Pulled Pork Nachos The Ten Minute Recipe

These Pork nachos we made in about 6 minutes.

We've been so crazy busy lately running here and there, that we've relied on quick and simple dishes for dinner.  One of my favorites to serve quick is pulled pork nachos. I'm going to give you my recipe but nachos are pretty easy so you can variate if you'd like.  The first component of course, is a good smoked pork. 

Damn, that's purdy.

The pork part of is not quick and easy, that's something you smoke low and slow and prepare ahead of time.  Here is a mish mosh of pork shoulder and boneless cushion meat.  It's really all what you like. Some people prefer boston butts, others only use picnic--I really think it's up to you.  To me, some of my top secret spice and mish mosh of wood charcoals and hickory wood,  spritz with some apple juice now and again, and it all comes out tasting pretty damn good.  Lately I like to mix a few different cuts of pork for a great flavor.

The pork takes awhile to smoke on this old pit.

On this particular day it took all day to smoke the pork, so I found something else to do.  I decided it was time to take my old golf cart and spruce it up. Well, there was only so much I could do but a new paint job and some fiberglass putty had it looking nice again.

Better than it was. A little fiberglass and paint and stickers and this 1989 historic baby is looking good.

And of course, the pork was still cooking.  Boy that smells good.  I of course still use the old school smokers and pits, so I'm constantly turning my pork all day long and finding other things to do.

I don't use fancy fire boxes or electronic equipment, it's all old school smoking for me. Hey, to each his own...

So I cut out some pig signs for my wife to paint for the Hogging Up Festival.

The pork was still smoking.  The thing with pork is the longer you smoke it the better. You want it to fall off the bone.

Pork is almost done!

So when it is done and it falls off the bone, I let it cool and tub it like so...

This is a nice mix of shoulder, cushion, and boneless!

This is when you can take a bit and put it in ziploc bags and freeze it for easy meal making later. The regular sandwich size will give you a nice amount to use in nachos or to make two heaping sandwiches for dinner.   The good thing about pork is it freezes really well and thaws nicely too. I sometimes add some apple juice if I really want to sweeten it up on the thaw.

If you do your pork right for pulling, this is how your bones fall out. By the way, this is Hatfield.

This pork is flavorful and requires no sauce. It melts in your mouth and is moist and meaty.  So now, here's  my pork nacho recipe:

 Quick and Easy Pulled Pork Nachos

Ingredients:
Blue Corn Nachos
Three Shredded Cheese Blend 
Jalapenos
Pulled Pork
Sour Cream
Salsa
BBQ Sauce of Choice 
Slotted Spoon


Night Before: 
Thaw one sandwich bag of  previously cooked pork in the fridge the night before.

Day Of: (under 6 minutes prep time)

• Simmer your pulled pork and a small bit of water in a pan. 
•  Meanwhile, add your blue corn nachos in a microwave safe bowl, pile on some shredded cheese and zap for a minute. 
•  Remove the nachos when the cheese is melted and they look warm and toasty. Top with jalapenos and salsa. 
• Transfer the pulled pork with a slotted spoon removing juice onto the nachos and add your BBQ sauce of choice if desired. 
• Top with sour cream and you are good to go.

OPTIONAL: Still hungry? Add fresh cut lettuce, tomatoes and onions for a salad style dinner

Quick,
Easy.
Yummy.

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You may also enjoy my other posts on Pork.

Such as:
Alston Bridges BBQ North Carolina
Liam O'Sullivans Electric Pork Smoking

Is Barbecue Healthy? Stop Pig Discrimination

Pork this, Pork that, are there unfair cases of pig discrimination unfair?

Today I'm not talking about beef barbecue, I'm talking about classic Pulled Pork BBQ.  Is it really healthy for you? According to this study over at Men's Health, pork contains less fat than chicken breasts and has good health benefits.  On the contrary, there are lots of folks who refuse to touch or even taste a succulent pork barbeque sandwich due to the fact it comes from a dirty, muddy, smelly, messy  pig! (Didn't they ever watch Charlotte's Web?) Oh well, thanks to this blog over at Food Network we can see that when compared: 

Pork Tenderloin          versus        Chicken Breast
Calories: 96 calories                    Calories: 142 calories
Total Fat: 3 grams                         Total Fat: 3 grams

SWINE WINS!

Truth be told there are conflicting reports on many websites, and sometimes pork is shunned merely because the word "bacon" and "saturated fat" comes to mind.  This should be called pig discrimination! If you ask any barbecue guru they are sure to tell you how many different parts are on the pig and how you can use pork rump, pork shoulder, or pork loin to make the pulled pork barbeque--which all poses more questions as to trying to find out exactly how many calories in a pork barbecue sandwich.

Does Mitt Romney have a problem eating Wilbur?

Would Michelle Obama agree that pork is healthy?

In a generic "pulled pork bbq" search for calories, Livestrong website indicates there are "90 calories in 1/4 cup, with 1.5g of fat."   Sounds great huh--but not really. Who eats only 2 ounces of pork barbecue on their sandwich? Not me or most guys I know!  I would think an average bun in the barbecue world may yield you four or even as much as five ounces and that's not including the slaw piled on top or bbq sauce dousted on (if you swing that way).  Now a a sub roll at Big Fat Daddy's may yield you almost ounces of pulled pork topped with slaw,  (not counting the bun!) So now what?

