Lingering crud vs pulled pork

TaperPin

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Has anyone else had the feeling there is a lot of upper respiratory crud this year? Ever since the holidays at the end of last year it seems someone has something each week that lingers for over a week, and the warm weather doesn’t seem to be slowing things down. A good time to be outside away from people. :)

5 of us went to a bbq last week and we all came down with that new easy to catch Covid variant. Luckily symptoms aren’t bad and start to clear after a few days. Surprised us all - it just seems like a cold. If all of us caught it, makes me wonder how many of the other 75 people caught it as well.

On the positive side, the pulled pork we brought turned out the best ever - this is the first year trying a rub without salt, so it gets salted as a separate step and the rub goes on thick - you know all those juices left over after finishing ribs in aluminum foil with butter, brown sugar, apple juice and a splash of bbq sauce - turns out it is perfect to mix in with pulled pork for a little extra flavor and moisture. :)

I need to start trying other pulled pork suggestions - who has a must try recipe?!
 

Bluumoon

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I had two illnesses hit me hard last month two weeks apart. 1st was flu like -muscle aches, debilitating headaches, fever and chills. Tamiflu up front and 3 liters of fluid a couple days in pulled me out of it. 2 weeks later hit w a respiratory funk the settled in my chest and lingered for a couple weeks.

Hopefully I’m immune to whatever else is kicking around this summer
 

fishslap

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I’ve had the same this year, lingering upper respiratory issues and hacking up snot. It seems like it’s from allergies and small colds. Step daughter just got covid again for the 4th time. I got it for the first time in December. I think I got norovirus in March. Zero sickness from the start of covid until December.
 

GSPHUNTER

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I'm the only person I know who did not get covid, or if I had it I never knew it. But, let's talk pulled pork. Slow cooker Mexican pulled pork. 1 3.5 pound boneless pork shoulder roast, 2 TBSP veg oil, 4 TBSP chili powder,1 TBSP kosher salt, 1 TBSP brown sugar, 2 tsp ground cumin, 1 tsp cayenne, 1 tsp ground oregano, Mex style preferred, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp onion powder, 1/4 tsp cinnamon, scant pinch of ground gloves. Mix all ingredients, pat dry roast, rub the spices all over roast, save any left over spices, let sit 1 hour or, better yet overnight in friig. brown roast on all side in veg oil, put roast in slow cooker and add any leftover spices. cook on low for 6-10 hours until pork is fall apart tender. remove from pot and cut into large chunks then pull apart using two forks. Put pulled pork back in cooker toss to coat with juices. serve with sides of your choice, I like homemade Cole slaw and tortillas or rolls, I pour a little home made bbq sauce over mine. Use sauce of your choice or none at all. Thank me later. :)
 

SonnyDay

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Pretty sure I got COVID a month or so ago… fourth time. Was pretty quick to get over but still have just a touch of cough when I exercise. Hoping it just means I won’t get it this summer/fall while I’m training and then hunting!

I rub my pork butt or shoulder with tons of salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, and oil. Then I smoke it on the Weber kettle over hickory for six hours or so. Then I finish it in the slow cooker until I can pull it apart easily with a fork. Maybe another four hours? Next I season with salt and liquid smoke to taste (adding a small amount of water if need be to help distribute the flavors). I let it go another half hour after I’ve dialed in the salt and smoke. From there it’s pulled pork sandwiches, street tacos, etc.
 

TheTone

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Got a picture of this saltless pulled pork with the rub on it? I’m genuinely curious as I’ve always just done store bought rubs but have always wanted to just do my own.

I’ve got one I need to smoke in the next week or so
 

Yoder

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Fun fact, if you drip ginger ale or any other soft drink into a covid test it comes out positive. Just in case you need some time off.
 

Agross

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I had two illnesses hit me hard last month two weeks apart. 1st was flu like -muscle aches, debilitating headaches, fever and chills. Tamiflu up front and 3 liters of fluid a couple days in pulled me out of it. 2 weeks later hit w a respiratory funk the settled in my chest and lingered for a couple weeks.

Hopefully I’m immune to whatever else is kicking around this summer
Exact same for me. Went through everybody at my work as well
 
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Got a picture of this saltless pulled pork with the rub on it? I’m genuinely curious as I’ve always just done store bought rubs but have always wanted to just do my own.

I’ve got one I need to smoke in the next week or so

Give this one a try.
 
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I shake a liberal dose of kosher salt, chili powder, and black pepper onto the meat then baste it with a yellow mustard-apple cider vinegar mixture (roughly 2 parts mustard to 1 part ACV). Smoke with whatever wood I have on hand (usually post oak) at 250-275°F until meat probe reads 200°F. Wrap and rest for 1 hour inside a well insulated cooler. Use a Kitchenaid mixer with paddle to shred the meat then serve it with homemade barbecue sauce.
 
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Give this one a try.
This one is definitely a winner. If you can, dry brine it overnight in the fridge, then next day coat it with the rub and leave it overnight in the fridge lightly covered, and then smoke it. I will usually truss it up with butchers twine so it doesn't flop open on the smoker.

In my kamado it's usually around 6 hours of smoke at 275, then I'll wrap in paper and finish the meat (203) and leave to rest in a warm oven until I'm ready to pull. Pull with an electric hand mixer.

On occasion when the timing isn't great I've bagged up the shoulder after finishing and left it in the sous vide overnight. Though I tend to use that trick more with brisket because it takes longer to cook.
 
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silver linings.
Probably best to use the search function for "pork recipes."

Lots of ways to get it right, even more to screw it up.
 
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When I saw the thread title, I thought to myself. “ I’d much rather have pulled pork than creeping crud.”
 
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I think as long as you don’t get in a hurry, it’s pretty tough to screw up a pork butt. I’ll do 225 with hickory, spritzing every hour with 50/50 apple juice with apple cider vinegar.

The last two I did I ended up smoking for 13 hours. They could have gone 14. I rest them for 3-4 hours in a cooler, wrapped in foil and then towels.
 

N2TRKYS

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I have noticed any rise in head colds this year. Boston butts are best cooked with nothing on them.
 

Northpark

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I have gotten upper respiratory infections like 5 times since January. I don’t know what’s going on but I’m tired of it.

As to the pulled pork. I prefer mesquite smoke. 2 hours/lb at 230°. Simple rub for me. No binder just salt, pepper, garlic, paprika, and chipotle chile powder. I don’t wrap either I like a nice bark.
 
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