Fried Pork Chop Sliders on the Big Green Egg

[FTC Standard Disclaimer] I received no compensation for this post. 

These Fried Pork Chop Sliders that we cooked on the Big Green Egg this week are crispy, delicious, and are a cheap way to feed a crowd quickly. 

If your stores are like ours, the meat selection is hit and miss during the impact of COVID-19. This pack of extra-thin pork chops looked good and was under $10, so I thought I'd try frying them for sliders. I pounded the chops into thin cutlets and shallow fried them on the grill.

Shallow Frying

Everyone knows what deep-frying is, but what is shallow frying? Per Rouxbe Online Culinary School, shallow frying is a cross between deep-frying and pan-frying. It is frying in a pan with the oil deep enough that it comes to halfway up on the food. Here are some tips for shallow frying on a grill.

• Any time you cook with oil over a live flame, there is an enhanced fire risk. Make sure you have a tight-fitting lid for your skillet and long-sleeved heat-resistant gloves on the ready.
• Use a cast-iron skillet or other grill-safe, heavy-bottomed pan with steep walls that are at least as twice as tall as your oil depth when food is loaded. If the oil spills over the skillet and into your flames, you're gonna have a bad time.
• Know your oil temperature throughout the cook. I use a Thermapen and a non-contact thermometer for keeping tabs on how hot my oil is.
• Generally, I like to fry in oil that is 350f to 375f.
• If the oil is too hot, you can burn your oil or burn the crust of the food before it is done cooking. Both of those options taste foul. 
• If the oil is too low, the food will be greasy and/or undercooked. That's not pleasant.
• Add food in small batches to avoid temperature swings.
• Season your food with fine salt as soon as the food comes out of the frying oil.

You can easily make these on your stovetop or on the side burner of a gas grill. Here I'm cooking a test batch on our Saber Elite 3-burner gas grill. We have natural gas in our kitchen but I hate the lingering fried-food smell after frying inside.

If Things Go Wrong

If something does go astray and your oil catches fire, don't panic but move quickly. Don't try moving the skillet. Cover the skillet with the lid, if you can do so safely. If the fire is outside of the skillet, close the grill lid and shut down all the vents. If you are using a gas or pellet grill, turn off the fuel supply. Wait long enough for the grill and skillet to cool off before opening the grill.

I have tried several configurations, but my favorite comes back to a non-toasted sweet bun, Buffalo sauce, and spicy pickles.

Sriracha-Peach Glazed Boneless Country Style Ribs

[FTC Standard Disclaimer] I received a complimentary review copy of Mastering The Big Green Egg from the publisher. The link is an Amazon Affiliate link, so I do get a small percentage if you buy the book.

I'm not usually a big fan of peaches. I don't care for peach ice cream, peach Snapple, or peach Jolly Ranchers. But when you put peach on pork in the smoker or grill, it magically transforms into delicious sweet porkiness that I can't resist.

BBQ country-style boneless pork ribs, poblano mac and cheese, and BBQ beans - yum!

This recipe comes from Craig Tabor's book, Mastering The Big Green Egg, which I mentioned in my 2020 BBQ/Grilling Books Preview.  Craig's recipe is for double-thick bone-in pork chops, but those weren't available due to the pandemic interruptions.  The store did have some country-style, boneless pork ribs, so I went with those.  

This will be an excellent Father's Day gift or buy it for yourself to shake things up on your kamado grill this Summer.

Grilled Pork Chops with Fontina Cheese Mashed Potatoes

[Standard FTC Disclosure]  I received no compensation for this post.

These chops were so delicious for dinner last night, thick, juicy and delightfully seasoned.  Of course, you can't go wrong with cheesy mashed potatoes and to top it all off, I added a hefty dollop of smoked onion jam.

I did something different with these bone-loin chops.  First I dry brined them and then after grilling I treated them sort of like Memphis-style dry-rubbed ribs.  This is a "free cook," where I'm just cooking for the enjoyment so I won't lay out a full detailed recipe here.  

I used the dry-brine technique on the pork chops to create flavor and retain moisture during the cooking process.  The dry-brine method is applying a salty rub to meat and letting it rest, refrigerated, for a while.  At first, the salt draws out moisture from the meat but then as the concentrations change, diffusion pulls the now seasoned moisture back into the meat.  There's more to it than that, but that's the gist of it.

