Lean, healthy and tasty. A shredded pork from loin for a few or for masses. Cut the recipe down or triple it as needed. Cook ahead or freeze.
This is the trial run for another “mass cooking”. We are providing food for a charity poker event later this week, and I decided shredded pork BBQ sandwiches were just the ticket. I want 75 to 100 servings. I guess that one 5 pounds whole pork loin will make about 20 hamburger size sandwiches.
The Plan:
1) Trim a center cut pork loin of extra fat and any silver skin.
2) Braise in beef broth seasoned with chili powder, onion, and liquid smoke.
3) Do the cooking in the over in a covered pan so I don’t need to pay attention (I took a nap really). You could also use a crock pot if you want.
4) Cook to about 190 so it will fall apart.
5) Cool and shred.
6) Add some of the braising liquid back in to add moisture and a LOT of taste.
It worked great.
Rating
Notes:
1) The silver skin on the pork lion is tougher than on pork or beef tenderloin. If you don’t want to fight it, you could leave it initially and remove it during the hand shredding. The same for the fat. I’m fat adverse.
2) You might also run into the small piece of meat on the side. I believe this is the tail end of a pork tenderloin. If you can trim it out, then cut it into a couple of pieces and put it in the pan.
3) This is moister if refrigerated overnight after the last step to allow the braising liquid to absorb. It is still good the day of cooking but a noticeable difference.
4) I have cooked five of these in the last two days. One of the loins seems to be “tougher”. If you hit one of this (and I don’t think you can tell until cooked), then try to be sure to do the overnight to allow the braising liquid to absorb.
5) While on the subject of the braising liquid. As I said, add some back in and let it absorb overnight. I reheated in a crock pot for serving and add more back in the next day. It was moist and great. I ended up using about 1 1/2 cups total per 5-pound loin. So save at least 2 cups at the beginning.
6) This could easily be a crock pot recipe. Just use high for 3-4 hours. Check the internal temp to get to about 190 degrees.
Trim a whole center cut pork loin of extra fat and silver skin. See above note about trimming.
Cut into about 2-inch slices cross grain.
Chop onion. Add to the cake pan. You could use a dutch oven or any oven safe pan that you can seal shut.
Add spices to the onion. Add broth and liquid smoke.
Mix well.
Add pork slices. It may not be entirely submerged. Add a little water if needed.
Seal with aluminum foil and place in 300-degree oven for 2 1/2 hours give of take a little. I did not preheat. It’s a long cooking time and doesn’t matter.
Remove from over. Move pork to a plate to cool.
Reserve 2 cups of the braising liquid and discard the remainder.
After pork is cooled, hand shred.
Add back one cup of the braising liquid.
Mix well and add more liquid if needed. Refrigerate overnight if possible. Save the rest of the braising liquid to add on future warmups.
- 5 pounds pork loin Center cut
- 1 onion large chopped
- 28 oz beef broth two cans or one large box
- 4 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon table salt
- 2 teaspoons liquid smoke
- Trim pork loin.Cut into about 2-inch slices cross grain.
- Chop onion. Add to the cake pan. You could use a dutch oven or any oven safe pan that you can seal shut.
- Add spices to the onion. Add broth and liquid smoke. Mix well.
- Add pork slices. It may not be entirely submerged. Add a little water if needed.
- Seal with aluminum foil and place in 300-degree oven for 2 1/2 hours give of take a little. I did not preheat. It’s a long cooking time and doesn’t matter.
- Remove from over. Move pork to a plate to cool.Reserve 2 cups of the braising liquid and discard the remainder.
- After pork is cooled, hand shred. Add back one cup of the braising liquid. Mix well and add more liquid if needed. Refrigerate overnight if possible. Save the rest of the braising liquid to add in during future warmups.
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All nutritional information are estimates and may vary from your actual results. This is home cooking, and there are many variables. To taste ingredients such as salt will be my estimate of the average used.
If you like this recipe or find it useful, the pleasure of a nice 4 or 5 rating would be greatly appreciated. Rating is done by clicking on the stars above.
Last Updated
July 8, 2016
Reddee
Made this it was very good. I added a few spices it this was a good start. Thank you so much.
Betty
Hi Dan…yes, sorry a misprint on my part. Took it out after 1 hr.45 min. It’s tender & smells great. Will be having it tomorrow,
putting in fridge overnight in some braising liquid. (& a little bbq sauce)
Will let you know how it turned out!
Betty
I’ve got this in oven now but just have 2 lbs pork. Is 1/2 hrs.braising time still ok?
DrDan
The time should be a little shorter but the time is 2 1/2 hours not 1/2 hour. Check it at 2 hours.
Dan
MJ
thanks, am using pork loin for pulled pork for 300 guests. added 1/4 c beer & Canola. frig overnight. Thanks!!
DrDan
I think this is the best use for those big chunks of pork loin. Good luck with the mass cooking.
DrDan
Jim
This was delicious! I started with a bone-in pork sirloin (cheap) and carved off as much meat as I could while trimming off the fat, then cut it into 2 inch or so pieces as you suggested. Next time I will look for a boneless roast to make it easier. I also used 1 can of beef broth and 1 can of chicken broth because that was all that I had on hand–turned out just fine. Otherwise followed the cooking directions using a pyrex 9X13 dish covered with foil. 2 1/2 hours at 300 was perfect. Instead of returning the juice, I dumped a bottle of Stubb’s smoky mesquite bbq sauce and let it set overnight.
Just had it for lunch on hot dog buns (a tip from a sloppy joe recipe) and it was awesome. Thank you for sharing such an easy recipe since I am a complete newbie cook.
Jim
DrDan
Thanks for the note Jim. All recipes are just guidelines anyways. I’m always for getting rid of solid fat. I think you could just leave the bone in and when you take it out to shred, it will probably just fall off the bone. I though the left overs were better the second day after they absorbed fluid back in.
DrDan
Dr Dan
The cayenne was a great idea I may try next time. I found it surprising that pork loin can be so moist.
Sam Courtney
Yes – wonderful recipe – simple and the results were awesome – thanks for sharing! I used a little cayenne pepper instead of chili powder and it gave it a nice little bite….even my girls like it! I also used 1/2 onion since we aren’t much of an onion family….but it still tasted delicious! It could cook 3 hrs instead on 2.5 and it would be even more tender to tear up by hand.
Dr Dan
The mass feeding went great. They ate about twice as much as I expected so it was great hit. Or they will eat anything that’s free.
The 190 was so it would shred easy by melting any fibrous tissue that was present and have that pulled pork type feel. The key is adding moisture and taste back with the braising liquid. Otherwise it would be wood chips.
Chris
I would have told you that you are crazy to take a pork loin past 160 because it is so lean but then when I saw how you cooked it, it made sense. The liquid makes the difference.
It looks like you have a solid plan now. I hope the mass feeding goes well.
Dr Dan
I don’t play so I cooked. This was just so dang easy to do.
Inspired by eRecipeCards
Great post… be careful drawing to an inside straight, it is only a small mistake to fold a winning hand and a charity game means incredibly loose players. Beware of draws.
Oh and the pork looks incredible as well.