Losing the juice

[nater3]

I am guessing I am not the only one who this has happened to. A couple of times when doing pulled pork I have had the foil tear on me when removing them from the smoker and lost most or all of my juices from the butt. I personally think the meat doesn't taste near as good without being able to roll it through the fat/juices/seasoning. I think the taste is decreased enough that I almost don't even like serving it when this happens. Does anyone else feel that the juices contained in the foil are liquid gold as I do? I now will always foil my butts in the heavy duty foil pans with foil over the top. Of course my two labs always love when these delicious juices are spilled all over the front of my smoker and on my deck. :)

 

[oneshot]

I'll bet the coons and possums are yer fans too. lol
Are you double layer foiling yer meat??? I always use at least 2 if not 3 layers of foil to wrap the meat in. Then when I pull it to rest I rewrap it and add some apple juice for added moisture. You can try adding some apple juice when wrapping and then wrap it in a towel and put it into a cooler to rest for a couple of hours. That should give you enough flavored juice to add to the pulled pork.

 

[tacman]

I have not tried a pork butt yet but have one in the freezer (like planning ahead) for may be this weekend. You brought up a good point regarding the juices and it got me to thinking about placing a drip pan under the pork just before removing the butts just in case the foil rips..just a thought.

 

[ronp]

I always put it in double foil disposable foil pans and foil. I always have a drip pan under the meat with aujus and some thinly sliced onions and put the meat in that.

When pulling, put the aujus in the freezer and skim the fat off and add to the pulled pork.

You will love it.

 

[rivet]

I never foil my butts, but as a professionally trained chef once told me..."Fat is flavor!" Use a foil pan underneath to collect the drippings.

 

[deltadude]

Ok so you can't get fancy and add meat juice. Yes its the better way to go, just as Ronp describes.

Just get your favorite BBQ sauce heat it in the Micro, maybe add a little vinegar and start tossing your meat with the sauce. I usually don't fool around too much making sauces, I use Cattlemans, heck if most the restaurants in the US can use it so can I. If you think you are still missing flavor, add some heat, heat usually can cover missing flavor. For heat I like to use Franks wing sauce, if you don't have Franks use cayenne and butter. I use about 3 to 1 to 1 sauce to franks to honey.
My 2 basic sauces using Cattlemans
for Ribs, 4 to 1 sauce to honey, and for a hotter spicier sauce the above.

 

[pignit]

If your PP is too dry and your not a fan of finishing sauce to moisten it up, keep you a box of good beef broth in the fridge. Add it to the PP when you pull it. It works great when you loose your drippings or if you need more moisture than the drippings give ya. It also adds flavor.

 

[the dude abides]

The foil pan will certainly work, and better than what I normally do. I usually double wrap mine in aluminum foil and always make sure to use a quality brand name and make sure it say's "Heavy Duty Aluminum Foil"

 

[plj]

Well, yes, but only to a point. I find that too much of the juice is just that - too much. So I dump most of it, only add about 1/4 back into the pulled meat, then add the vinegar finishing sauce. I think that gives me the best combination of flavor, texture, moisture.

 

[funkadelic73]

In a pinch, a little beer will do the trick.

 

[nomorecoop]

The foil is tearing from the dried leftover chunks of meat on the grates.

In my GOSM, when I foil, I use a different (clean) grate & have not torn the foil since.

 

[jirodriguez]

Second the disposable foil pans... they are tough enough to not break apart when you move them around

Also agree a finishing sauce or the BBQ sauce cut with apple juice and cider work wonders! I use Sweey Baby Rays - 2 cups BBQ sauce, 1 1/2 cups apple juice, & 1/2 to 1 cup apple cider vinegar (realy good sauce on ribs to

)

 

[mballi3011]

I do the double foil trick and then the foil pan to caught what I can Fat is flavor doesn't even touch how good the dripping are.

 

[athabaskar]

I'm with The Dude. Heavy duty aluminum foil does the trick and it is a whole lot cheaper in the long run than disposable aluminum pans. Even rib bones rarely poke through and then only if they are man-killer sharp.

I like the sauce ideas and I agree with using the cooking juices to add back after pulling but in my book you can't beat Stubbs family of sauces.

 

[tasunkawitko]

i don't foil pork shoulder until it is done, but while it is in the smoker i do put drip pans underneath to collect the drippings. i put it in a jar or something and in the freezer to de-fat while the pork is resting and wash the drip pans for use with the enxt smoke. good stuff and lots of flavor is added to the product.