 

I applied the dry brine before I left for work in the morning, so it had 9 hours to work its magic.

The dry brine was simple but covered the bases - salty, sweet, savory, and heat. 

Asian Pork Belly Cocktail Skewers

[FTC Disclosure] I received no compensation for this post.

Alexis and I made these fantastic little gems to take to a deck party at a friends house last weekend.  The Luxardo cherry, teriyaki grilled pineapple, and honey-sriracha glazed pork belly were a powerful combination, and they disappeared pretty quickly.

Asian glazed pork belly with teriyaki grilled pineapple and sweet cherry.

The cocktail skewers are a good idea for party appetizers.

Fusion Mini Tacos - Teriyaki Pork with Thai Peanut Slaw

[FTC Disclaimer] We are proud to be sponsored by Smithfield's extensive line of Fresh Marinated Pork.  This is our 6th and final sponsored post for the year featuring these time saving products.

There is a fine line between fusion and confusion when blending cuisines.  These Fusion Mini Tacos tip-toe right up to that line and do a little dance. Fusion Mini Tacos take the tastes of Japan, Indonesia, and Thailand and serves them in a Mexican style.  

The light and crispy shell crumbles when you bite into it and contrasts against the tender pork.  Smithfield's Sweet Teriyaki Fresh Marinated Pork pairs exceptionally with the rich and nutty slaw, spicy chile paste, and aromatic cilantro.   These mini-tacos are fun, bursting with flavor, and will brighten up any tailgate or party menu. 

The Smithfield Fresh Marinated Pork products are a smart foundation for a quick 30-minute meal and you can find plenty of inspiration at their Real Flavor Real Fast website. Smithfield uses only 100% fresh pork, packed with protein, for these and I've only gotten quality pork from them.

The 2 inch sized tacos were the perfect bite.

Teriyaki Pork Tacos with Thai Peanut Slaw

Ingredients

Grilled Thick Pork Chops with Apple and Apricot Sauce

One of the friends I have made through online BBQ contacts is Lee, over on the West coast.  He sent us a generous package of his homemade sauces, jams, and jellies a while back.  But I have been saving Lee's stuff for special recipes like these pork chops that I made earlier this week.

I steal the technique and recipe idea from Chef Adam Perry Lang's BBQ 25 (great grilling resource for intermediate grillers wanting to up their game).  Shuttling the chops back and forth from the grates to a pan of goodness cooks layers of flavors onto the pork chops.  The sauce becomes a smoky, sweet syrup that makes the pork chop sing.  

Grilled Thick Pork Chops with Apple and Apricot Sauce

Ingredients

• 2 porterhouse pork chops, bone-in, 1" thick
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon black pepper (coarse ground Malabar, dustless)
• 2 gala apples, cored, peeled and diced
• 1/4 cup apricot jam
• 3 tablespoons sweet BBQ seasoning
• 1/4 teaspoon apple pie seasoning
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 cup chicken stock

Bratwurst Stuffed and Bacon Wrapped Pork Chops

[FTC Standard Disclaimer] This post is sponsored by Smithfield.

When I went to Smithfield VA last year, I learned about both the town and the company's storied history.  So I wasn't surprised to see them team up with Yuengling, America's oldest brewery, to bring a little excitement to your grill this Summer.  Smithfield has introduced their new Craft Collection by rolling out their Yuengling Traditional Lager Bratwursts.

Alexis found these this week at the Kroger on Northshore Drive in Knoxville.  Of course, the first thing that we did with them was grill some on grill over medium low heat for 15-20 minutes.  They were just what you want in a brat - juicy, well seasoned, and a kiss of beer.  

Then I had an idea for a recipe - stuff center cut boneless pork chops with the bratwurst sausage, then wrap them with Smithfield Hometown Original bacon, and smoke them on the grill.  I know, smoking usually takes hours, right?  But this is a quick smoke at a bit higher temperature, so you get all of that smokehouse flavor in just an hour and a half.

Bratwurst Stuffed Bacon Wrapped Pork Chops on Smoked Cheese Grits

Your cooking times are going to vary depending on how thick of pork chops you use and how thick you stuff them, so always go by your internal temperature instead of time and cooking temperature.

