Pulled Pork for 2 “Pic Heavy”

[vwengguy]

I think I have mastered Mini Pulled Pork!
The kids are grown up and out the door and it's just the wife and I here now and that brings a few problems with it. The size of some cuts of meat for just 2 eaters puts the brakes on some cooks.
Brisket is huge and we would be eating leftovers for days, Pork Shoulder for Pulled Pork is the same problem. I know I could pick up a vacuum sealer and chuck it in the freezer.. but I fire up my Weber almost EVERY DAY and that would just take up space that I can use for more ribs and stuff ;-)
After looking and trying different cuts and suppliers, I have it down to the perfect cut at a great price.
I use the Pork Neck (Procureur) and get this at a big supermarket in Germany for about €5.95 kg (€2.99 on sale) and I get 1kg (2lb) chunk and this is the perfect size for 2 people. This cut is 1/2 of the neck, split down the spine! Ends up looking like a 3.5-4" thick pork chop chunk of piggy. I always look for a good fat grain with lots of separate muscle thingy. See photo for a better idea.
Anyways.. back to the cook. I dry it off with paper towels and the give it a light spray with apple juice then my modified Memphis Dust is used and I don't skimp on it. After it's dusted it gets one last sprits of apple juice to keep the dust sticking so it doesn't fall off before it gets to the grill. Sn'S is set up with pecan or hickory wood chips..no need for explanation here. Plop the meat on the grill with temp probe in the heart of the meat and the other ambient clipped to the grate. Every 20min or so it give it a sprits with the apple juice for the bark and also helps melt the sugars into a bbq sauce.
I try to level off my kettle at 250-270f and slowly let the internal temp of the pork come up to 160-165f ! At this point I pull the meat and wrap it in alum foil.. doubled so no leaks and put about 2-3 shot glasses full of apple juice in the foil. Then I give the coals a stirring and it goes back on the grill. After stirring the temp is going to spike and the bottom vent should be almost closed, top vent always open! If the kettle temps go high.. don't worry... it will be good and it will come back down.
It then sits in the grill as the internal temps continues to climb to the 200f point.
And here comes my magic trick.. when it hits the 200f point Close Down all the vents and shut the coals off! Leave that puppy sitting / resting in the grill still wrapped in the foil and just forget about it. The temp will still climb to around 210-212f even as the grill temp is cooling off the pork temp climbs and then slowly comes down !
When it's cooled / rested for about 2 hrs I take it off the grill and place it in a CI pan that I warmed up on the stove and I remove the bones and then pull it and mix it up with the juice that was in the foil. Adding BBQ sauce is up to you.. but this comes out so good and so pure Nom Nom!
Enjoy :-)
I know what your going to say... but I can't cook anything else on the grill then :-(
Give me a break... you know you have more kettles, just fire up another one ;-)


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[Dc_smoke309]

Oh ya that looks damn fine


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[Firemunkee]

That looks great!

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[Mike in Roseville]

That will work for sure! Nice job! Looks excellent!


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[qrczak1]

Exactly, looks great

[HoosierKettle]

Phenomenal!  That's very close to how I do my pork butts. Almost exactly except I place in a cooler instead of leaving on the grill. That's an excellent idea. I also incorporate the juice in the foil but I defat the juice. Probably not necessary. Your entire process is refined and sounds amazing.

Is the cast iron just keeping it warm or are you crisping it slightly?


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[vwengguy]

@HoosierKettle Thanks. Cast Iron is used to keep it warm. It's such a small amount of meat that it can get cold fast. I just sort of pre-heat the skillet on the stove. It's also easier to pull in the skillet.


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