The Earl of Pork

Pulled pork is 90% mental, 23% physical. 

Call me old-fashioned, but I’ve always had a soft spot for a good pulled pork sandwich. 

I don’t specifically remember eating it that much growing up, but I know it was always there, not far from the smoked mullet and hot-boiled peanut stands.

When I moved to San Francisco, a place called Brothers BBQ on Divisadero reignited my taste buds for pulled pork – each order even came with two slices of Wonder Bread on the side in a folded-over plastic baggie (so you know it was authentic).

In Hawaii, kalua pork blew my socks off, too, but it wasn’t until a few months ago when it finally hit me – why have I never tried to make my favorite food?

The first time I made it I couldn’t believe how good it tasted – and the simplicity of its preparation made me like it even more.

Here’s a quick run-down:

This little piggy stayed home. 

1. Place pork on top of onions & garlic in a crock pot.* Put spices, more onions & garlic on top and add 1.5 cups of water.
2. Cook for 8 hours on low (or 4-5 on high).
3. Remove water, pull/chop pork into bits and remove the fat (mail fat to Grandma Brown).
4. Add more onions and seasoning and cook for another 8 hours on low.
5. Sample the sweet, sweet nectar of satisfaction.

I’ve probably made it 3-4 times in the past two months, each time tweaking the recipe. Last time, on a recommendation from fellow pulled pork connoisseur Jeb, I used a local Bavarian smoked beer. 

Now that’s what I call a successful international exchange program.

*I know it’s probably better smoked versus in the crock pot, but you have to use what you’ve got.