Bratwurst Stuffed Bacon Wrapped Pork Chops

Published 08/02/2017

A pork trifecta - center cut boneless pork chops stuffed with Smithfield's Yuengling Traditional Lager Bratwurst and then wrapped with bacon.  Normally wouldn't cook pork chops past 145 but the fat from the bacon and sausage makes it okay.

Ingredients

Smoked Baby Back Ribs with Honey and Roasted Garlic BBQ Sauce

[FTC Standard Disclaimer] Char-Broil is an official sponsor of Nibble Me This and I receive compensation from them in exchange for recipes and content.  Any opinions stated are my own and have not been reviewed or approved by Char-Broil.

One of my recent posts for Char-Broil was these Baby Back Ribs with Honey and Roasted Garlic BBQ Sauce. The sauce for these ribs has brown sugar and local honey, so to counter the sweetness and boost the flavor, I added a good bit of roasted garlic paste that we make at home.

Smoked Baby Back Ribs with Honey and Roasted Garlic BBQ Sauce

The full recipe is over on Char-Broil's site but here is some B-roll footage from that cook.

I got the idea for the platter from this Burnt Ends-n-Ribs combo that I bought at Famous Dave's BBQ a few weeks earlier.  Their combo uses spare ribs but I had baby backs, so that's what I used.

To remove the membrane for baby back ribs (aka loin back), I find it's easiest to use a blunt knife to start a gap in the middle of the rib and then work a finger into that gap. Then I just wiggle two fingers across the rib as shown and left the membrane straight up and off.  For spare ribs I just start at the end, but for back ribs, this is easier for me.

Steakhouse Mushroom Pork Loin Filet with Spinach Rice Pilaf

[FTC Standard Disclaimer]  This post is sponsored by Smithfield but any opinions given are my own. The giveaway listed at the bottom is all theirs....I can't afford to send you on a trip to Napa Valley!

It's funny - as a bbq/grilling blogger, a lot of people think that every night we eat something that I cooked for hours.  The reality is much different!  

Our youngest son plays high school football, which means most days he leaves the house by 6am for his private trainer and after school workouts with the team can have him home anywhere from 5-7pm. Our evening meal schedule is best described as "controlled chaos" and there are plenty of nights when we just need something quick and easy.

This meal last week is a perfect example. Our son got home surprisingly early at 4 PM but threw a curve ball because he had to be back at school by 5 PM for a school function.  I needed real flavor and I needed it real fast. Luckily, I had a Smithfield Steakhouse Mushroom Pork Loin Filet.

They come premarinated so they are ready to grill as soon as you open the package. It is seasoned with portobello mushrooms, onion and spices, which sounds like the start of a great rice pilaf....so that's what I did

Steakhouse Mushroom Pork Loin Filet with Spinach Rice Pilaf

4 servings

Ingredients

• Smithfield Steakhouse Mushroom Pork Loin Filet, cut into 4 portions & tied
• 4 slices Smithfield Hometown Original Bacon, chopped
• 1/4 cup finely diced shiitake mushroom
• 1 carrot, peeled and finely diced
• 1 shallot, peeled and finely diced
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
• 1 cup long grain rice
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 2 cups loosely packed spinach, rinsed and stems removed

Instructions

1. Preheat a grill to medium high heat and preheat a skillet with a thick bottom over a) medium-low heat if using a gas grill side burner or b) medium heat if using a stove top burner.
2. Crisp the bacon.  Add the bacon to the skillet and cook until browned and crisp, stirring occasionally. Remove with a slotted spoon to a paper towel lined plate and reserve 2 tablespoons of the bacon grease.
3. Saute the veggies.  Add the mushrooms to the skillet and cook for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the carrots, cook for another 2 minutes.  Add the garlic and shallot.  Season with a pinch or two of salt and cook another 2 minutes.
4. Cook the rice.  Stir in the rice into the veggies and toss to coat with any remaining oil.  Cook for about 1 minute until the rice starts to turn golden and you can smell a slightly nutty aroma.  Add the stock, remaining salt, cover with a tight fitting lid and cook for 18-20 minutes.
5. Grill the Steakhouse Mushroom Pork Loin Filet.  Grill the pork filets 7 minutes per side on the two cut/flat sides.  Halfway through each side (3 1/2 minutes), rotate each filet a quarter turn if you want cross hatch grill marks [optional but preferred].  Grill the edges of the filets for a total of 7 minutes, turning frequently to brown all of the edges.  So that is a total of 21 minutes of grilling (7 first side, 7 second side, 7 edges).  Check the internal temperature with an instant read thermometer. Your target is 145°f with a 3 minute rest.
6. Finish the rice.  As soon as the rice is done, immediately fold in the spinach and cooked bacon. As always, taste for seasoning and adjust if desired.  Cover tightly and let sit for at least 5 minutes before serving.
7. Serve.  You can serve the pork a few ways. The easiest is as a whole filet, just like filet mignon. You can slice it in half and serve as two medallions with the cut side down. You can also slice it into 3 or 4 slices and serve fanned out.  All of these ways work and taste great, it's just up to your preferences.

