The pulled pork sliders at Little Big’s aren’t causing Carolina pit bosses like Ed Mitchell to lie awake at night, but they are pretty good for Houston, Texas. Try one next time you visit–and don’t forget to get the Sriracha remoulade dipping sauce for your french fries–that stuff is awesome.
Nobody’s pulled pork sandwich beats the one made by my buddy Ed Mitchell. But then again Mitchell single-handedly revived the whole hog style of barbecue in Raleigh, North Carolina. He mixes some crispy skin in with the creamy soft pork and barbecue sauce when he makes sandwiches. If you are ever over there, visit him at The Pit barbecue restaurant.
But the pulled pork sliders at Little Big’s got me thinking about smoked pork barbecue in general. Maybe some more Texas barbecue joints with good pork ought to consider making these kind of sandwiches. Maybe Clarence Pierson at Pierson & Company BBQ on T.C. Jester in Houston could come up with a Texas version of a pulled pork sandwich with his excellent smoked pork.
I’m just saying…
Robb, you are spot on about Ed Mitchell at The Pit.
I’m originally from North Carolina and prefer pulled pork either East or West style. I’ve been to The Pit twice now and it is wonderful. The pulled pork is amazing as are Ed’s Carolina Ribs. They are THE best pork ribs I ever had BOTH visits. I’m going to be visiting the Smokies in early May, but am taking one day to make the 600 mile roundtrip to Raleigh for a stop at The Pit. It’s that good.
Being a florida transplant, i was dismayed that texans called poorly cooked, dry and tough brisket BBQ when i was used to luscious pork. Here is a great example from a shack in Yalhala, FL –
http://www.flickr.com/photos/finnadat/2123233317
I’ve grown to like brisket when everything is perfect but it is so easy to screw up and serve without it tasting like boiled shoes. Pork ribs and shoulders are perfect for BBQ and don’t require a phd in smoke technology and perfect storage and serving conditions to taste amazing.
Thanks so much for the tip Rob! We lived in Chapel Hill for a few years and miss our pulled pork dearly (Allen & Sons = heaven)…
We were thinking about checking out Beaver’s for it, but may change those plans. Are they avail at the Little Big’s in Hermann park too?
Good pulled pork is pretty dummy proof, but I always thought one of the keys was to smoke with hickory, or some other milder fruit wood. I’m not so sure Clarence’s mesquite bomb will get the desired result. Thoughts?
Austin now has a legit Mississippi pulled pork joint: The Shed BBQ and Blues Joint (East 6th & Chicon). Open Thu, Fri, and Sat from 5-10 PM. We met the guy who runs it, Brett Orrison, at the BBQ competition at Memphis in May. Really nice guy. The Shed has several locations throughout the Southeast.