Calories in pulled pork.

[spudpud]

My wife and I are really fond of pulled pork. However we are not so young any more so we really have to watch the calories we eat. I was wondering if any one here has ever done a caloric analysis of smoked meats vs grilled. I rather think that the slow cooking in a smoker with the fat rendering out makes the meal relatively healthy. The question is, am I right? Any information would be appreciated.

[bgpguru]

I'm sorry to say I tend to disagree with your opinion. I think that although a fair bit of fat renders out, quite a bit also stays in the meat or else it wouldn't be tasty and moist. I wouldn't be discouraged though. At the end of the day if you eat everything in moderation you don't really have to give up anything.

[mike71]

We are on a low carb diet and the way we solve the problem is to avoid sugar in any of the rubs and use vinegar based sauces with either splenda or low-carb ketchup. Alternatively, one can also get the store bought low-carb bbq sauce. So far I haven't gained any weight back.

[Goddess_Elyria]

If you're considering health issues you might want to consider the question of charring the meat. This can cause the formation of what is called heterocyclic amines or HCA's, which some claim are a health problem. As yet studies on this subject have had no definitive results so I tend to ignore it but I thought you might like to be aware of this. As for slow cooking vs grilling, I think there isn't much difference between the two as far as calories and fat content are concerned.

[Dwalt46]

I think you might actually be right. When I cook pork low-and-slow all the fat and collogen cooks out and drips into the drip pan so I would think the meat would end up relatively fat-free.

[bgpguru]

As I said before, I think this is wishful thinking. I mean, how can the meat be moist if there is no fat in it?

[B_RAD]

Although fat helps, a fair amount of moisture comes from meat which is very tender, thus giving the feeling of a soft texture, or from stimulated salivary glands in the mouth. Apart from that, the slow-cooking process causes a conversion of a fair amount of the collagen in the connective tissue of a pork shoulder into gelatin (this is one reason why the liquid from a braised chuck for example turns in to wiggly jell-o when cooled). This would surly improve the feel of the meat in the mouth. Conclusion - I think it is possible to have moist meat that is low-fat. Having said that, pork shoulder is a fatty cut and although some of the fat drips off I doubt it ends up being fat-free.

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[walterbsc]

Ok to keep the pork moist during slow smoking try using plain ole apple juice and injecting it into the butt or shoulder , I usually do this right before I place them on the WSM`s , I usually pull my pork once it hits 200 degrees internal. It usualy falls apart in my hands while taking it off the WSM`s , but it is moist and tastey to say the least , after I pull them I add sauce place in the puled pork and start making the outstanding sammiches I am known for.

[Cajun]

Scrubbing onion on the racks is supposed to help as well in keeping meat moist. Someone ever heard about that?