Notes/Substitutions

• Shallot - I've used a 1/4 cup of finely diced sweet yellow onion (Vidalia, Walla Walla, etc) and it works just as well.  I prefer the shallot though.
• Shiitake mushroom - You can use about any mushroom but shiitake is a flavor affiliate with spinach.  My next choice would be portobello or baby bella mushrooms since they supplement the portobello flavor in the pork.

Normally I'd fire up a kamado type grill but I had about 30 minutes to get dinner on the table so I fired up one of our gas grills.

The key to cooking fast is having everything in its place. 

Huevos Rancheros Featuring Smithfield Seasoned Carnitas

[FTC Standard Disclaimer]  I'm proud to be a brand ambassador for Smithfield's Marinated Fresh Pork line this year and I receive compensation for this post.

I kind of feel bad for you all.  Last year Smithfield took me on those great trips to Smithfield, Virginia and The American Royal World Series of BBQ.....and I didn't get you all anything.  But here's a chance to make up for it!

Real Flavor, Real Fast

Smithfield is giving you the chance to win a trip to Napa wine country or hundreds of other prizes. All you have to do is enter the Real Flavor, Real Fast challenge and share your tips and tricks for using Smithfield marinated fresh pork products to get dinner on the table in 30 minutes or less.  It's easy to enter, just click on over to their site and then send me pictures from Napa when you win.

Examples of Smithfield's Fresh Marinated Pork include: Sweet & Smoky Marinaded Fresh Pork Roast, Seasoned Carnitas, Applewood Smoked Bacon Marinated Fresh Pork Loin Filet, and Steakhouse Mushroom Marinated Fresh Pork Loin Filet.

When I opened the package that they sent me, I immediately went for the Seasoned Carnitas.  Smithfield has already done the seasoning and trimming so all that you have to do is put them in a slow-cooker or slow roast them in an oven or grill.   

Of course, you know that I chose to cook mine on the grill. I made these Huevos Rancheros featuring Smithfield's Boneless Pork Shoulder Seasoned Carnitas.  The tender, mildly spicy chunks of pork shoulder really hit the spot, they are surprisingly easy to make, and they keep me fueled up for the day!

The Seasoned Carnitas cook great in a slow cooker so you can just do that while you sleep and have them ready for you when you get up in the morning for a hassle free breakfast in 30 minutes. Of course, I give alternative direction for making this on the grill, for all of my brothers/sisters in smoke.  Either way, it's Real Flavor, Real Fast.

Huevos Rancheros with Carnitas

4 servings

Ingredients

Fire Roasted Stuffed Pork Tenderloin

Here's a recipe that we came up with when my sister was visiting in November for one of our BBQ competitions.  We bought our competition butts and spare ribs from Sam's because they had started carrying Smithfield Prime Reserve. I noticed that they also had the tenderloins so I grabbed a pack of those as well.  

It was the day after the competition and we wanted to have a little fun with the tenderloins for dinner - nothing too crazy, just something drastically different than BBQ.

Pork Tenderloins Expand Your Options

I often use pork tenderloins in the kitchen and out at the grills.  Why? For several reasons.

