Friday, March 25, 2011
Pulled pork
I've watched the first several episodes of NBC's new show "The Next Great Restaurant" featuring Bobby Flay and Chipotle founder Steve Ells, and I've been amazed at the contestants chosen to participate, in particular their lack of food knowledge. I found myself thinking, "how can you expect to meet a customer's expectations when you don't know what it is that you're preparing?" I especially get a smug grin when the couple presenting their restaurant idea of quick and fresh Bar-B-Que, that can be ordered "tapas style" (small amounts of several dishes). The spokesperson of the pair seems to be Krystal Seymour - as her partner tends to stay quiet and nod uneasily in approval. Their restaurant named "Hick's" would embrace the American redneck, while serving classic comfort food. And this is where it gets interesting, and entertaining I might add. Ms. Seymour seems to have a deep-rooted affinity for pulled pork, the quintessential BBQ food that is typically bathed in sauce and stacked high on a hamburger bun.
The glaringly obvious problem is that neither of these people know how pulled pork is made, or what "real BBQ" is in fact. At the onset of the show, the judges made it painfully clear that they were looking for a new restaurant that would be similar to the fast-paced line of the famous Chipotle restaurants. The food has to be fresh, able to be quickly prepared and served, all while being delicious, satisfying, and most important of all - be able to generate return customers. Bar-B-Que doesn't fit that bill. True BBQ requires a lot of time to prepare, with a pork shoulder requiring anywhere from 6-12 hours in the box to get that smoky taste and fall-off-the-bone tenderness.
On the last episode, the pair changed the name of their concept restaurant, in an attempt to emphasize their menu offerings, and when challenged about the food by celebrity chef Bobby Flay, Seymour says they will offer a variety of delicious meats that are quickly and freshly "grilled". Again puzzled, the judges try to ascertain if the pair understands that BBQ and grilling are two entirely different cooking styles. And during the exchange, Ms. Seymour again brings up that she wants "pulled pork" on the menu. You can see that Flay is chuckling inside and trying to refrain from laughing on camera. The next question posed asks if they intend to use gas grills or charcoal-fired versions. They both look at each other trying to read each other's eyes for the proper response. He replies "gas." And she blurts out "charcoal." You would think that before you arrived at this stage, you would have at least researched your menu and what it takes to create the dishes!
The problem is a lot of people go in to a restaurant, enjoy their experience, and think that they could do it themselves. Or they pull off a great recipe on a random weekend, their friends tell them it's the best they've ever had, and that they should open a restaurant. The problem being that it takes so much more to open and achieve success in the food industry than many people realize. Hence the consistent turnover in the restaurant business. So maybe this is a solid premise for a TV show. The judges have also indicated (ad nauseum) that they will be "investing" in the winning restaurant concept that will see three restaurants opened across the US, with Los Angeles, New York, and Minneapolis being on the receiving end. To what extent remains to be seen, and I'm sure there's some super-duper fine print to the contracts the contestants would have to sign, giving at least partial-ownership to those with the deep pockets.
The show has been entertaining so far, and hopefully some of these ideas will blossom and we will be able to really see the concept take off! Until then, let's hope that Ms. Seymour has erased pulled pork from her menu (or at least her vocabulary) for the time being. And if the pulled pork is worth going to a restaurant for, I don't want a tapas-sized serving! Could that be another concept flaw? We shall see. In the meantime, you can make your own pulled pork with this easy recipe - and maybe you'll be on your way to opening your own BBQ joint, in your backyard.
BBQ Pulled Pork
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5-6lb pork shoulder or butt roast
4Tbs yellow mustard
Spice Rub
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1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup paprika
3Tbs salt
2Tbs pepper
1Tbs cayenne
1Tbs garlic powder
Trim pork roast of any loose fat and skin. You want to leave the meat with a good amount of the fat left on, as this will keep the meat moist while it is smoked/cooked. Spread yellow mustard all over the roast. This will help the rub adhere to the meat. Mix all ingredients together for the rub, then apply liberally and massage in to the meat. Place in a zip-lock bag or wrap in plastic and leave it in the fridge overnight.
Fire up your BBQ (gas-powered grills are NOT BBQ's and cannot be used here). Soak some hickory or mesquite chips in a bucket of water for about an hour (you can find these at Walmart in the sporting goods section). When your coals have stopped flaming and are glowing nicely, spread a handful of the wood chunks on the charcoal and adjust the airflow so that you have a fire about 200-225 degrees. Do not let the Que get hotter or it will dry out the meat. BBQ the pork 1-1.5 hours per pound. Aim for an internal meat temp of 165, but I let it go low and slow until the meat begins to fall apart. That's how you know it is done. Remove from the BBQ and place a sheet of foil over the meat, allow to rest for 30 minutes. Now you can easily shred the meat with a pair of forks, or just use your hands to break the meat down. At this point you can add your sauce if you like it wet, or just enjoy the savory smokiness that made this meat so popular! I like mine with plenty of pickles and fresh coleslaw on top. And use a quality bun if making sandwiches as those cheap-o enriched buns will fall apart once the sauce invades!
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well put! Its hard to believe these two even made it to the final cut! I would be curious to have seen the ones who didn't...
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