HOW TO MAKE PULLED PORK WITH A STAND MIXER
Once you’ve used your stand mixer to shred pulled pork, you’ll never do it by hand again. Using a stand mixer to pull pork takes less manual effort and results in thick, juicy shreds. It’s also less messy than hand-shredding and easy to clean up afterward. Plus, you can add sauce right to the stand mixer bowl and mix to coat the pork after it’s shredded. Learn more about how to make pulled pork in a stand mixer along with tips on how to get moist, delicious results.
WHAT IS PULLED PORK?
Pulled pork is a slow-cooked pork dish typically eaten in a sandwich. Two different cuts of meat, like pork butt or shoulder, can be cooked for multiple hours at low to medium heat on the grill or in the oven. It’s then pulled apart into shreds and can be mixed with barbecue sauce. Popularized in the 1990’s and early 2000’s in the American south, pulled pork is a type of barbeque, which means it’s traditionally cooked over an open flame or smoked, although oven or slow-cooker pulled pork is also delicious.
PULLED PORK RECIPE
This recipe explains how to pull pork with a stand mixer after it’s already been prepped, seared and cooked. If you’re looking for a delicious way to cook pork, this pulled pork recipe involves cooking whole pork butt in a Dutch oven with a variety of spices. Use this guide to learn how to pull pork in a stand mixer for an effortless approach to this delicious dish.
INGREDIENTS
- Cooked pork butt
SUPPLIES
- KitchenAid® stand mixer with flat beater accessory (included)
- Sharp kitchen knife (for cutting pork before adding to stand mixer)
STEP 1: PREP THE PORK
After your pork has been cooked and cooled in its cooking pan, cut it into 3 or 4 large chunks using a sharp kitchen knife. The pork should be tender enough to slice easily into manageable portions — use a meat thermometer to ensure that the pork has reached the right internal temperature.
STEP 2: PREP THE STAND MIXER
Assemble your KitchenAid® stand mixer and attach the flat beater accessory.
STEP 3: ADD PORK TO STAND MIXER BOWL AND SHRED
Add pork pieces to the stand mixer bowl and turn to the “stir” speed until pork is shredded to your desired consistency. If adding sauce, stop when your pork is about halfway shredded. Add the sauce and continue stirring to finish shredding while mixing in your sauce. Alternatively, you can return the pork to the pan and toss it with the remaining juices or additional sauce.
HOW DO YOU KEEP PULLED PORK MOIST?
As the pork cooks, it should stay moist naturally from the fat as it breaks down. Once the pork is cooked and shredded, keep it moist by mixing the pan dripping into the meat. If you’re grilling or smoking the pork, keep a drip pan underneath it to catch valuable fat and juices.
If you’re trying to keep the meat warm and moist as it sits to be served, simply keep it covered and on very low heat. If your oven has a keep warm burner or oven setting, that should help you preserve the juicy tenderness that pulled pork is known for.
SHOULD PULLED PORK BE COVERED IN LIQUID?
Your piece of pork shouldn’t be covered in liquid when you begin to cook it. There can be a small amount of liquid in the bottom of the pan to flavor and moisten the pork as it cooks (stock, vinegar, etc.), but you don’t want to boil, simmer or even braise it.
Once the meat is cooked and shredded, you should add enough pan juices to make it moist but not wet. Similarly, if you’re adding barbeque sauce, be careful not to drench the pork or you could overpower the flavor of the meat itself.
CAN YOU OVERCOOK PULLED PORK?
Yes. Once your pork pulls apart easily, you should stop cooking it. If you cook it too long, the fibers of the meat could lose their structure and turn mushy. You want the fat and connective tissue to break down enough to pull the meat, but you don’t want the meat itself to begin breaking down.
WHAT TEMPERATURE SHOULD YOU SLOW COOK PULLED PORK AT?
Cook pork to a minimum internal temperature of 145°F, but you can cook to a higher temperature of 205°F for a fall-off-the-bone tenderness.
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