Tuffy Stone (Photo by Stephanie Breijo)
When it comes to barbecue, there’s no replacing the savor derived from slow cooking tough cuts of meats, such as pork shoulder, on a charcoal or wood-burning grill or smoker. However, if you still crave a succulent pork sandwich and don’t have access — or the time — to grill or smoke, there are creative ways to cook indoors. Please know that I am not calling this approach barbecue, loosely defined as meat cooked slowly over smoke and flame, so let’s call these tips for “Mock BBQ Pork.”
Tuffy Stone’s Tips for Indoor “BBQ”
- The one element you can’t add indoors is wood/charcoal smoke. To echo that sizzle, add smoked paprika and/or smoked salts to the rub or marinade.
- Season/marinade the meat for the correct amount of time: too little time, and the meat won’t have nuanced flavor; too much, it develops a ham-like texture from salt and acid curing or cooking the meat. A general rule of thumb for rubs and marinades is to allow them to interact 30 minutes to one hour with ribs; four to eight hours with pork butts or beef brisket. Rubs with a higher salt content or marinades with a lot of acid, require less time.
- Cook to perfect tenderness — easy to pull apart, yet still firm. Overcooked meat is mealy. For the slow cooker, cook 6-8 hours on low until the pork reaches an internal temperature of 190 degrees or until tender. For a Dutch oven, preheat stove to 225F and cook with the lid on for 6-8 hours until the pork reaches 185-195 F internal temperature or until tender.
- Resting the meat elevates the final product. Allowing the protein to cool down before cutting or shredding it, not only enhances its chew, but keeps it moist.
- Final adjustments. Once you have cooked to perfect doneness and allowed the meat to rest, you should taste. Determine if the cooked product needs any final tweaks. A touch of sauce or vinegar? Salts or additional rub? All are ways to attain excellence.
