Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Eastern Pulled Pork[regional differences]

I've been to several Basque ropings, gathers etc where they cooked a 7 piece lamb (the head is piece #7) above ground and they didn't make a federal case out of it (the cook was operating off a tailgate mostly). He built his fire on the ground about a foot and a half wide and 3 1/2 feet long and drove his T posts or uprights parallel to the fire (it's a fire, not just coals), but not over it, then the crossbar from which the big crusher screen rack is suspended by adjustable chain. The lamb sections are spiced and lubricated by beer or wine, usual lamb spices, and any oil that will facilitate browning, applied as needed with a paintbrush. The sections are placed with thicker pieces like the hams are at the hottest area, but arranged so melting fat does not drip into the fire. People come and go at different times and the thin pieces are eaten first of course. A cutting board and a cleaver are on the tailgate for cutting bones and the brisket. The hams never get completely done at one time, and slices are cut off to suit the eater, re basted and browned again. When available they like to use mountain mahogany, I've had willow (good), and once broken fence posts...can't see much difference. If you were hosting a sitdown dinner it would take some skill to do the hams...or butterfly them. It's probably a big gourmet chef deal in Kentucky but not so much in the Great Basin.

When I was a kid in the 1960s and 70s, my folks, myself and my siblings would take a drive down to our grandparents' house in southwestern Virginia, the house in which my mom grew up. One thing we all looked forward to, besides the visit, was frequent meals of pulled pork BBQ sandwiches. That was an exclusively southern thing back then. You couldn't find it north of DC.

I’ve not run into too many sauces I just didn’t like. Some are better on one type of meat than the other, but it’s all obviously subjective.



I used to cook up a whole pig every year. Always wanted to do a goat and or a lamb.

Argentine style on an iron cross over an open fire would be fun.

That and the flip flop style.

I got to get on it this year!

Did someone say pulled pork? I like mine with a little bit of Blues Hogg Tennessee Reds on it!!

I like vinegar and cayenne pepper or a good dry rub with ground mustard

that sugary ketchup schit they try to pass off as sauce is horrible

Nice CG!!

I looked up red slaw. One recipe had ketchup in it.

Is that right?

Wouldn't doubt it.
Not a fan of it.

Vinegar based for us, but not too thin.

Kroger sells a Private Selection Carolina sauce, I thin 50/50 with white vinegar and add enough black pepper so you can see it. Perfect.

Smoked pulled pork is a favorite of mine

Brine it it a salt water and spiced brine first.

There is a huge difference between pulled pork that is cooked at home and pork that is cooked for 16-18 hours on a specially designed pit. I've cooked Boston butts on my Pit Boss that I thought were pretty good, but when compared to a 25 pound shoulder that was cooked over hickory coals for 18 hours at the local BBQ Shack, mine comes up way short. I've tried the Carolina and Georgia pork BBQ and while some of it was okay, I do not like it was well as I do West Kentucky and West Tennessee style. Everybody has their favorite way of doing it, and that's how it should be.

Quite some time back, I made some very disparaging and rude remarks remarks on southern cuisine in general, and the universal use of sugar back there. An annoyed member I bought a scope from, shortly after, included in the scope package a bottle of 'Tennessee Red'.
I apologize to my southern brethren and would remark that is especially good on well prepared crow.

Pulled pork and beans make the best Chili!

I have a couple yearling goat wethers, a yearling doeling, and couple open yearling ewes. If someone has a recipe for Cabrito, Oveja, or Kentucky Lamb, let me know...

I grew up in Southern Ky. and live just across the state line in Tn. Everywhere you go in this part of the Country, they call it shredded pork. It's usually a vinegar based bbq sauce.

My time to cook at a very large Vietnam Vets reunion at Kokomo IN. a few years ago. Fire pit , two large cast iron dutch ovens , 30 lbs of pork butt.
Home made rub , pork seared in hot oil. Pork butt in cast iron , sliced peppers and onions. As I started to pour a 2 liter bottle of DR Pepper to cover the pork a few people watching me questioned what I was doing. 10 hours later at a temp. of about 190 degrees I pulled the bone out and said it's ready. Made a sauce with the liquid and poured it over the pulled pork. About 10 of the 30 people told me they wanted the same the next year. ( And we did ) The other 20 or so could have eaten Shinola and not know the difference.

I have always said that the "best" BBQ is the BBQ you happened to grow up with. Doesn't matter how good you claim it is, somebody from another region is going to say it's rubbish compared to HIS favorite BBQ. And vice versa.

Truth is it's all damn good. Might be different, but it's all good for seconds or thirds.

Just to piss someone off…

Chopped is waaaay better than pulled.