Keep Pulled Pork Tender By Saving This Liquid Gold After Cooking

There's a huge difference between a good batch of pulled pork and a bad one. Sure, you can mask pretty much anything with the right sauces and some really good bread, but you know right away when you're biting into a perfectly cooked hunk of pork. You want it to be soft, flavorful, and perfectly juicy, not pale, dry, and totally bland. Meat should almost always shine on its own, especially when it's been cooked slowly enough for it to be pulled apart. If you want to nail this every time with your pulled pork, then there's one thing you should do and that's save the braising liquid in order to baste the meat before serving.

Most pulled pork recipes call for the meat to be slow cooked in a delicious, sweet and savory blend of seasonings, aromatics, and water or stock. You usually leave it for a few hours to soften before removing it from the dish and tearing it apart. Most people dump the liquid that's left behind, but like with any recipes that involve braising, it's actually packed with flavor that you can put to good use. Adding a little bit of the leftover liquid over the shredded pork will not only impart more flavor and complexity, but it will also keep the meat moist and prevent it from drying out, giving it a softer, juicier texture.

If you let the braising liquid cool a little before tossing it with the meat, you can easily skim off any fat that rises to the surface. You don't need much of it, just enough to evenly coat the shredded meat. A few spoonfuls should do. This trick is especially useful for any leftovers you plan on keeping in the fridge or freezing. If that's the plan, use slightly more liquid to ensure the meat stays succulent.

If you have a lot of braising liquid leftover afterward, you can use it in other ways, too. Simmer it down to make a gravy, or use it to elevate homemade barbecue sauce. It's also a delicious cooking base to prepare rice, as well as root vegetables, lentils, or even soups.

If you're not sure where to begin when it comes to a crafting a good braising liquid for pork, a medley of chicken stock, alliums, and condiments like barbecue sauce, yellow mustard, and Worcestershire sauce is a good place to start. Brown sugar is also a popular addition. For the seasonings, think: paprika, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. A splash of vinegar is the secret to the best pulled pork you'll ever eat and one splash of this tangy ingredient will add a lot of flavor. With the right ingredients, that liquid gold will taste more amazing than you ever thought possible.