloves of garlic; Press / rub-in course sea salt, ground coarse pepper and Rosemary (if using); Put in crock pot / stew-pot w/ Condensed Milk, Coke, Cinnamon, Bay leaves and Cilantro / Onions / cumin, etc, and top-up w/ Water; Here's roughly how it should look, pre-cook:

(...this is Obviously before adding the Coke / Cond-Milk.. Figured I'd put a snap of it Before - since After adding all that - it just looks like a big pot of Dog Barf..

Simmer ~4-6 hrs, (Stovetop) on Med heat (~8-10 hrs if cooking in a Crock) Stir occasionally / top-up with Water to ensure Pork shoulder remains Covered. After cooking time is Up, 'test flake' - If it 'shreds easily' with a Fork - it's likely Good to Go. (but Do check the 'thicker areas', to ensure the 'Core' is done, also)

Extract the Pork, and 'Fork-Shred' in a coverable Glass-bowl, once cool enough to handle (though it usually just Falls-Apart when done properly) Be sure to enjoy some 'raw' (No BBQ sauce) to Fully appreciate the Awesomeness of this 'base recipe'

Then, simply blend in yer favorite BBQ-sauce, and pile on a Sesame Bun with some Onion-slices, more sauce, and wash it down with copious amounts of Ale or more Coca-Cola.

Note: This Also makes an *awesome* Base for our 'Cinna-Pork Chili', next-up, when I have more time next week.. Meantime, here's some 'teaser shots'..

Njoy..
jd

 

[Haertig]

That looks really good! Does the Coke make it very sweet? I'm more into tangy than sweet when it comes to BBQ type stuff, but I'll try anything. You said "top up with water" ... does that mean you basically cook it totally submerged from the start?

 

[SoJer]

That looks really good! Does the Coke make it very sweet?

No, not at all, actually! That pretty much 'cooks in' (just like the Beer does, in the Chili-recipe to-come..) The spices / 'stuffed-in' garlic cloves 'influence' / shape the flavor far more than the Coke does.

Its (plus the Evap'd Milk) 'primary purpose' is to Break Down the meat / 'tenderize', and the only Reason to use the 'Mexi-Coke' (with Cane sugar) is not to add 'sweetness' - but rather to Avoid all the nasty chemicals / residues of 'HFCS'-sweetened Coke, and/or (God forbid..) anything like 'Diet' or 'Zero'.. arf..

..It's an example of 'Better Cooking thru Chemistry'..

I'm more into tangy than sweet when it comes to BBQ type stuff, but I'll try anything.

That comes Later (when You add yer Fav-sauce.. But this Recipe makes the Meat, itself, Amazing. It's got 'personality', not just 'salty', etc. You can 'tailor to taste' from there..

You said "top up with water" ... does that mean you basically cook it totally submerged from the start?

Yessir, otherwise if Too much of it becomes a 'meatburg' that'll dry out / get crusty. Sure, the shoulder Will 'float a Bit', but.. Keeping the liquids Up high helps keep it 'submerged' (there's Always a layer of 'foam' / sort of a 'curd' that forms over top - Which is Good - helps keep all the Spices 'down below', but.. If / when you ever make this... It'll be at That point that you'll 'get the Dog Barf joke'..

jd