Summer Time Food Idea....Pulled Pork Flatbread with Smoked Gouda and Arugula

Summer is just a few weeks away and Top Hat Catering and Entertainment has already started making preparations and trying new menu ideas.  We just catered a party this past weekend in Washington, DC and served a pulled pork BBQ flat bread with smoked gouda and arugula; it was wildly popular so I thought I might share how Top Hat Catering and Entertainment does our pulled pork.


Food items you'll need:

1. 1  Pork Butt 7-9 lbs
2. 1/2 cup cumin
3. 1/2 cup paprika
4. 1/2 cup dry mustard
5. 1 cup salt
6. 1/4 cup black pepper
7. 1/2 cup granulated garlic
8. 1/2 cup onion powder
9. 1/4 cup brown sugar

Other items you'll need:

1. 20 lbs charcoal
2. 2 bags of mesquite chips (soak in water)

Process:

1. Combine all dry ingredients.
2. With a sharp knife score the fat cap of the pork butt in a one inch diamond pattern.
3. Liberally coat the pork butt with the dry rub on all sides and let set in for about an hour, during this time get your smoker going.
 4. Smoking depends on the device your using.  You dont want your pork to cook over direct heat, you want the ambient smoke and heat to cook for you.  If you have a long barrel grill, set up the coals on one side of the grill.  If you have the classic round grill, do the same on one side of the grill.  If you have a smoker, then you probably know how to smoke and you can read on with the cook times.  So depending on the grill type you have to get your coals going so that they are grey but not on fire.
5. Make a pouch using foil and put about a handful of soaked wood chips keeping the pouch fluted.  Set 2 of these pouches a few inches from the coals towards where the pork will sit.
6. Place your seasoned and scored pork butt fat side up on the grill and cover with the lid.
7. Every 2 hours you're going to have to go and stoke the fire and probably add 2 new wood chip fluted pouches.
8. Around hour number 8 the meat should be starting to pull away from the bone.
9. Total smoke time for a 7-9 lb butt should be 14-18 hours.
10. When your butt is done smoking and the bone can be effortlessly pulled out you are done.
11. All you have to do now is let the butt cool down and remove the fat cat and shred up.
12. You can top with BBQ sauce or a cider vinegar mixture or just eat as is.

I hope you enjoy some good pulled pork this summer and don't forget Top Hat Catering and Entertainment is Washington, DC's leading caterer.