Cochon De Lait Cajun Pulled Smoked Pork Recipes

Steps:

• Cochon de lait is the art of cooking a pig before an open hardwood fire. Although the term cochon de lait is French, the origin of this Louisiana social event is obscure. It is know that the custom began at least a century ago and has since been popular throughout Cajun country. It is possible that the Germans who settled in St. James Parish in 1690 were the first to introduce the cochon de lait. These settlers brought pigs to the area and were skilled butchers. Local legend, however, tells that veterans of Napoleon's army brought the traditional preparation of cochon de lait to Louisiana in the early 1800s. Many of these soldiers settled in a town in Avoylles Parish they named Manusra in honor of the site of their last major campaign. Since then, Mansura, LA has been designated by the Louisiana legislature as "La Capital du Cochon de Lait."
• Normally, families cooked pigs in cochon de lait style as the centerpiece for holiday gatherings. The pig, usually weighing less than 30 pounds, was sometimes cooked hanging from the fireplace in the kitchen. The most common method was to cook the pig outdoors over a pecan wood and sugarcane fire. The basic process of the cochon de lait has remained the same over the years. Today, much larger pigs are cooked to feed groups of people. Pigs up to 200 pounds are regarded as excellent for open-fire cooking.
• When preparing a cochon de lait, season the pig well inside and out with salt, cracked black pepper, and granulated garlic. Inject the front and rear hams and tenderloin with an infused liquid made with 2 cups melted butter, 1 cup white wine, 3/4 cup Louisiana hot sauce and 1/2 cup granulated garlic. Using a meat saw, cut through the backbone at the neck and tail and lay the pig open flat. Wrap the pig in wire mesh that has been washed and cleaned thoroughly and then secure it with wire to hold it in proper form during the long cooking process. The pig should then be slowly rotated in front of a hardwood fire built 3 to 4 feet away from the pig. The fire, constantly maintained, cooks a 50-pound pig in 6 hours. Estimate 1 hour of cooking time for every 10 pounds, but keep in mind that not all pigs will cook at the same rate. After each hour of cooking, flip the pig head side down to ensure even cooking.

Steps:

• Whisk 1 1/2 cups water, the vinegar, ketchup, 1/4 cup mustard, the molasses and 1 tablespoon brown sugar in a 7-to-8-quart slow cooker. Combine the remaining 1 tablespoon brown sugar, the paprika, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a small bowl. Rub all over the pork, then add to the slow cooker along with the sausage. Cover and cook on low, 8 hours. Remove the pork and sausage and set aside to cool slightly. Skim off the excess fat from the cooking liquid, then strain into a large skillet and bring to a boil. Cook until reduced by one-third, about 15 minutes. Shred the pork with a fork and coarsely chop the sausage. Toss the pork and sausage with enough of the reduced cooking liquid to moisten; season with salt. Whisk the mayonnaise and the remaining 2 tablespoons mustard in a small bowl; spread on the buns. Fill with the pulled pork and pickle slices. Serve with potato chips.

Steps:

• Make the pork: Mix the brown sugar, salt, pepper, coriander, allspice, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, mustard powder, dill, celery seeds and red pepper flakes. Rub the pork all over with the mustard, then the spice rub. (You may not need all of the rub.)
• Soak the wood chips in water at least 30 minutes; drain. Heat a charcoal grill and prepare for indirect grilling: Bank the coals to one side, leaving the other side empty. Set up a drip pan on the empty side. Let the fire burn down to a low heat (225 degrees F to 250 degrees F).
• Scatter some of the wood chips over the hot coals. Put the pork on the cooler side of the grill, over the drip pan, fat side facing the heat. Cover and cook until a thermometer inserted into the center of the pork registers 160 degrees F, 5 to 6 hours, adding a handful of wood chips every 1 to 1 1/2 hours and more charcoal as needed.
• Meanwhile, make the barbecue sauce: Combine the vinegar, brown sugar, ketchup, hot sauce, red pepper flakes and 2 teaspoons each salt and pepper in a nonreactive pot. Cook over medium-high heat until the sugar is dissolved, about 5 minutes. Refrigerate until ready to use.
• Remove the pork from the grill, wrap in foil and return to the cooler side of the grill. Cover the grill and cook until a thermometer inserted into the center of the pork registers 195 degrees F to 200 degrees F, 3 to 5 more hours, adding more charcoal as needed.
• Remove the pork from the grill and let rest 30 minutes. Carefully unwrap and pour off any juices. Pull the meat into chunks, discarding the excess fat and bone. Toss with half of the barbecue sauce; season with salt and pepper. Serve with curry pickles, bread and the remaining barbecue sauce.
• Toss 3 thinly sliced English cucumbers with 2 tablespoons kosher salt in a large bowl. Refrigerate 1 to 2 hours, then rinse and transfer to a large glass bowl or jars; add 1 thinly sliced large onion. Combine 1 1/2 cups each granulated sugar and white vinegar, 3/4 cup apple cider vinegar, 1/4 cup light brown sugar, 2 1/4 teaspoons mustard seeds and 3/4 teaspoon each celery seeds, curry powder and red pepper flakes in a nonreactive pot. Cook over medium-high heat until the sugar is dissolved. Pour over the cucumbers and onions. Refrigerate at least 1 day and up to 2 weeks.

