Around the time I started Wine With BBQ, I warned you that I felt that I needed to make pulled pork more often after a long time of not cooking this delicious barbecue staple. Well, I meant it.
The Founders Ate Pork, So It’s Appropriate
T’was the Fourth of July and I was determined to celebrate our country’s birthday by smoking a pork butt and making pulled pork sandwiches. The method was pretty much the same as the last time I made this dish, so I won’t make this too long of a post.
Injected, rubbed, and thrown on the smoker at about 250 degrees. When the internal temp hit about 180 degrees and I was pleased with the bark I was getting on the meat, I put it on a baking rack in an aluminum pan with some apple juice on the bottom, then wrapped it in aluminum foil.
Once the internal temp climbed to 200 degrees, I took out the butt and let it rest for about an hour.
The sign of a perfectly cooked pork butt is when you can slide out the shoulder bone without any resistance. That didn’t happen this time. The meat was tender, but I didn’t get that signal I wanted that it was done to perfection. I’m not sure what happened. Maybe I needed to pull it out right after it came out of the smoker. Maybe it’s because I forgot to spritz the pork during the cook.
Well, next time I cook pulled pork, I’m going to do both and see if there’s a difference. Now, on to the interesting part of the meal.
I probably wouldn’t have bothered with posting about this cook if I used the same sauce as last time… or for that matter, any tomato-based barbecue sauce. This time I went out of my comfort zone and did something a little different – a Carolina-style, vinegar-based sauce:
- 1-1/2 cups apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 cup water
- 2 Tbsp sugar (I converted to .125 cups of Stevia)
- 1 Tbsp Red pepper flakes
The recipe I found actually called for two tablespoons of red pepper flakes, but I wasn’t sure how hot that would make the meat. Since my family isn’t appreciative when I make things too hot or spicy, I went the safer route this day.
Once I “pulled” the pork butt, I worked in the sauce until there was a nice, even balance: not too dry, but not soupy.
The result was a delicious, light, acidic, tangy, and slightly spicy pulled pork. It was a different way to go than what I initially thought I would do, but it paid off. The family enjoyed it, so that’s always the best metric of success!
The Wine: 2018 Weingut Leitz Rudesheimer Drachenstein – Dragonstone Riesling
If I went with my original plan to use a more tomato-based barbecue sauce, I might have gone with a lighter red, such as an Old-World Pinot Noir. But I knew that the heavy portion of apple cider vinegar was going to make the flavor profile more acidic, sweeter with the Stevia, and overall not too heavy. I needed to go another route with the wine.
I immediately thought Riesling. I wasn’t flush with this varietal, but I managed to locate a bottle of 2018 Weingut Leitz Rudesheimer Drachenstein – Dragonstone Riesling.
The aromas were very light but vibrant – citrus fruits and some minerality. It was similar on the palate, with more of the citrus and acidity coming through. It was a suitable partner for this Carolina-style pork, which was a nice summer treat as a satisfying sandwich.
Though I possessed this bottle, I didn’t know much about it. So, naturally I went to Wine-Searcher.com to find out about the region and the winemaker.
First, the region. I’m half German, and I have to say, I know nothing about the country. Even my years of drinking Rieslings, my knowledge is lacking. The region where this wine is made is Rheingau, specifically the town of Rudesheim, which visiting the profile page, I discovered:
Rheingau is one of the most important of Germany’s 13 Anbaugebiete wine regions. However it is far from the biggest; with 3,076 hectares (7,600 acres) of vineyards documented in 2012, its output is around one tenth of that from the Pfalz and Rheinhessen regions. Located on the Rhine a 20-minute drive west of Frankfurt, the -gau suffix denotes that it was once a county of the Frankish Empire.
Rüdesheim is a town on the northern banks of the Rhine river in the German wine region of Rheingau. It has a number of notable vineyard sites planted mainly to Riesling… Some of these are on the south-facing slopes above the town. The most highly regarded sites are on the banks above the Rhine river, to the west of the town itself.
As for the producer, Weingut Leitz… they have a website, but it’s quite primitive and I had to turn on the English translator. Luckily, good ol’ Wine Searcher provided a little helpful information:
Weingut Leitz (formerly Josef Leitz) is a leading estate located in Rüdesheim am Rhein in the Rheingau region of Germany. It is particularly known for its Riesling.
Until multi-award-winning owner-winemaker Johannes Leitz took the reins in 1985, the estate had had a troubled history. In the 1990s, however, Leitz moved to native yeasts, slow fermentations and extended lees-aging. Quality improved, acclaim followed, and strong export markets were developed…As with other local producers the portfolio leans towards drier styles as the growing conditions of Rüdesheim tend to deliver healthy grapes suitable for such wines. Slate soils help produce minerality in the final wines.
Celebrating the Fourth with an American barbecue classic and pairing it with a wine from the country that assisted in preparing our army to defeat the British. What’s more 1776 than that, eh?
Next up on the blog menu – a light and spicy appetizer perfect for summer deck lounging and sipping.
Cheers!