Chopped Pork


 
C

Chris Mason

TVWBB Fan
I've been making my own pulled pork all summer and I think it's getting pretty darn good (and so do my friends/family based on how often they ask me when I am making the next batch). But today, I had chopped pork at a BBQ joint I hadn't been to in a while and I really liked it. The texture was just bit more...I don't know...chewy makes it sound bad. Let's say it was firmer. Don't get me wrong, it's not that I necessarily liked it better than pulled pork, it was just a nice change of pace.

I'm thinking the next time I do a multi-butt cook, I might try to make chopped pork out of one of them. Which leads me to the question of "how do I make chopped pork?" (I mean besides the chopping part, of course)

From what I've read, I'll be looking to pull it off at a lower temp. Maybe ~180? But beyond that what should I be looking for? With pulled pork, I start checking doneness around ~195 but what is "done" when I am going to chop the pork? Is there anything that needs to be done before/during/after the chopping?

Any thoughts on this matter are appreciated.
 
I'd say go a little less tender than falling apart in your hands ... maybe 185ºF, check it, maybe let it go to 190ºF ... still a little firm, bone feels a little firm if you try to wiggle it ... if it just jumps out at you you missed it
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kinda hard to describe ... I guess I'd want it to feel mostly tender but just a bit firm ... brief rest then chop away HTH

the reason I say mostly tender is that you want all that connective tissue to mostly break down or it won't be enjoyable eating

separate the muscles, scrape any crud off then chop away ... about 1" cubes
 
A lot of commercial places use an electric chopper or a grinder to do their pork - it comes out kind of like meat passed through a grinder with a large disk attached. I like a combo - shredded mixed with chopped. I cook butt till completely tender. I shred it and chop some shreds as I go, ending up with a mix that's probably 70% finely chopped, 30% shreds.
 
Thanks for the responses guys. I really think the chopped pork I had the other day had a different tenderness to it (more firm) so I am going to shoot for that. I'm doing a 3-butt cook next weekend and I'm going to start checking one of them at 180 and see if I can find the "feel" I am looking for. If I can, I'm going to take it off the grill and chop it up.

Thanks, again.
 
I've gottn kind of lazy when it comes to making pulled pork. I pretty much use a fork and a knife to cut/pull/shred it up. Vince B
 
I have never made chopped so my experience on this comes from watching all kind of shows on BBq. The main questions is what did they chop? Some BBQ joints only do whole pigs and chop it all together. That mix would leave a much different texture than just butt alone. For example alot of people can tell the difference between picnic and butt yet they are only about a foot away on the body and seem to be able to be cooked the same to get the same product (pulled pork). As i mentioned what earlier, "Chopped" could lead to many things. Ask them what they used. It can't hurt.
 
Kevin, that's a good suggestion. However, I did ask them and the guy looked at me like I was asking for the President's nuclear codes. I once asked his wife if they pre-salted the cabbage in their cole slaw and she wasn't much more forthcoming.
 
What's the name of the place? Maybe there is something online about it or someone else might have some more insight.
 
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