Bottom line, anything you eat should be in moderation.  Consider a nice sized pork barbecue sandwich topped with slaw a good meal.  If you are worried about your weight, skimp on dinner. You can do low fat fish or steamed veggies (or kabobs) to offset the whopping six ounces of pork you just consumed.  Look up sites like Diet Foods to help you make menu plans and stay trim.

In a nutshell I get tired of people assuming just because it comes from a pig, it's bad for you.  Do the math, try some swine. Not to mention a whole world of pork barbecue out there, when never do two taste exactly the same, that you are missing! 

Pork Lovers: They are Everywhere.

If you like pork, make sure to visit the Hogging Up Barbecue Festival page that will be coming to Virginia real soon!

Pigs Are Dirty Warning Not For the Vegetarian

I have to say those cute little pigs can be real dirty creatures. Sure, grilling pigs is a dirty job. I get asked a lot if I do whole hog (I would but the wife does not like looking at their little faces.) I guess it makes her feel better for me to get giant pieces of pig ass and grill those.

Now grilling pigs gets messy because of all the pork fat . For me, it drips down through my grate onto the wood fire and causes a lot of flare ups. If not careful I can really have a big meltdown.  This is where the Texas Brush comes into play, to clean the grate real good.  I don't mind because I'm cooking the fat right out of that sucker.  The pork fat actually helps keep your wood burning, as the fat that drips down is as good as kindling.

For those of you who think most pork overall is high in fat and sodium, you are right. However, when the pork loin, shoulder, or butt is braised and cooked properly, low and slow over high heat (and on a smoker you can indeed cook a good portion of the fat right out of that bad boy), you would be surprised at the updated  PORK Nutrition Facts right here. 

No two pork barbecues are the same.

Who can refute the glory that happens next? Pull it, add your spices and sauce and savor the flavor on a great pig old pork barbecue sandwich. No two taste the same, so why not try everyone's?  Mine is not your traditional southern vinegar based but more of a hickory sweet. I rarely pull mine but often slice or process mine into thin layers, simmering into a hickory sweet sauce that melts in your mouth, not in your hand. What's not to love?

Alternative to Pigs: 

Still disgusted?  Then I guess you'll have to eat Vegan Barbecue which is just something I found over at  Almanac of Eats.  Every day with them is a National Food Holiday!

Holy Vegan Cow, check out these vegetarian Spareribs!

There's National Spaghetti Day, National Whiskey Day, even a National Caviar Day! Almanac of Eats is celebrating with fun food facts, giveaways, and recipes. Come eat the year!   Please follow their Facebook Page or Twitter, we like their style!

Pork BBQ Grilling Tips Be a Grillmaster

Depending on who you ask, there may be a "right way" or "wrong way" of home grilling or experimenting with your pork barbecue. Now granted, I'm not talking competition because rules do apply. I'm talking home cooking for your family, friends, or even trying to market your own style pork BBQ. I'm here to tell you there is no right and wrong.

Certainly we must give credit to Memphis Style and traditional Southern Pork Barbecue, but today, there are so many styles of "barbecued pork" throughout the US and abroad that if you took a lifetime you could not try them all. Certainly one could make a living eating and reviewing everyone's pork BBQ because, chances are, no two will ever taste exactly alike.   Some will indeed make your tongue slap your brain.

You have the sweet and tangy.
You have the bitter yet brown sugar honey-fied.
You have the vinegar based sweet succulent.
You have the spicy and red sauced.
You have the hickory smoked sliced bbq pork.
You have the pulled that melts in your mouth that you can't describe.
You have the soy based pork bbq.
You have the kind that sets your mouth on fire.
You have the kind that falls right off the bone.
You have the kind that's been processed into fine little bits.
You have the sliced and diced kind.
You have the kind they cut up old Southern Style with a small axe.
You have the one you can't quite put your finger on what it is but it's damn good.

Be Daring.

At home you are your own grillmaster. Do it up right. Sprinkle some love. Put a dab or this and a pinch of that and see where it takes you.   Should you get bone in or bone out? That's up to you.   Smoke it. Bake it. Broil it. Boil It. Do whatever the hell you want to your butt of pork.   Season it, baste it, taste it, pull it,  shred it, cut it, chop it, mutilate it, it's all good.  

If I lived by the rules of doing it "this exact way" or "that particular way" I would never have had my own hickory sweet tastin' pork bbq that is not duplicated by anyone because it's my own recipe.  Some people will say hey, that doesn't look pulled like traditional bbq.  Others may say "hey, pork isn't supposed to be smoky or taste like apples and hickory." That's when I make them a sub and they shovel it into their mouth bite by bite. Yum.

 

I have spent lots of time at barbecue festivals tasting other's pork bbq and I have to say that no two have ever tasted alike to me, but I could spend the day eating it all as there are so many ones that are delicious.   So what I'm advising is be daring. Try something new. Don't be scared to add that pinch of brown sugar or touch of Tabasco. It's all you.  It's YOUR PORK BBQ.

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