• Pork tenderloin has a mild, neutral taste which gives the chef a lot of freedom for choosing flavor profiles.
• Pork tenderloin can be prepared in many different configurations.  I can serve it as a whole roast, cut it into filet, cut it into medallions, cut it into strips for pinwheels, or flatten it out for a roulade like I did for this recipe.
• Pork tenderloin is one of the leaner cuts of pork for those counting fat calories.
• Pork tenderloin is quick cooking so I get it on the table faster.

Speaking of options, yes you can cook this under the broiler in your oven instead of on the grill.  Sure, you can swap out ingredients.  Don't have pizza sauce? Use marinara sauce.  Do whatever you want, it's all about exploring.  

Stuffed Pork Tenderloin

Published 01/13/2017

Ingredients

• whole pork tenderloin, trimmed and butterflied or spiral sliced
• 1 cup baby spinach leaves, rinsed
• 1 cup white cheddar cheese curds
• 1/4 cup sun dried tomatoes
• 7-8 pieces kitchen twine, 10" long
• 1 tablespoon high temp oil
• 1 cup roasted garlic pizza sauce

For the seasoning

• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon coarse black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
• 1/4 teaspoon dried lemon zest (optional)

Instructions

1. Set up your grill for direct heat and preheat it to 400°f (Medium High). 
2. Butterfly the tenderloin.  See notes.
3. Mix together the seasoning ingredients.  Use a little more than half to season the top half of the butterflied pork tenderloin.  Reserve the rest for seasoning the outside later.
4. Assemble the roast.  Layer the spinach on top of the tenderloin, leaving a 1 1/2" gap on one side.  On the opposite side, layer the sun dried tomatoes and cheese curds in a row against the edge (see pictures).  Use both hands and roll the cheese curd edge towards the exposed edge like a jelly roll.  Lay the strings about and inch a part and put the roast seam down on top of the strings. Tie the strings and cut off the excess.
5. Lightly coat the outside of the roast with oil and season with the remaining seasoning.
6. Place the roast on the grill and cook for 24-27 minutes, turning every few minutes.  Meanwhile, heat your pizza sauce.
7. Temp check the meat to make sure it is 145°f and allow to rest for at least three minutes. (That's FDA recommendations.  Honestly, I pull it at 140°f.)
8. Remove the strings and then slice about 3/4" thick.  Plate the slices on top of a smear of the pizza sauce. 

Yield: 4 servings
Prep Time: 00 hrs. 20 mins.

Cook time: 00 hrs. 27 mins.
Total time: 0 hrs. 47 mins.

I first found out about Smithfield Prime at the American Royal last year (which Smithfield took over as title sponsor this year, kind of a big deal!). Smithfield sponsored my trip there to be a part of the event and cover their Hog Wild Throwdown on social media. The hospitality tent was serving the Prime line and I was pretty impressed with the results.

What is so special about Prime? First, it's a label, NOT a grade.  But it is special.

• The Prime line is all natural and a part of the USDA's Process Verification Program.  
• It is 20% more tender than other brands in the non-enhanced (injected, etc) category.  
• But what I like is that this is a premium pork, a Duroc blend.  Smithfield has their own line of Duroc hogs and they are the sires for the hogs used for the Prime line of pork.  

I noticed that our local Sam's Club started carrying Smithfield Prime Reserve in mid-November.  I asked my contact who advised that it is the same pork as the Smithfield Prime.

On the far left is an untrimmed tenderloin.  The one on the right, I have removed the silverskin and any excessive fat.  I also trimmed tip off and around the other end to make the roast even.  I cut those scraps up for stir fri, sausage, or things like that. A sharp boning knife does wonders.  That is an Amazon Affiliate link but this is my favorite boning knife - I have 2 others that both cost 3 times as much.  The Victorinox flexible blade has just won me over.  It's also popular with meat cutters and prep chefs.

To start, I place my knife down next to the tenderloin.  The gap between board and blade, caused by the handle, is just the height at which I want to begin.  Again, sharpen and hone your knife before doing this.  It is so easy with a sharp knife.  With a dull one, it's a pain.

Cut a straight line almost all of the way across like this and then stop about  1/2" from the edge.

Flip the top half over and start cutting through that piece the same way, opening it up flat.

Place plastic wrap above and below the meat and finish flattening it out evenly with a meat mallet.

Here's how to stack the stuffing, leaving the edge exposed.  You will start rolling from the right, curling tightly over the curds, and keep rolling.

