Corn Bread & Classic Pulled Pork

Fancy Cornbread:

This is not for the purist. If you are a cornbread traditionalist, stop reading now. For those who like to take the uneaten path, though, this is a spectacular recipe, with the crunch of fresh corn and warm, rustic Southwestern flavors. Andy’s been making it for thirty years.

Active time: 20 minutes
Total time: 1 hour
Serves:12-16

Ingredients

• 3.5 cups (438 g) all-purpose flour
• 2 cups (275 g) coarse yellow cornmeal
• 2 tablespoons (28 g) baking powder
• 1.5 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1.5 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• .5 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 3 scallions (green part only), chopped (about . cup [25 g])
• .5 cup (112 g) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup (200 g) sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 cups (475 ml) whole buttermilk
• 2 cups (308 g) fresh corn kernels (from 3 to 4 large ears)
• Spiced Honey Butter for serving

Special Tools

Stand Mixer

Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C, or gas mark 6).
• Grease a 13 x 9-inch (33 x 23cm) baking pan.
• Whisk together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, cumin, salt, cinnamon, and cayenne pepper in a large bowl.
• Mix in the scallions and set aside.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
• Add the eggs, one at a time, blending well after each. With the mixer on low speed, add the buttermilk slowly to avoid splashing.
• Add the dry ingredients in 3 batches, mixing on low speed after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula each time.
• Add the corn on low speed, mixing just to incorporate.
• Spread the batter in the prepared pan and bake until it begins to brown and a skewer inserted near the center comes out clean, 30 to 40 minutes.
• Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes and then turn out onto a wire rack. Cut into squares and serve hot with Spiced Honey Butter.

Store in a tightly sealed container for up to 3 days.

Book Title: Backyard BBQ
by Andy Husbands and Will Salazar
© 2020 Quarto Publishing Group USA Inc.
Text © 2020 Andy Husbands
Photography © 2020 Ken Goodman

Classic Pulled Pork:

Prep Time: 4 hours, with 1 hour active time
Cook Time: About 10-12 hours mostly unattended
Serves: 8-10

Ingredients

• 1 bone-in Boston butt pork shoulder (8 to 10 pounds, or 3.6 to 4.6 kg)
• 1⁄3 cup (33 g) Everyday Sweet and Spicy Pork Rub, plus extra rub for serving
• 1 cup (250 g) Gold Sauce or your favorite barbecue sauce, warmed

Special Tools

• Kamado–style smoker
• Lump charcoal
• Charcoal chimney
• Plate setter2 chunks of wood about the size of a baseball
  (Apple, Cherry, and Oak are solid choices.)
• Probe thermometer and 1/2 of an onion

Notes

We’ve both owned dozens of smokers over the years. Most of them come and go,  but a kamado–style ceramic smoker (such as the Big Green Egg) is a keeper for both its versatility and its excellent insulation. It keeps us smoking all winter in New England. Once you’ve got the right equipment, you need to get the timing down. A common mistake we see with new barbecue cooks is underestimating how long things will take. If you are cooking only for yourself; you don’t have to worry so much. But if eight hungry friends are waiting on your pork shoulder; it can be a problem. Plan instead to have the meat done two hours before you want to eat and keep it warm in a cooler until mealtime. We’ve used this recipe as an opportunity to delve into the specifics of operating a kamado– style ceramic smoker. However, this recipe can be adapted to any type of smoker by utilizing the same basic principles.

Method

• To prepare the smoker: Fill the smoker full of unlit charcoal and the two chunks of wood. This will seem like more charcoal than you need, but the smoker operates best with a full load of charcoal.
• Fill the charcoal chimney full and light two sheets of crumpled newspaper in the base. Once the charcoal is lit (the flames should just start to peak through the top of the charcoal), pour the lit charcoal into the smoker.
• Insert the plate setter, legs up, and then place the cooking grate on top.
• Cut an onion in half and push the probe thermometer through one half. Place the onion half cut side down on the grate.
• Open the lower vent about 3 inches (7.5 cm). Adjust the daisy wheel exhaust on top of the smoker so that the sliding section is closed, and the rotating section is completely open. If you are cooking overnight (about 12 hours), the target temperature is 225 degrees F (110 degrees C). If you are cooking during the day (about 8 hours), the target temperature is 275 degrees F (135 degrees C). Close the lower vent and the daisy wheel exhaust gradually to maintain the target temperature. Typically, you can maintain 225 degrees F (110 degrees C) with the lower vent open inch (1.3 cm) and the daisy wheel exhaust open 25 percent. For 275 degrees F (135 degrees C), the lower vent is open 1 inch (2.5 cm) and the daisy wheel exhaust is open 50 percent. However, this will vary depending on factors like lump charcoal density and the weather. The goal is to maintain a steady temperature for at least one hour before adding the pork. Running about 25 degrees F (5 degrees C) above your target is fine; when the cold pork goes on the smoker, the temperature will naturally decrease. While the smoker is heating, prepare the pork shoulder.
• Remove the pork shoulder from the fridge and place in the sink.
• Cut away the packaging and rinse the shoulder with cold water. Move the shoulder to a large piece of aluminum foil.
• Dry with a paper towel and sprinkle liberally with Everyday Sweet and Spicy Pork Rub. Pat the rub into the shoulder with your hands.
• Let the shoulder sit at room temperature until the smoker is ready.
• Build an oval-shaped drip pan with three large pieces of aluminum foil. Crinkle up the edges until the aluminum foil “pan” will just fit into the dimensions of the plate setter.
• Once the smoker has been running rock solid for at least an hour, it’s time to cook.
• Remove the cooking grate and with tongs or gloved hands push the plate setter up a bit and drop in the two chunks of wood. Place the aluminum foil drip pan on the plate setter. Return the cooking grate to the smoker. Place the pork shoulder on the grate fat side up. Position the probe thermometer onion setup so it is above the drip pan but not touching the pork. Close the lid. Reopen the lid and double check that the positioning of the probe is correct. Okay, now it’s time to kick back and relax.
• The basic instructions for overnight or daytime cooking schedules are below. Once the internal temperature reaches 200°F (95°C), the pork shoulder is done. To hold the pork until serving, wrap it tightly in aluminum foil. Pour some hot tap water into a small cooler. Close the cooler for 10 minutes. Remove the water, place the pork shoulder into the cooler, and close the lid. A 2-to-4-hour hold is ideal, but you can push it to as long as 6 hours as long as the internal temperature of the meat doesn’t fall below 140°F (60°C).
• To serve, place the pork shoulder in a serving pan. Remove the bone. Using tongs and a fork, shred the pork into large chunks. For a finer product, move the pork in batches to a cutting board and chop with a knife. Mix the pork with the sauce. Season with some extra Everyday Sweet and Spicy Pork Rub and serve. The classic pairing is potato buns and slaw.

Storage

Wrap room temperature leftover pork tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 1 month.

Book Title: Pitmaster Recipes, Techniques & Barbecue Wisdom
By: Andy Husbands and Chris Hart
© 2017 Quarto Publishing Group USA Inc.
Photography © 2017 Ken Goodman