The "Cult of the Bark"

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grillmonkey

Smoking Fanatic
Original poster
Jun 15, 2014
850
80
Twin City, GA
When I started the thread "Why Dry Rub? Why Not Just Season The Pulled Pork After It's Done?", I uncovered a smoking subculture of bark fanatics that I suspected existed, but it took the thread to draw them out in the open. Now that they are exposed, I think that they need to be identified in such a way that unsuspecting posters will know who they are. Like I said, I suspected they existed, but not knowing who they were, I was unwittingly drawn into their cult, from which there is no escape. Had they been identified in some way, such as a tag by their avatar, I may have been able to resist their pull.

We all need to demand that this "Cult of the Bark" (named so by Noboundaries) be tagged on this site for identification purposes, to protect those who may not want to be converted.
 
Now that I've given a moniker to the caramelized robe of sugar and spices I guess I'd better give it a another try.  With one exception (spares), and one early smoked "yawner" of an unwrapped PP, I've always been a wrapper.  Today I won't wrap that 8 lbs of beautiful pig shoulder muscle in the fridge.  I'll share my "conversion" experience on Sunday. 

Now, as far as the identification tag............hmmm.
 
Huh...I guess I'm guilty of being an advocate for creating heavy and crisp bark.

@Noboundaries: you can take it two steps further, beyond not foiling in the smoker: the Wet-to-Dry Smoke Chamber Method also incorporates playing with humidity during hot-smoking to balance smoke reaction and development of bark, as well as utilizing a breathable resting to preserve the bark's true character.

@Grillmonkey: if this cult of the bark were real, it would be my first to be a member of...I may as well suck it up and go with flow...
biggrin.gif
...as for tags, I'd like mine to read "beware: this is where bark begins".

Eric
 
 
Huh...I guess I'm guilty of being an advocate for creating heavy and crisp bark.

@Noboundaries: you can take it two steps further, beyond not foiling in the smoker: the Wet-to-Dry Smoke Chamber Method also incorporates playing with humidity during hot-smoking to balance smoke reaction and development of bark, as well as utilizing a breathable resting to preserve the bark's true character.

@Grillmonkey: if this cult of the bark were real, it would be my first to be a member of...I may as well suck it up and go with flow...
biggrin.gif
...as for tags, I'd like mine to read "beware: this is where bark begins".

Eric
Eric, I picked that up that wet-to-dry suggestion a while back on a rib thread.  If it was your idea, it's a winner!  I've been doing that with just about everything from ribs to sausages (when I remember to use water). 

"Don't bark if you can't bite" will be my new tag if I become a convert.  I'll explain later.

Ray 
 
I am a bark lover.

Maybe     " Barkin like a big dog"?
 
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I'm breaking all my habitual butt preps with the 8 lb'er I put on the WSM 20 minutes ago (8PM).  We'll see what all the barking is about.  I used mustard as a base instead of EVOO.  I did not brine or inject.  Smoking at 225F instead of 275F.  Wet smoking (or wet to dry) instead of dry smoking only.  Overnight smoke instead of daytime.  And no wrapping.  We'll see if I succumb to the Bark Side. 
 
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I'm breaking all my habitual butt preps with the 8 lb'er I put on the WSM 20 minutes ago (8PM).  We'll what all the barking is about.  I used mustard as a base instead of EVOO.  I did not brine or inject.  Smoking at 225F instead of 275F.  Wet smoking (or wet to dry) instead of dry smoking only.  Overnight smoke instead of daytime.  And no wrapping.  We'll see if I succumb to the Bark Side. 

Doing a thread on it? I would like to see it
 
Still going.  14.5 hours, IT of 185F.  Absolutely no peeking except to snap the pic below.  Come on 203F IT.  Still at least 2-3 hours away most likely.  Will the bark be worth the wait?  We'll know soon enough.

Love the Guru on the WSM BTW.  Basically hands off.  Just checked the fuel load and I could easily go another 15 hours or more.  Only one small top vent adjustment when I woke up for my nightly evacuation at 3:30 AM and the water pan had simmered dry.  Chamber temp had climbed to 238F.  Made the adjustment and the chamber temp was back at 225F when I woke up this morning. 

 
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Still going.  14.5 hours, IT of 185F.  Absolutely no peeking except to snap the pic below.  Come on 203F IT.  Still at least 2-3 hours away most likely.  Will the bark be worth the wait?  We'll know soon enough.

Love the Guru on the WSM BTW.  Basically hands off.  Just checked the fuel load and I could easily go another 15 hours or more.  Only one small top vent adjustment when I woke up for my nightly evacuation at 3:30 AM and the water pan had simmered dry.  Chamber temp had climbed to 238F.  Made the adjustment and the chamber temp was back at 225F when I woke up this morning. 



That's lookin very cultish indeed!!! :bluesbros: :police2:
 
17 hrs, 10 minutes to 203 IT.  Basically it wanted to fall apart as I took if off the WSM.  A piece of bark separated from the butt as I was transferring it to a pan.  Somehow it found its way to my mouth.  That bark was pretty friggn' AWESOME!!!  Now I get it with the crispy bark.  A piece of the pork jumped in my mouth too with the bark.  Wow.  Juicy and flavorful.  It's all resting now.

"Pork, I am your Barker!" 

I've succumbed to the Bark Side.  

 
 
17 hrs, 10 minutes to 203 IT.  Basically it wanted to fall apart as I took if off the WSM.  A piece of bark separated from the butt as I was transferring it to a pan.  Somehow it found its way to my mouth.  That bark was pretty friggn' AWESOME!!!  Now I get it with the crispy bark.  A piece of the pork jumped in my mouth too with the bark.  Wow.  Juicy and flavorful.  It's all resting now.

"Pork, I am your Barker!" 

I've succumbed to the Bark Side.  
What are your friends and family going to say now that you're in a cult?
 
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