Pulled Pork w/ Chipotle Pomegranate BBQ Sauce
So what can I say, I'm a Sous Vide Hipster, fanboy....whatever you wanna call me! Whenever people look at the name, they automatically think it's some technically difficult cooking technique. But, it is quite the opposite. I'm just so impressed with the results I am getting from my PolyScience Sous Vide Professional™, especially when cooking barbecue. I would have never thought that I could get really good barbecue from cooking in a vacuum sealed bag. I also used my PolyScience Smoking Gun™ with apple wood smoke to give my pulled pork that nice smokey flavor. Then to finish off the post, I've included my Chipotle Pomegranate Barbecue Sauce recipe....it's finger linkin' good!
Pulled Pork Ingredients
- 2 cups dark brown sugar
- 5 tbsp salt
- 2 tbsp + 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tbsp cayenne
- 2 tbsp garlic powder
- 2 tbsp + 1 tsp ground allspice
- 2 tbsp chili flakes
- 3 tbsp ancho chili powder
- 2 Lbs. Pork shoulder, trim off excess fat
- 2 Slices of bacon
- Chipotle Pomegranate BBQ (Recipe Below)
The day before cooking, mix together all the dry ingredients to make a rub. Generously rub the pork shoulder, covering the entire surface. Cover and refrigerate over night so that the rub liquifies, marinating the meat.
Preheat water bath to 175 degrees F. Make sure you cover with saran wrap through the entire cooking process, especially if you can't keep an eye on it. At this temperature the water level will decrease rapidly.
Wrap the pork shoulder with slices of bacon, place in a vacuum seal pouch and vacuum seal. Place in the preheated water bath and cook for 12 hours.
Remove contents from the bag, discarding the bacon. Preheat a cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Pat dry the outside of the pork shoulder with a paper towel. Sear the outside of the pork to get a nice crust. Remove from pan and shred the pork. Serve with Chipotle Pomegranate BBQ Sauce or your favorite sauce.
Direction (Oven Method)
The day before cooking, mix together all the dry ingredients to make a rub. Generously rub the pork shoulder, covering the entire surface. Cover and refrigerate over night so that the rub liquifies, marinating the meat.
Preheat your oven to 300 degree F.
Wrap the pork with bacon and put the pork in a roasting pan and bake for about 6 hours. Basically, roast the pork until it's falling apart and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers 170 degrees F. Discard the bacon and shred the pork. Serve with Chipotle Pomegranate BBQ sauce or your favorite sauce.
Chipotle Pomegranate BBQ Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 cup water
- 2 Tbsp pomegranate molasses
- 1 Tbsp honey
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons chipotle chiles in adobo, pureed
- 1/4 cup tomato paste
- 2 teaspoons yellow mustard
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Add all ingredients to a medium sauce pan and bring to a boil
Reduce heat to medium and simmer for 30-45 or until thickened. Use right away or refrigerate for later use.
If you want the sauce to be thicker. In a small bowl mix together 1 Tbsp corn starch with 1 Tbsp cold water to make a slurry (This is a thickening agent). Slowly whisk in the slurry a little bit at a time until it reaches your desired viscosity. Add more or less of the slurry as needed.
**Note: A corn starch slurry (equal parts cornstarch & water) can be used to thicken any sauce, stock or soup.**