Steps:

• Rub meat with salt and pepper and put in a large zip lock bag over night in fridge to cure.
• Next day, rinse and make several slits all over and stud with garlic slivers and rub with a good amount of Cajun seasoning.
• Put the meat in the bag, mix the rest of the ingredients in a glass bowl and pour over the meat.
• Seal and put in the fridge for two days, turning a couple of times a day.
• Remove from fridge and let stand till the chill is off.
• Dump everything in a crockpot and cook on low overnight.
• Pull the meat out and trim off fat, and shred the meat or tear it into chunks.
• Let the liquid cook down a little, and add the meat back into the pot.
• Serve this on Pistolets, or french bread cut about 6 inches long, or any other crusty bread.
• Dress it with a good cole slaw.
• It's hard to say how much this will make, for sandwiches it depends on how large your rolls are, and how much filling you use, but it is a good amount and it freezes well.

Steps:

• Rinse pork loins and pat dry with paper towels.
• Cut the pork loin into large chunks and rub Cajun seasoning on all sides of each piece until completely covered.
• Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat, I like to use my 16 inch cast iron skillet, but I still have to do the meat in two batches. Add pork, and brown on all sides. As they finish transfer them to the crock pot leaving the butter and stuckage in the pan.
• Add the onion and garlic to the skillet, and cook for a few minutes until tender.
• Deglaze the hot pan by stirring in the water and scraping the bottom to include all of the yummy stuckage from the bottom of the pan, (this is where a lot of the color and flavor comes from).
• Now pour the whole mixture into the slow cooker with the pork and stir in liquid smoke flavoring.
• Cover, and cook on high for 5 hours/ low for 8 hours, or until meat is falling apart when pierced with a fork.
• Remove pieces of pork from the slow cooker, and shred. Return to the slow cooker to keep warm while serving. Is is supposed to be somewhat wet when served, but if you feel you have to much liquid remove the liquid and do not waste it! Pour the liquid into a saucepan and reduce it by boiling it. Then return it to the crock pot after the meat is shredded.
• Serve with you favorite barbeque sauce if desired.

Steps:

• Mix dry ingredients together.
• Add enough liquid smoke to make a paste.
• Rub into meat and allow to marinate at least overnight.
• Follow your favorite method for cooking pork!

Steps:

• Combine all rub ingredients except sugar and grind into a green thick liquid with a food processor, blender or immersion blender.
• Brush or rub green liquid over roast, sprinkle with sugar and wrap tightly with several layers of heavy duty foil.
• Place in refrigerator for a minimum of 4 hours, but preferably overnight.
• Soak 2 large chunks of hickory in water.
• Light about 40-50 coals or an equal amount of hickory.
• Do not use lighter fluid, a fire starter chimney is the best method.
• Once coals are covered with a gray ash push them over to one side put the soaked hickory chunks on the coals and replace the grate, open the top of the foil wrapped roast and add about 1 cup of water.
• Place roast on cool side of grill and put the cover on the grill with the holes over the meat.
• Turn the meat 180 degrees every 60 minutes.
• Add some more coals/wood in about 2 hours.
• Smoke for a total of 4- 6 hours, internal temperature of the meat will be 170°F or so.
• If the meat starts to get too brown, tent it with another sheet of foil.
• The temp inside the grill should be around 275°F.
• After removing from the grill be sure to cover with foil and allow to sit 15-20 minutes before carving.
• Serve with your favorite bbq sauce, we like recipe#26794, Lee Lee's Famous Barbeque Sauce for Ribs w/ Preserves.
• Brush some on the meat for the last 5-10 minutes of the cooking process if desired.