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| Pulled pork for 160 |
The last weekend of September has become my family’s annual “Shindig” at our private campground. It’s the big party that allows all of us to show off our new improvements to our beautiful camp sites, all of which feature custom made porches and landscaping.
Over the years we have turned it into a little village in the woods.
It was started somewhere around 2003 by my Aunt Roxie who had the zany idea of putting a couple of campers in the woods behind her property and starting a camp ground. Most thought it was just a crazy notion, but it stuck. Slowly, a couple of campers turned into a few, a few into a half dozen and so forth.
Once people established a spot for themselves, they constructed covered porches to hang out on. If a camper became leaky (They all do if they set in one spot) the porch would be extended to include a roof over the camper.
Landscaping and flower gardens appeared. A pavilion and central kitchen, along with a giant meat smoker sprouted up. Custom bars and benches made from live-edge wood planks, harvested from ash trees killed by the ash-borer beetle that populated the campground were installed.
It’s a constant work in progress.
My aunt Roxie left this world in the Spring of 2012, but I guarantee she would be proud of what her zany little critters have done with her crazy idea and be proud of how we’ve keep improving on it.
This year I was asked to make pulled pork for the party.
After covering the meat with a homemade spice rub, I used our custom built meat smoker to sear and season the meat with a smoky flavor. I finished the meat in a large roster for more control over the process, and to use citrus to add another layer of flavor as the pork roasted.
It turned out delicious.
The meat featured a hint of smoke from the initial cook in the smoker and lots of moisture and sweetness from pineapple and orange juice that it was finished with.
The pork and the party were a great success.
Can’t wait until next year.
Eat well, cook often …
PULLED PORK FOR 160
12 hours, makes 160 to 200 sandwiches
RUB FOR PORK
1 C brown sugar
1/2 C chili powder
1/4 C cumin
2 Tbs onion powder
2 Tbs garlic powder
THE PORK
40 lbs bone-in pork shoulder
3 cans pineapple chunks
4 C orange juice
4 large onions, sliced
1 bag wood chips
FOR SANDWICHES
2 quarts BBQ sauce
160 sandwich buns
Start grill and/or smoker. Soak wood chips.
Mix together sugar, chili powder, cumin, onion powder and garlic powder. Liberally sprinkle and rub spice mixture all over pork, covering completely.
Once grill and/or smoker is ready. Sear meat on all sides. 3 to 4 minutes per side. 15 to 20 minutes total. Remove to indirect heat. Dump wood chips on coals, cover grill or close smoker and let cook for and 2 hours.
Remove meat from grill. In one large or two medium roasters, mix together Pork shoulders, onions, orange juice, pineapple chunks and pineapple juice. Cover and slow roast at 200° for 5 to 8 hours, or until meat shreds with a fork and bones can be pulled out with fingers.
Pour off 1/2 of the juice. Shred with forks. Stir remaining juice, pineapple chunks, onions and shredded pork together.
Serve with BBQ sauce and sandwich buns.
