First Pulled Pork!

[Spliner]

Sorry no pics this time as I was pressed for time, but next one will be better, and there will be pics!  I used some rub I picked up from the store (Sweet Rub-O-Mine), then smoked the 10 pound picnic butt in the Bradley for 4.5 hours with Apple.  Jan's rub is on my 'to-do' list just have not gotten around to finding all the ingredients in my po-dunk town.

Afterward I put it in a 225F oven in a foil pan with a foil cover for the remaining time and went to bed.  7 hours later it was slightly over-cooked but still good.  IT ended up around 195 200 which was about 5-10F over what I wanted it to be.  Rather than FTC'ing it, I poured off the liquid and allowed it to rest for about 45 min.  I then shredded it (it was almost too tender), and finished it by putting on my favorite homemade sauce (see recipe below): 

Shiner Bock BBQ Sauce

1 Full Shiner Bock Beer (bottle)
2 Cups Heinz Ketchup
½ Cup Honey
1 Cup Dark Brown Sugar
6 tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce (Heinz)
6 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 ½ teaspoons garlic powder
2 ½ teaspoons onion flakes
1 teaspoon dried chipotle powder (go with ½ teaspoon if you like it medium) (or just a pinch if you want the sauce mild)
1 teaspoon white pepper
2 pinches black pepper

Bring to a low boil on medium-low heat, then reduce heat and simmer on low about 30-90 minutes or until it thickens in a non-stick sauce pan. Stir with a plastic/wooden spoon to keep it from sticking to the bottom of the pan. Use immediately (best while it's warm)

Notes: Sauce will never be 'thick'  (unless you simmer it for about 2-4 hours) but will be thick enough to stick to the meat (also great on ribs). Sauce has a wonderful taste, and has a serious after-bite from the chipotle if you added it. If you like a spicy BBQ but don't want your skin peeling off the inside of your mouth you may like this one. If you're sensitive to the chipolte go with 1/2 teaspoon instead or lower it to just a pinch but try to leave it in if at all possible as it's part of the unique flavor of this sauce.

I tend to start the sauce about an hour or hour and a half before I want to BBQ, that way it's nice and hot/warm when ready to use. Re-Heat for dipping or on-the-side of your dish if you don't add sauce to your meat on the grill (dry BBQ). This sauce is great for ribs, chicken, pork, just about anything (it's killer on Baby Back Ribs).  I made a version of this with Amber Bock last year, but tried some Shiner Bock at Chilli's recently and fell in love with it for this recipe.  I've adapted this one from a couple of variations around the web, so credit where credit is due although I don't remember my sources.

Even if you leave just a pinch of the Chipotle in the sauce it's still a somewhat spicy sauce because of the white pepper and black pepper.  You could always leave it out and add it to taste as you simmer the sauce.  My family likes it at half strength (1/2 teaspoon).  I like it at full strength on chicken/wings/etc.

Total time: 12 hours - Probably should have been 10 if I had been up to pull it at 190ish and FTC for at least a couple of hours.  Sauce takes about 1 of those hours at a minimum, I tend to start it and stir during a 4-hour period on low low heat to let it thicken.

[mikecorn.1]

Sound like a winner. I take it you were going for sliced ???  I like to take mine to 195 at the least.
Oh by the way

Couldn't resist ;) ;D


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[Spliner]

My bad.. what I meant to say was I wanted my IT around 195, but it ended up at an even 200.  Meat was delicious, but very soft.  What I ended up doing was shredding it, then putting it back in the foil pan and into the fridge (we didn't eat until later that night).  About an hour before we were ready to eat, into the oven it went on 200F and that seemed to dry/firm it back up somewhat.  Regardless there was not one bad thing said about the pork ;).

And I agree.. no pics no fun.  I'll do another one on the weekend when I can watch it closer and/or finish it in the Bradley and there will be pics!

Spliner

[Kahunas]

Now that sounds like a plan.

[Consooger]

mmmmmmm another sauce to try and make!!!! Sounds like a plan. I can never get enough good sauce. What does this sauce taste like? More along the lines of a vinegar base or a thicker richer sauce? Sweet or spicy? Can you taste the beer?

[Spliner]

I can taste the beer, the darker Shiner Bock (more of a medium-dark really) beer gives it a wonderful flavor.  The original recipe did not call for the brown sugar, I added it as I like a sweeter sauce.  I've also made this with and without the Chipotle powder, it's just as good.  My suggestion is have the brown sugar ready, and the Chipotle (if you like a little bite) and add it after it cooks for a bit if you don't like the taste.  I've tried different types of Honey, Holly Honey, Buckwheat Honey, and Clover Honey.  I like the Holly Honey the best but it's hard to find.  Clover Honey works well though.  The sauce itself will have anyone in the house salivating before the BBQ is done because the smell is divine.