I use cheese curds for 2 reasons....wait, make that 3 reasons.

• I just love them.  
• They give a good shape for getting the roll started tightly and firmly.  
• They don't seem to melt out of the ends of the roast as sliced or shredded cheese likes to do. 

Because of that, if I couldn't get cheese curds, I'd take shredded cheese and squeeze it into pieces the size of curds.

All tied up and ready to go.

For this cook, I was using my kamado grills, specifically the Big Green Egg on the right.  It was the coldest day of the year, think we got down to 7°f that night.  Ceramic kamado grills can handle ridiculous weather.  Pork tenderloins are small enough that you can do them on small grills like a BGE Mini-Max.

I wanted to put a little wood in the grill for extra smoke flavor but all of my wood chunks are on the trailer in storage and my logs downstairs were snow covered and wet. Fortunately I had some Mojobricks (hickory) leftover from Memphis In May.  I cut them with a saw so they were basically Mojobricks Mini's at that point and put one in the kamado grill.  They may look like MDF but they are just wood pieces and lignin - a natural binder in wood.

Since the Mojobrick products are dense, in a kamado grill, placement is key.  Place it too far from the lit coals and it might not even get lit for a few hours (which can be useful in longer cooks).  This was a brief cook so I made sure the one that I put in was near an ignition point.  This is in a Kick Ash Basket in a large BGE.

Two stuffed tenderloins just after going onto the Big Green Egg.  Leave them for about 5 minutes and then start turning every 3-4 minutes until done. 

I put the sauce on in the last few minutes, just to warm up. Don't worry if a little of your cheese melts out at the end, most is staying in there.

Yeah, it was a little cold out (about 20°f) so these steamed up a good bit when they came off.  

As always, rest your cooked meats on a raised rack to help even cooling and minimize moisture loss.

Sliced and ready to serve! 

Close up of the slices, look how nicely cooked these are.  And even though it was a hot and fast cook, the tenderloins still got a slight "smoke ring" around the edges.

[FTC Standard Disclaimer]  I received no compensation for this post.  However here is clarification on any mentions.

• Smithfield - I attended two events hosted by Smithfield in 2016, travel included, but don't have any kind of endorsement deal, pay for content, or anything like that.
• Victorinox - I paid for my knives, but love the brand.  Just ask to look in my knife bag at a contest and you'll see my 4 main ones are Victorinox with the Fibrox handles.  
• Mojobricks - These were the last of the leftovers from Memphis In May last year.
• Kick Ash Basket - Got the first one as a sample and ended up buying 4 more for our other kamados.

How To Pull or Chop Pork

This isn't how to smoke pulled pork, I've already done that before.  

No, this is all about different methods and tools for breaking down that big hunk of smoked pork shoulder down to the delicious bits and pieces that end up your sandwich.

First, some general pointers.

• Smoked pork is best after it has rested for an hour or more.  Known as F.T.C. (foil-towel-cooler), just put your foil wrapped butt into a warm cooler, cover with a towel, and leave it closed until ready to pull.  We usually stick ours into one of our Cambos.  When we have a lot, more than 8 butts, we'll stick them in my Yeti 75 (holds 12) or an Igloo 150 quart.  The trick is to pick something the right size.  For whatever you use, to have as much meat in the cooler/cambro as possible with only a little empty space so it will stay warmer, longer.  
• For transporting pork to a different site for serving.  My first preference is to haul it there whole and pull it on site.  Smoked pork holds better whole and the spectacle of breaking it up in front of your guests adds impact.
• Pulling pork after the butt is cold.  Don't.  If for some reason you can't pull it while still warm, you will need to slowly reheat it.  With it still wrapped in foil, put it in a 200°f cooker or oven for an hour or so to get the chill off first.  
• Work quickly.  The meat will start drying out as soon as you break the butt open until you have it pulled, stored, and covered.  
• Taste and season the pork while pulling.  Sample pieces from all over - the horn, money muscle, and roast muscles - to get a good idea of where the flavor is at before you start adding. We usually use a fine ground, sweet and spicy rub for this.  We'll also drizzle a small amount of Carolina vinegar sauce when chopping pork; not enough to douse it, just enough to add a little flavor.  
• Save the juices from the foil wrapping and add some of it back into the final product for extra flavor and moisture.
• Pulled versus chopped.  This is just a personal preference.  Pulled pork is just that - the meat pulled apart, leaving bigger pieces and strands.  Chopped is further processed into small pieces for a different texture.  You will get a higher percentage yield from chopped pork than pulled pork because you have less waste or scrap.  

