Pulled pork facts for kids
Pulled pork is a yummy American barbecue dish. It comes from the Southern parts of the U.S.. This dish is made from pork shoulder that is cooked until it's super tender. Then, it's shredded into small pieces. People usually cook it slowly over wood smoke outdoors. You can also make it indoors using a slow cooker. After cooking, the meat is pulled apart by hand and mixed with a tasty sauce. You can eat it on its own or in a sandwich.
How Pulled Pork is Made
Pulled pork almost always uses a cut of meat called the pork shoulder. People often prepare it by first rubbing it with a special mix of spices. This is called a dry rub. Then, they cook it slowly over wood smoke. This gives the pork a smoky flavor.
Other ways to cook it include using a slow cooker, a regular oven, or an electric pressure cooker. An electric pressure cooker cooks the meat much faster.
For the pork to be easy to "pull" apart, it needs to get very hot inside. The meat should reach about 195 to 205 degrees Fahrenheit (90.5 to 96 degrees Celsius). When using a smoker, the temperature can be around 275 degrees Fahrenheit (135 degrees Celsius). Cooking pulled pork takes many hours, sometimes more than 12 hours. However, an electric pressure cooker can cook it in about 60 to 90 minutes.
In many parts of the United States, people use different cuts of pork. Sometimes they cook a whole pig. Other times, they use just the shoulder, which is also called a "Boston butt." After cooking, the pork is shredded. It can be served with or without a sauce made from vinegar.
Before cooking, some people soak the meat in a salty water mix called brine. This helps the meat stay moist during the long cooking process.
Images for kids
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Pulled pork, baked beans and mac & cheese from Peg Leg Porker in Nashville, TN
See also
In Spanish: Pulled pork para niños
