How to cook pickled pork?
WHAT IS PICKLED PORK?
It is simply pork shoulder preserved in a brine containing salt, sugar, seasoning and vinegar. Pickling pork was a process that began before refrigeration. Because New Orleans is humid and hot, pickling pork was a way to protect it from the elements and prolong its life.
Pickled meat is a great way to get a unique vinegar taste.
Pickled pork adds a depth of flavour and seasoning to the pot. I’m still wondering why I didn’t try it sooner. Pickled pork can be used with red beans, white beans or even smothered cabbage.
WHERE TO GET PICKLED PORK?
Pickled pork is a staple in Cajun and Creole cuisines so that you can find pre-packaged pickled meat at almost every supermarket in southern Louisiana. Savoie’s and Richard’s are two of the most popular brands. CajunGrocer.com allows you to order pickled pork online even if you are not located in southern Louisiana.
HOW DO YOU MAKE PICKLED PORK AT HOME?
Pickled pork with a seasoned flavour is necessary to get authentic red beans and rice. It can be costly to order it online, not for the product but shipping. If you are like me, and can’t drive a thousand miles to New Orleans or southern Louisiana ( although I would), then there is an alternative: make it at your home.
Before we start, I want to highlight two benefits of this recipe.
1: Making homemade pickled pork is much easier than you might think. We’ll cover that in the next section.
2: You’ll get about 4 pounds of pickled pork and about $15-$20 worth of ingredients. This price is comparable to buying a 1-pound package online, plus shipping and waiting time.
HOW TO MAKE PICKLED PORK?
The entire process is very simple, as I mentioned. The process involves cutting the pork into 1- or 2-inch pieces, then coating them with a rub and letting them rest. Next, make a quick brine. Let it cool down. Next, combine the pork with the brine. Let it rest for at least a week. The brine should be drained and the pickled pork separated into 1-pound bags.
HOW TO MAKE PICKLED PORK AT HOME?
Start with your pork shoulder. A Boneless Pork Shoulder Butt Roast is what I use, typically around 4 pounds. Four one-pound bags will be enough to make four meals.
Trim the pork shoulder to remove excess fat. Then, cut the pork into 1-inch to 2-inch pieces. This is a time-consuming process that will take you seven days to finish.
Combine the following: brown sugar, kosher salt, and cayenne pepper.
Have two large zip lock bags ready . (Be sure to seal the bags tightly as we will be adding the brine). Take small pieces of pork and dip them in the rub. Then shake off excess. Continue this process until all the pork pieces are coated.
Set aside for two hours to allow the pork to come to room temperature. The salt rub will then kick in.
Combine the water, apple cider vinegar, water and sliced onions, garlic and mustard seed in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil. After 5 minutes, turn off the heat and allow the pan to cool.
After the pork has rested for 2 hours, and the brine has cooled to the touch; pour the liquid into two zip lock bags. After all liquid has been poured into the zip lock bags, squeeze as much air out of the bags as possible and seal them tightly. Place the bags in a large bowl, and then refrigerate to prevent any spillages or mishaps. You can let the pork sit in this bowl for seven days. However, you will need to turn the bags once per day.
After the seven days have expired, you can get your pickled pork and a large empty bowl. You don’t need the brine.
A food scale with a small bowl at the top allows me to place a zip lock baggie inside. No matter how you do this, you can always look at it and divide the large batch into two. You will have two 1-pound bags of pickled pork. Continue this process with the second bag.
Amazing. Simple. It’s not difficult to do.