Bear’s Pulled Pork Finishing Sauce (AKA Liquid Gold)

  • Some of the links on this forum allow SMF, at no cost to you, to earn a small commission when you click through and make a purchase. Let me know if you have any questions about this.
SMF is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Bearcarver

Gone but not forgotten RIP
Original poster
OTBS Member
Group Lead
Sep 12, 2009
45,259
18,188
Macungie, PA
Bear’s Pulled Pork Finishing Sauce (AKA Liquid Gold)


OK, People often ask me if I use a Finishing Sauce.
Well I never really called it a “Finishing Sauce” before, but I’ll show you what I like to do.

Probably a lot of you guys know about this & have been doing it, but for those who haven’t, I’ll show how I do it.

When I Smoke a Pork Butt, I do it in a Foil Pan, on a Wire Cooling Rack.
It gets plenty of Smoke, all the way around, as long as it’s sitting on a wire cooling rack, and even though I cover it at about 165°, it gets an Awesome Bark!! (Pics below)
I Foil over my Pan & Pork Butt at approximately 165° IT.
So before I cover the Meat, I pour Heated Apple Juice over it (about 1 ounce per pound of Butt).
Then when it’s completely finished, I drain the liquid out of the Pan & into a Round sided plastic or glass container.
I put that container in the Fridge overnight.
The next day I remove the container from the Fridge, and run a knife around the perimeter of the Sheet of Fat on the Top.
Then I can usually lift the whole slab of Fat off in one piece to get rid of it. If not you can take it out in pieces. This Slab of Fat is usually about 1/4” to 3/4” thick, depending on the diameter of the container.
The Jelly that is left in the container, that was under the Fat, I call “Liquid Gold”, as it is composed of Meat Juices from the Pork, Apple Juice, and some seasonings that were in the Rub that was on the Pork the whole time it was Smoking & forming a Bark.
Since it’s usually just Me & Mrs Bear, I keep this “Liquid Gold” in that container in the fridge, until I freeze the leftover Pork.
Then each time I heat (Nuke) some Pulled Pork up for a Sammy, I add a couple teaspoons on top of the Meat.
Then I Smoosh it around after I heat it, and after I put the Meat in the Sammy, I pour the juice left in the bottom of the bowl I heated it in.

Then when I Freeze my leftovers, I freeze it in packs of enough meat for 3 Sammies (Two for Me & One for Her).
I also Freeze the leftover Liquid Gold in little containers, after heating it enough to turn the Jelly into liquid.
I used to use Ice Cube Trays, but I found it to be a PITA. These little plastic containers work better, and I get them FREE from Steak Sammy joints with side orders like Hot Peppers, Sauce, Tartar Sauce, etc, etc.
So I freeze the juice in the little containers. Then once they’re frozen I put them in a Zip-lock bag, so I can remove one or more at a time, to use them.
I get the Juice-Ice out of the freezer at the same time as when I get the bag of meat out, and let them both thaw in the Fridge.
Then I can just pour how much juice I want on each Sammy.

This is Awesome Stuff!!!

The Pics will explain it better (Below).

Bear



Here's the Butt. The juice I want is under the Butt, in the Pan:
IMG_2763.jpg


After pouring the juices in this bowl, and leaving it in the fridge overnight:
IMG_2771.jpg


Since every bit of the Fat rose to the top & solidified, it's easy to cut along the perimeter & lift the whole slab of fat off:
IMG_2772.jpg


This is the "Gold"---The flavorful mixture of Meat Juices, Apple Juice, and Seasonings from the Butt Rub:
IMG_2773.jpg


Here you can see I put 2 tsp of the Jelly on top of the Pulled Pork before Nuking:
IMG_2774.jpg


After I put the Pulled Pork on the Roll, I pour that leftover Juice in the bowl, on top of the Meat:
IMG_2775.jpg


Nice & Juicy Pulled Pork Sammy. BTW: That's not Ketchup, it's Mrs Bear's Sauce Mix:
IMG_2776.jpg


Oh Yeah!! I'm Ready!!
IMG_2777.jpg


After eating Pulled Pork Sammies for a couple days, I filled these containers & into the Freezer.
IMG_2778.jpg


After frozen, I put them in a Zip-lock, and back in the Freezer with the leftover Pulled Pork:
IMG_2780.jpg
 
Thanks for the tip bear, I use some of the juice that day, but never remember to freeze the rest. Come dump day when I clean out the fridge it usually gets tossed.

Point for sure.
Chris
 
Great !!! that stuff is way to good not to use. I could go for one of those sandwiches right now

Gary
 
That stuff is definitely gold. I call it black gold.

I like to freeze them in ice cube trays. Once frozen, I pop the cubes into a freezer bag.

Way too tasty to waste.
 
Ha that Bear is full of tricks got watch them Bears they know how to make the food taste better.
Have had done Gary S beans and let the butt drip into them awesome.

Warren
 
I gotta start doing this. I let mine drip into the fire.
 
Looks good John!
I usually just mix the drippings into the PP, with SoFlaQ'uers finishing sauce.
I guess everybody has their own way of making PP!
But yours sure looks good!
Al
 
Great idea, Bear! I've done that chilled fat trick before with soup stocks, but I never thought to try it with drippings. I usually just pour them into a gravy separator right after I've pulled the pork, and then pour the good stuff back into the pan of meat. It doesn't always work out perfectly. I'll try your way next time.
 
Great idea, Bear! I've done that chilled fat trick before with soup stocks, but I never thought to try it with drippings. I usually just pour them into a gravy separator right after I've pulled the pork, and then pour the good stuff back into the pan of meat. It doesn't always work out perfectly. I'll try your way next time.

Thanks MN !!
I have two of those "Separators), a plastic one & a glass one---Both Junk!!
This way doesn't miss any of the fat.

Bear

Thanks for the tip bear, I use some of the juice that day, but never remember to freeze the rest. Come dump day when I clean out the fridge it usually gets tossed.

Point for sure.
Chris

Thank You Chris!!
I didn't used to watch it a close, but now I can't do without it !!
And Thanks for the Like.

Bear
 
Ha that Bear is full of tricks got watch them Bears they know how to make the food taste better.
Have had done Gary S beans and let the butt drip into them awesome.

Warren

That's a Great thing to do too!!!
And Thanks for the Like.

Bear
 
SmokingMeatForums.com is reader supported and as an Amazon Associate, we may earn commissions from qualifying purchases.

Hot Threads

Clicky