HELP! Pulled Pork EMERGENCY!

vbgore · May 23, 2014

I have just been tagged to do 18 lbs of pulled pork for a wedding TOMORROW at 5 pm...18 lbs @ 1.5 hours a pound is 27 hours. I'm no math wiz but between now 9PM is CST and 5PM CST tomorrow is only 20 hours. How can I make sure the butt is done and ready to pull by 5? Can I just turn up the heat some? SO instead of 225-250 ish maybe like 300? PLEASE help! I need this to come out right as many are depending on me. Any tips, tricks to speed this up I need to know RIGHT NOW!!! Thanks in advance.

pineywoods · May 23, 2014

Smoke at 250 and leave the smoker closed (no Peeking) check temps at 4 hours then when you get 160 internal foil tight and right back into smoker

rdknb · May 23, 2014

Piney has you covered. Good Luck

vbgore · May 23, 2014

How will foiling effect the bark? Also I'm using a Traeger wood pellet...and sometimes on longer smokes it gets too much ash in the fire box and I have to remove everything and clean it...any suggestions? ALso I use a digital remote thermometer so temp no prob...following Piney's instructions 5PM will work? I mean as long as it gets to 180 internal Im good right?

rdknb · May 23, 2014

you really want it to go to 205 to pull, but you can slice it at 180. Bark my be a little softer with foiling, but you are pushing it on times anyway so it will be what it is.

vbgore · May 23, 2014

205..yeah ur right! Quick question...when wrapping in foil should i put them in a roasting pan and cover with foil or wrap the but itsself in foil and put on the rack. Lastly...once covered in foil, the smoke becomes a non factor...so why not put it in an oven where I can better control the heat? You expertise is greatly appreciated and I appreciate your take on this!

smokey charlie · May 23, 2014

i do that on occasion you can smoke in the smoker for at least 2 hrs then pull finish off in the oven 225
i do this when we have alot of company over freinds and family

im doing it this weekend Saturday night in fact
i have 2 butts im gona smoke when i get off work for 2 hrs in the smoker then into the oven for Sunday dinner at noon
thell cook all night

good luck
Cheers!
smokeycharlie

pineywoods · May 23, 2014

vbgore said:
205..yeah ur right! Quick question...when wrapping in foil should i put them in a roasting pan and cover with foil or wrap the but itsself in foil and put on the rack. Lastly...once covered in foil, the smoke becomes a non factor...so why not put it in an oven where I can better control the heat? You expertise is greatly appreciated and I appreciate your take on this!

You can do either I usually wrap in foil then wrap again but a foil pan would work just fine. Just make sure you seal the foil tight either way. You are also correct once it goes into foil you can put it into the oven to finish it won't make a difference you can't get smoke through the foil

worktogthr · May 23, 2014

Smoke at 300! Hot and fast still gives tender and juicy results. I smoke all my butts at that temp!

vbgore · May 23, 2014

Thanks all!

pineywoods · May 23, 2014

Have a good smoke

chef jimmyj · May 23, 2014

Is it a single piece weighing 18lb? Or a total of 18lbs. Cook time is based on the weight of the largest piece whether you are smoking a single 10lb butt or 10, 10lb Butts, 100 pounds of Pork. You always have the option of cutting into smaller pieces. This adds more Bark and saves time. As far as foiling goes, wrap the meat or pan and cover, it's your choice, both work. Yes the bark will soften but all the flavor and color will be there and you will have a more uniform texture to the pulled meat. Besides if you plan to add a Finishing Sauce, " it " will soften the bark in short order anyway. Crisp Bark is only important to those who serve or eat big chunks of it that are cut off and served to the side of the pulled meat. I snag some for myself and anyone of my family that is interested, then work all the rest and that bark flavor into the bulk of the meat. If you put 6+ hours of smoke on the meat getting to the stall and foiling, there is no reason not to go in the Oven to finish. I don't wish to step on any toes, but in my experience, even at a steady 250°F you will still likely see 1.25 to 1.5 hours per pound. I have Roasted hundreds of Pork Butts at 300°F and get 1 hour per pound cook times or less. The meat is still juicy when pulled with only the exterior 1 inch or so being more dry than if the entire cook was at 225. Again once pulled and mixed with Finishing Sauce, there is no difference. Give the recipe below a shot, good stuff and you can add more heat for all the Cajuns at the wedding...JJ

Tangy Pulled Pork Finishing Sauce

This is more of an Eastern North Carolina style Finishing Sauce...

2 C Apple Cider Vinegar

2T Worcestershire Sauce or more to taste

1/4C Brown Sugar

1T Smoked Paprika

2 tsp Granulated Garlic

2 tsp Granulated Onion

2 tsp Fine Grind Black Pepper

1 tsp Celery Salt

1 tsp Cayenne Pepper or Chipotle powder. Add more if you like Heat.