Fair warning though, if you put the Chipotle in full strength the smoke from the grill (for instance if you're finishing ribs on the gas grill with sauce and not in the Bradley) can burn your eyes so watch out. 

I actually fell in love with this sauce earlier this year when I went to KC, MO on a business trip.  I decided to tour BBQ restaurants and was sorely disappointed (tried 4 different ones, all sucked.. I can do better).  I ended up at Chilli's on the last night of my trip and they had Shiner Bock Baby Back's on the menu.  Their ribs had almost zero meat on them, but the sauce was simply divine.  I've modified this sauce multiple times since then to my liking, and it's so easy to make and modify that several of my friends have stopped buying their favorite at the store (Sweet Baby Ray's) and switched to it.  I keep a six pack of Shiner Bock around at all times these days along with huge bottles of Heinz Ketchup so I can whip up a batch quickly before a BBQ.  Most of the time you can get this sauce done while your meat comes to room temp, then simmer it on low heat until you're ready to apply it.  Simply delicious.

[Consooger]

I am going to give this sauce a try this weekend.

Thanks for the heads up. I will let you know what I think and I have a few idead on how to tweak this depending on how the trial batch comes out.

More to come, and thanks again!

John

[Spliner]

Can't wait for the tweaks.  I've been collecting fresh ingredients to use for the next batch instead of powders/dried versions.  I think some of the original recipes that called for the powdered/dried versions were for possible bottling/canning of the sauce.  Tomato paste may be an option in place of the ketchup.  Since I'm making it fresh and using that day it shouldn't matter and I'm hoping it can only get better.  I found Shiner Bock at the local Wal-Mart if anyone has trouble finding it.

Spliner

[Spliner]

Well how did the sauce turn out?

;)

Spliner

[Consooger]

Haven't made it yet. I'm heading to Baltimore tomorrow. I'm going to be doing it Wednesday night when I get back. Trust me I will let you know. I'm going to make a batch of yours and then my diversion and compare.

- John

[Consooger]

So I made this sauce tonight and turned out that I did not like the sauce compared to the past few that I have made. I followed the sauce exactly. Reasons I did not like the sauce were:

- I did not like how hot it was (next time I would use less heat so it wasn't as spicy)
- I did not like the overpowering of the onion
- I did not like the overpowering of the vinegar (I'm really not a fan of vinegar sauces)
- I did not like how thin it was (I added flour diluted in water and that took care of that issue)

I decided to go with trying this first off and them I am making a version of what I think I will like tomorrow. I will post results later.

Thanks for posting the recipe.

- John

[Spliner]

Thanks for the update!  I'd love to try your version when you have it ready.

A couple things about the sauce; it will be thin if simmered for 30min - 1 hour.  However, if you simmer it on low, stirring frequently for 2-3 hours (which I had done recently while prepping a large BBQ) it will thicken on its own (and it'll reduce the volume of the sauce made).  The heat is adjustable easily as long as you start small with it.  Matter of fact, some of the recipes I modeled this one after call for Chilli powder instead, that may make a bit of difference if you want to try it.  The onion flavoring I do like as I'm a big fan of onions, but will be trying a freshly minced onion and garlic the next time around.  I have not tried a reduction in vinegar as I like vinegar based sauces.  It actually seemed a bit light on the vinegar side to me, but white vinegar or cutting it by half may help.  Some of these recipes are designed to be canned and the vinegar helps get the PH in the right range for that sort of thing.  I don't can it as I don't believe it's perfected yet (and it gets used too fast), but the family likes it as-is for the moment.  Homemade sauces are great for constant tweaking and improvement. 

I have actually reduced the heat in my last couple of batches as it was getting to me. 

Will be watching for your update.  ;)

Spliner

[Habanero Smoker]

Spliner;

There is a product called Xanthan Gum, that is used to thicken sauces. It's a natural product made from inactive bacterium. These days you can find it in most super markets, and health food stores. I find it in the baking isle, where they display Bob's Red Mill products. That will cut down on your cooking time, though the flavor of the sauce will not be as concentrated.

[Spliner]

I did try the sauce again, this time with just a pinch (ok more like 1/4 teaspoon) of the chipolte and it was very good, just had a spicy after-finish.  I'm thinking the vinegar in the current amount may be adding to the spiciness.  The next time I make it I will reduce the vinegar by about 30% and go with just the pinch of the chipolte as well.  Still loving this recipe, and will be using it on pulled pork on the 4th again. 

Odd thing about this sauce.. the sauce that is cooked into meat (I used it on ribs recently) was not spicy at all, however the bowl of extra dipping sauce on the side was still spicy.  The chipotle seems to cook away on the meat in the oven/bradly. 

I might try the additive next time to thicken it, but I've had good results the last time just simmering a half hour to an hour longer.  Thickens up nicely.

Spliner