Two Forks

This is the original way we first started pulling pork and we still do this depending on what is available.  Break the pork into large chunks and then using two large serving forks, pull the chunks into "threads".  Stick the forks into the middle of a chunk, pressing down on a cutting board, and pull the forks outwards.  

This is the most meticulous of all of the processes.  Look for any gelatinous pieces of fat and discard them.  If you find any pieces of bark (dark outer crust) that overcooked and got hard, discard them as well.  But that is where all of your flavor is so try not to over cook :)

By Hand

The pork should still be very hot so you'll want some heat resistant food gloves.  Silicone gloves are good for this and come in two styles - straight silicone and silicone with a fabric lining.  I use the straight silicone gloves because they are easier to keep dry but that's just a personal preference.

I picked up this technique from World Champion Pitmaster, Chris Lilly.  He just pops out the bone and then smashes the pork butts down like in this video from the NY Big Apple BBQ Block Party.  It works when you're in a hurry and only requires a set of heat resistant food gloves.  Obviously if you are rushing then you are not going to get the quality control of picking through it.  Usually I'll do this part, push it to the side for a teammate or two to pick through it, and I start on the next one.

There are a TON of these orange style gloves available and the prices vary pretty widely ($9 to $25) so comparison shop.  I haven't come across any that are poor quality yet.  I use them a lot for handling ribs, butts, and briskets as well as pulling the pork.

Bear Paws

Bear Paws are one of the original pork pulling tools.  They are cheap, easy to keep santized, and a slew of people swear by them. You use them just like you would forks, but hold your hands like this.

They are effective and get the job done.  They've just never been my favorite because they feel a little awkward to me.  These are very popular and there's nothing wrong with them, that is just a personal preference.

Meat Rakes

Meat Rakes are similar in concept to the Bear Paws but execute that product in a slightly different way.  They have metal tines for tearing the meat apart instead of plastic tips that can dull.  They are also dishwasher safe.  They cost twice as much as Bear Paws but I prefer them over Bear Paws because

1. The tines are closer together than Bear Paws so they shred the meat smaller than the Bear Paws with each pass, making them work just a little quicker, and 
2. My wrists feel like they are in a more neutral position when I use these vs the position I use with Bear Paws.

Again, this is just my choice.  Pick which is better for you.

Cleaver

At some BBQ joints you can find a worker with a pair of cleavers chopping away at pork in a blur with alternating strokes like he/she is beating a drum.  It amazes me that they have all of their fingers but these folks have been doing this every day for years.

The way I use it is in conjunction with some of the other tools I have mentioned.  I pull the pork first.  If I am wanting chopped pork, I rapidly chop back and forth across the pulled pork in two directions.  

Prices vary, I've seen them as cheap as $15 and almost no limit on the upper end, but you can get a decent one for $50.  Look for one with a thick blade that extends all the way through the handle (full tang).

Drill Attachment

I always thought this was overkill until we started cooking at the Kentucky State BBQ Festival where I cooked with our Memphis In May team.  We go through hundreds of pork butts each day so speed is of the essence.  One of our teammates makes a version of these.  This one is a RO-man pork puller that we bought online.

Best practice is to use this with a brand new drill that is only used for this to avoid cross contamination from a dirty drill that splits time in the work shop.

It works by pulling the bone out of each of 2 to 3 pork butts and putting them in a large stock pot. Then just insert the pork puller, add any additional seasoning, and whirl away.  It breaks down the butts into pulled pork very quickly.  Want chopped pork instead?  Just use it for another minute longer.

We typically only use this for large scale service, like the Kentucky festival, Christmas parade, or charity events.

So there are some options for pulling or chopping pork.  As I mentioned several times, it's all about preference and what works for you.  You don't need anything more than a couple of forks.

[FTC Standard Disclaimer]  I received no compensation for this post and paid full price for all of the tools that I mentioned.