I just watched an episode of the newest season of Sex Education on Netflix where a character uses chili crisp oil as a lubricant by accident. Funny as it was, I nearly passed out just imagining it. People often think that because I was born and raised in India, I love spicy food, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. When I go to see my aunts, I always tell them not to use too many chilies because I’d like to stay healthy. To be clear, I do use chiles in my cooking. I just don’t use them too much. I like just the right amount of heat—not so much that my ears ring and my eyes and nose feel like a broken faucet.
Chiles are also not all the same; there are many beautiful types that come in shades of green, red, yellow, and orange, with different smells and levels of heat. Even though I try to avoid too much spice, I still love these spicy berries (yes, botanically they are fruits) because they do so many great things.
Pulled pork is a cherished staple of backyard barbecues and tailgates. When rubbed and smoked just right it delivers tender fall-apart meat infused with sweet, smoky flavor. However, things can go awry if your pork rub or barbecue sauce ends up being too spicy. Don’t panic! With a few simple tricks, you can tame the heat and make your pulled pork enjoyable for all.
How Spice Impacts Flavor
To understand how to fix over-spiced pulled pork it helps to know what happens when using a spicy rub. The chile powder, cayenne, paprika and other fiery spices coat the exterior of the raw pork. As the pork slowly smokes over several hours those spices penetrate the outer layer of meat. After shredding, the spicy outside mixes with the interior. This evenly distributes the heat throughout the pulled pork. So if the rub contained intense spices, the end result can be mouth-burning pulled pork.
Easy Ways to Tone Down Spicy Pulled Pork
If you taste your finished pulled pork and find it uncomfortably hot, don’t worry. With a few easy ingredient swaps and additions you can balance out the flavors. Here are some simple fixes to try
- Stir in lemon or lime juice – The acidity helps mute the burn
- Mix in ketchup or BBQ sauce – The sweetness counters the heat
- Add diced raw onions – Onion mellows out spicy chili flavors
- Incorporate cooked rice – The rice soaks up flavor and spice
- Fold in plain Greek yogurt – The creaminess cools the heat
- Shred extra plain pork – Dilutes the seasoned, spicy pork
- Drizzle in apple juice or soda – Sweet liquids temper the spice
Start by adding small amounts of these ingredients and adjust until you’ve reached the desired mildness. The acid, sweetness, creaminess and starch work together to smooth out the hot spice.
Use Acidic Ingredients to Balance Heat
One of the most effective ways to reduce spicy heat in pulled pork is incorporating acidic ingredients. Things like vinegar, citrus juice and tomato products introduce tangy flavors that balance out chili burn.
Some great acidic additions include:
- Lemon juice – Bright acidity cools heat. Use 2-3 lemons per batch.
- Lime juice – Similar cooling effect. Juice 3-4 limes.
- White vinegar – The tang counters the burn. Add 1⁄4 to 1⁄2 cup.
- Apple cider vinegar – Its sweet-tartness tames spice. Use 1⁄4 to 1⁄2 cup.
- Ketchup – Natural acidity flattens heat. Stir in 1⁄2 to 1 cup.
- Diced tomatoes – Acidity mellows the spices. Use 2-3 large tomatoes.
Splash these acidic ingredients into overly spicy pulled pork bit by bit until it reaches the ideal mellowness.
Add Sweetness to Balance Out Heat
Another easy way to temper pulled pork that’s too hot is by adding sweet ingredients. Things like sugar, honey and sweet sauces work to counteract the punch of chili peppers and other spicy components.
Some sweeteners to mix into fiery pork include:
- Brown sugar – Just 1-3 Tbsp caramelizes and cools heat.
- Honey – 2-4 Tbsp balances flavor.
- Maple syrup – 2-4 Tbsp for richness.
- BBQ sauce – Sweet tomato sauce – use 1⁄2 to 1 cup.
- Apple juice – Fruity sweetness removes burn. Use 1⁄2 to 1 cup.
- Pineapple juice – Tames heat with tropical flavor.
- Cola – Fizzy sweet soda mellows the spices. Use 1⁄2 to 1 cup.
Add these sweeteners incrementally until your pulled pork hits just the right spice level.
Use Dairy to Smooth Out Heat
Another great way to smooth out the searing spikes of chili heat in pulled pork is by using dairy products. Things like sour cream, yogurt and cheese will help even out the burn.
Some dairy additions to try:
- Sour cream – Tangy creaminess neutralizes heat. Use 1⁄2 to 1 cup.
- Plain Greek yogurt – Thick and cooling. Add 1⁄2 to 1 cup.
- Cream cheese – Softened cream cheese smoothes spiciness. Use 4-6 ounces.
- Butter – Fatty richness smothers heat. Mix in 2-4 Tbsp.
- Shredded cheddar – Melty cheese balances flavors.
The luxurious creaminess from dairy products help flatten out those chili spikes for a more rounded, mellow flavor.
Dilute with Starchy Sides
You can also stretch out fiery pork by mixing in some starchy side dishes and vegetables. The additional neutral ingredients help thin out the general spiciness.
Some mild mix-ins include:
- Cooked white rice – Fluffy rice absorbs flavor. Fold in 1-2 cups.
- Diced potatoes – Starch and moisture diffuse heat.
- Coleslaw – Cabbage and mayo cut the burn. Add 1⁄2 to 1 cup.
- Chopped lettuce – Crisp leaves add balance.
- Sautéed onions – Naturally cooling.
- Crumbled cornbread – Soaks up spiciness.
Adding these bland, starchy sides complements the pork flavor while lowering the heat. Feel free to improvise with your own favorites!
Adjust Spice with Plain Pulled Pork
For ultimate control over spice level, hold back some plain pulled pork without any spicy rub. Rub half the pork with your fiery blend, and the other half with just salt and pepper.