1/2 tsp Grnd Allspice

Optional...Red Pepper Flake or other Hot Pepper for the Chiliheads.

Combine all and whisk well. Let rest, at room temp, a minimum of 30 minutes for the flavors to meld together. Or bring just to a simmer and remove from heat. This will bring out the Red Pepper Flake heat, if using...JJ

demosthenes9 · May 23, 2014

Whoa, hold on, back up and wait a minute. Tell us more about this 18lbs of pulled pork. Is it a whole shoulder (Butt and picnic) ? Is it a cryo pack of butts from Sams, which would actually be 2 butts ?

pineywoods · May 23, 2014

More than likely it's a cryovacked pack with two butts

ak1 · May 23, 2014

If I just got tagged like you did, my reply would have been; "Guess you ain't eatin' pulled pork tomorrow!!!" I don't care who you are.

If it goes bad, you're to blame. Whether it's your fault or not. I'd tell 'em to order KFC.

vbgore · May 23, 2014

Its one HUGE ass 18 pounder cut into two butts...but it's def the same hog...must have been a monster. Based on 2- 9 pounders vs 1- 18 pounder....and based on 1.5 hour per pound...that cuts my time nicely! Thanks. I will leave on smoker 4-5 hours them pan and foil and finish in oven. Thanks ALL!!

demosthenes9 · May 23, 2014

vbgore said:
Its one HUGE ass 18 pounder cut into two butts...but it's def the same hog...must have been a monster. Based on 2- 9 pounders vs 1- 18 pounder....and based on 1.5 hour per pound...that cuts my time nicely! Thanks. I will leave on smoker 4-5 hours them pan and foil and finish in oven. Thanks ALL!!

I'd hate to see the size of the pig that an 18lb butt would come from. It would have to rival Hogzilla. It could very well be from 1 hog though as a "boston butt" is actually the front shoulder, and every hog I have ever seen has had two of them

pork-cuts-carcass.jpg

demosthenes9
May 23, 2014

chef jimmyj · May 23, 2014

That would be one HUGE Piggy! Not likely from a National Packer, it would take up too much space and feed to get that far above market weight. But if it came from a private farm, it could easily be raised long enough to reach that size. I would also think that if it is 1 Butt cut in half, one piece will be nearly or completely Boneless with the bulk or all of the bone in the other...JJ

forluvofsmoke · May 24, 2014

Demosthenes9 said:
vbgore said:

Its one HUGE ass 18 pounder cut into two butts...but it's def the same hog...must have been a monster. Based on 2- 9 pounders vs 1- 18 pounder....and based on 1.5 hour per pound...that cuts my time nicely! Thanks. I will leave on smoker 4-5 hours them pan and foil and finish in oven. Thanks ALL!!

Click to expand...

I'd hate to see the size of the pig that an 18lb butt would come from. It would have to rival Hogzilla. It could very well be from 1 hog though as a "boston butt" is actually the front shoulder, and every hog I have ever seen has had two of them

pork-cuts-carcass.jpg

demosthenes9

May 23, 2014

If I'm not mistaken (I've been wrong before), a boston butt is 1/2 of the shoulder. In other words, you get 4 butts from one hog, or two whole shoulders. I have smoked quite a few butts at 9-10lbs, and 11lb butts are not unheard of...just not a common find in typical grocery chains.

As for the original post, damn, but that's short notice for what usually ends up being a 24hr smoke for me. I don't foil in the smoker anymore, and rest on a rack in a pan with a towel cover instead of foiling whenever possible...hard and heavy bark on PP rules!!!

Hope you can pull it off...have a good smoke!!!

Eric

demosthenes9 · May 24, 2014

forluvofsmoke said:
If I'm not mistaken (I've been wrong before), a boston butt is 1/2 of the shoulder. In other words, you get 4 butts from one hog, or two whole shoulders. I have smoked quite a few butts at 9-10lbs, and 11lb butts are not unheard of...just not a common find in typical grocery chains.

As for the original post, damn, but that's short notice for what usually ends up being a 24hr smoke for me. I don't foil in the smoker anymore, and rest on a rack in a pan with a towel cover instead of foiling whenever possible...hard and heavy bark on PP rules!!!

Hope you can pull it off...have a good smoke!!!

Eric

A Butt is 1/2 of the shoulder. The other half is the "Picnic ham/shoulder". If you pick up a "whole shoulder", it's the butt and the picnic together. As each hog has 2 shoulders, it will yield 2 butts and 2 picnics.

HELP! Pulled Pork EMERGENCY!

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