by Melanie Winters
In the spirit of full disclosure, melaniewinters.com is a compensated affiliate meaning we may make a small commission when you click on/purchase something through the links in this post.
I'm going to let you in on an embarrassing secret today. My husband bribes me to workout by streaming Gordon Ramsay and Food Wishes youtube videos afterwards. Yes, I know I could just stream them myself anytime I please, but I don't, so somehow this sort of works. I think it's more of the fact that it's just become one of our things, and the fact that he just wants me to stay healthy that keeps me going with it, but either way, it's how we came across this gem.
Video from Gordon Ramsay's YouTube Page:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=An9FA6a8dyc
Another semi embarrassing fact. I bought a 12 pound pork butt for two people. We pretty much have buckets of smoky pork leftovers now just aching to be used up - but it was worth it. Next time, I promise we will make it for a crowd and share the love.
Anyways, let's get to it and start from the beginning. This rub...
I think I'm going to start using this rub for everything. It is so stinking good. The smell is heavenly and when slow-cooked, creates the absolute best crust. Such a basic combination but incredibly powerful and truly delicious. It's going on pork tenderloins, pork chops, whole chickens, I don't know, everything.
For today's purposes though, the rub went on this fabulous cut of meat - the pork butt. Ramsay suggest coating the meat letting it marinate in it for several hours, or even days in advance. I can't even imagine how good it would be if I had that kind of time (or space in my fridge), but maybe someday I'll find out. I had it ready to go by 9:45am and put it in the oven by 1pm, so at least got a few good hours in.
Let me just clarify up front that those chunks missing from the beautifully darkened crust is not because of any fault in the recipe. It's because I lack self control. I kept picking at it until my husband got jealous and told me to carve it already so we could both enjoy it.
In Ramsay's video, he says to cook it for about 4 hours at 140 degrees (CELSIUS PEOPLE!). Don't forget to convert to Fahrenheit if you're here in the states. I did that (thanks Google) and found it to be 284 degrees Fahrenheit. I cooked this 12+ pounder for about 4.5 hours at 280 degrees. It didn't shred up as nicely as I had hoped but carved up nicely, was moist and delicious. Next time I'll probably try cooking it at an even lower temperature for longer. Eventually we'll be doing it in the smoker and will let you know how that goes!
Tip: Make sure you have a big enough pan! You don't add any liquid to it, but as the pork cooks and the fat renders off, it fills up quickly. My pan was nearly overflowing so I may have to invest in a bigger one (or a disposable foil one) if I decide to go any bigger with the pork next time. Need to invest in a great roaster pan? You can find our favorite from All-Clad on Amazon here(affil.).
As far as the entire spread goes, Ramsay's suggests a broccoli slaw and a delicious looking mashed potatoes recipe. I followed the serving suggestion with the Chipotle Mayonnaise which is amazing and again, will be put on everything from here on out. Following recipes for me is tough though so two (the pork and mayo) was enough for one meal... I had to branch out and just cook the sides on my own.
We did a basic roasted asparagus - drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper, bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. This is really all you ever need to do with asparagus, it's definitely a less is more veggie. Plus dip it in that mayo and you're golden.
Our other side was a pickle relish infused mashed potato. Again, pretty basic mashed potatoes with a little bit of butter, milk and cream cheese smashed in plus the secret ingredient - pickle relish. It was perfect with Gordon Ramsay's masterpiece.
So to recap.... we tried Gordon Ramsay's Smoky Pulled Pork with Chipotle Mayonnaise recipe which can be found here. It was delicious. I may never try to do pork a different way again. Seriously. It takes some forethought though, so plan ahead and give it plenty of time to marinate and rest. Low and slow is the key and if you have a smoker that can only add value!
What kind of sides would you serve along-side this crowd-pleaser? Comment below and let us know your favorite sides or your favorite way to do pulled pork!
10 Comments