After smoking, shred both halves and mix to your desired spiciness. The mild pork cuts the overall heat. You can customize the ratio and achieve perfect flavor balance.
Prevent Spicy Pork in the First Place
Using care when initially seasoning and saucing the pork prevents having to cool it down later:
- Use smaller amounts of chili powders, paprika, etc.
- Make a custom mild rub for spice-sensitive guests
- Skip hot sauce and peppers in mop sauces
- Choose sweet BBQ sauce over spicy vinegar sauces
- Inject fruit juice rather than spicy broth
- Smoke with mild applewood instead of intense mesquite
With smart prep and rub ingredients, your pulled pork will turn out pleasantly spiced instead of scorching.
Recap of Useful Cool-Down Methods
Here’s a quick summary of handy ways to tame overly fiery pulled pork:
- Introduce acidic ingredients like lemon juice, vinegar, ketchup
- Add sweeteners – BBQ sauce, honey, maple syrup
- Incorporate dairy like yogurt, sour cream, cream cheese
- Dilute with mild sides like potato, rice, coleslaw
- Mix with plain pulled pork without spicy rub
- Use smaller amounts of chili spices and heat initially
With these tricks, you can easily adjust and enjoy pulled pork at the ideal spice level for your tastes. A bit of lingering heat provides nice contrast, but too much ruins the experience.
Stay flexible by keeping sweet, creamy and starchy ingredients on hand. Also, smoking some pork separately without a bold rub gives you options. With the techniques in this guide, you can confidently turn out pulled pork with a crowd-pleasing amount of spice. Dial in the flavor balance so everyone can enjoy your tender, smoky and slightly spicy homemade pulled pork!
Why chiles are hot
Chiles may be associated with Indian and other South Asian foods, but they come from Mesoamerica and were brought to Asia by European settlers. They quickly became a part of these cultures and an essential ingredient in many local cuisines. In Mexican cooking chiles are an integral part of the diet. The word “chili” (often spelled as “chile” in North America) is derived from the American Nahuatl word “chilli. ”.
While black peppercorns get their heat from a chemical called piperine, chiles owe their heat to a chemical called capsaicin that, according to scientist Josh Tewksbury, evolved as an evolutionary advantage to the plant. Capsaicin or 8-methyl-N-vanillyl-6-nonenamide is a fat-soluble pungent substance, and in mammals, it acts as a chemical irritant and neurotoxin by creating a burning sensation—we’ll get to how it works in a little bit.
Chile plants started to synthesize capsaicin as a way to protect themselves from rodents. In places where the soil is wet and full of fungi and insect pathogens, it also keeps the plant from getting hurt. Dr. Tewksbury found that in countries like Bolivia, chile plants that grow in wet climates are hotter. The number of insect bites on the chile fruit was directly related to how hot the plants were. In general, plants that were hotter did not get damaged as much as plants that were not as hot.
Capsaicin, a spicy player
The highest concentration of capsaicin is located in the placenta of the chile fruit—the soft and fleshy pale area close to the stem and in the seeds. In mammals, including humans, the capsaicin molecule binds a receptor called TRPV1, or transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 ion channel. This binding sends an electrochemical signal that irritates the nerves, which the brain interprets as heat and pain.
The brain gets confused by the response from the nerve receptors. Your body temperature doesn’t go up, but your mouth may feel like it’s on fire. You’ll likely start sweating, too; that’s the body’s way of trying to cool you down. The first thing that might come to mind is to drink a glass of ice-cold water to quench your thirst. However, if you’ve seen any episode of Hot Ones, you know that drinking water usually doesn’t help and only makes things worse.
Chile plant growers, scientists, and agricultural organizations use various ways to determine the heat level in chiles. In 1912, American pharmacist Wilbur Scoville created the Scoville test to grade the intensity of heat experienced by a person when eating chiles. Seeing as this test is a sensory test, or an organoleptic test, that measures a person’s response to a substance, the results are subjective.
That’s why most Scoville Heat Units (SHU) for chiles are reported in ranges. Between 855,000 and 1,041,427 Scoville units are found in the ghost pepper, which is very hot. Mild peppers like poblanos have between 1,000 and 1,500 units. The hottest upper limit is defined by pure capsaicin, which has a pungency of about 16 million SHU.
How to Smoke Pork Butt / How to Make Pulled Pork Recipe
FAQ
How to fix too spicy pulled pork?
How to neutralize spicy pork?
What neutralizes extremely spicy food?
What cancels out spicy taste?
What is a good dry rub for pressure cooker pulled pork?
The dry rub for this pressure cooker pulled pork recipe consists of paprika, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. There’s NO sugar, and it’s not spicy at all, so it’s family-friendly and super versatile to use any way you like. Of course, you can make it spicy by adding cayenne pepper or chipotle powder to the dry rub.
How do you cook pulled pork in the oven?
Follow these steps for optimal results: Preheat your oven to 250°F (120°C). Place the pulled pork in an oven-safe dish or tray, covering it with aluminum foil to trap moisture. Heat the pork in the oven for approximately 30-45 minutes, or until it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C).
Can you freeze pulled pork?
Freezing pulled pork is a great way to stretch your dollars and your time! Allow the shredded pork to cool completely and package it into airtight, freezer-safe containers. Freeze the pulled pork for up to 3 months or longer if vacuum sealed. To thaw, transfer to the refrigerator overnight, then heat and serve.
Can You reheat pulled pork?
Preferably you can reheat this on the smoker but it will also work fine in the oven or even over the stop top or grill. Place the meat into foil pans or even large cast iron skillets like I did. If you have reserved juices then pour that evenly over the top of the pulled pork.