Pulled pork FLUB!!!

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smoknrookie

Fire Starter
Original poster
Jul 6, 2008
30
10
Well I have tried two different times now to make some pulled pork. The first time I used a butt from the store and this time I used a shoulder roast from a hog me and my wife had processed from the farm.. I havent been able to get them to point that you can actually call them PULLED pork. Both times the meat has had a really good taste the shoulder was better than butt, it had to much fat in it for me.. This time I followed the sticky from the PORK section, cooked to 165*, foil wrapped cooked till 195* and then set to the side for about an hour.. It was easy to cut and some of it did kind of pull apart but not enough to really call it pulled pork.. I feel like I am missing something can someone PLEASE lead me in the right direction.. THANKS
 
cook it to 200-205. Might just be all ya need to do. Thats what I do and they just about pull themselves!
 
What Dan said.

Here is the real secret. Did you add a little liquid? That is the stage called Braising. I think this is not uderstood by many people. Read more about it here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Braising

Good luck!!
 
I'm with Dan and Krusher. Take em to 200 minimum in the foil and at least one hour off the heat in the cooler. Make sure you are wrapping the meat in foil real good. You can tell if you are or not by the amount of juice in the bottom of the foil when you open it. Ya need that liquid to achieve the "braising" effect that makes that big hunk o' meat simply fall apart. Don't give up!
 
Rook, how long did u cook for? Im guessing that you know low and slow is the way to go since u belong. The last butt that i smoked took 15.5 hrs @ 230*-250* at the center of the grate, no foil and it fell apart on the walk to the kitchen. i know it is kinda pricey, but practice, practice, practice. You will see improvements.
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Like everyone has already said, go to at least 200F and rest wrapped in towels or in a cooler if possible. This helps it hold heat and continue cooking and reabsorbing moisture. Have you checked the temp of your grill with an oven thermometer? The door thermometers are notoriously inaccurate. Also, you didnt say whether or not you used liquid when you foiled. I use a mixture of pineapple juice, Worcestershire, garlic, cracked pepper, and olive oil. Even just simple apple juice will work. If you have done all this, you may have just had a bad piece of meat. Dont give up! Keep practicing and you will get it. I know that most of the Shoulders that I have done have gone in fatty but after smoking for the 10-12 hours it takes to reach 200F, the fat is almost all melted. Good Luck.
 
Sounds like yall doin everthin bout right, make sure yer probe is deep inta the meat but not touchin bone as the bone will transfer heat faster then the meat be cookin.

Da ya spritz with anythin? A good spritz heps too. I personally foil mine just as you have, cooked ta 195 an inta a cooler, here is a little seceret I've started doin lately, use a personal size cooler, not a great big one. Less space ta heat up. Let rest longer then an hour ifin yall can, I go two if possible, just makes it a bit easier.

Test all yer thermometers ta be sure they are indeed accurate. Put in boilin water an see ifin they get near 212* (depened on how high a ground yall live on). Ya can also put em in cold water (ice water) ta check the low point, but low ain't as important as the high.

Hope it comes round fer ya!
 
I did add some liquid it was just some straight appple juice.. I did not wrap in towels and put in cooler like you all have said to do , does this really make that big of a difference??? I apreciate everyone for giving me thier input, and don't worry I don't plan on giving up at least not that easy...
 
I think it's more that you didn't quite go all the way (you know what I mean). That last 5 - 10 degrees makes all of the diff. Of course, resting helps as well. It helps redistribute the juices and keeps it moist.

The wrapping in towels and cooler is a way to make sure that it rests over a good period of time. If your oven goes as low as 150, you could just stick it foiled in there for a while (probably won't need to be as long as if you let it rest at its own temp, so be careful and don't overdo it). Just make sure that you don't pull it from the smoker until it hits at least 200.

Just my two cents.
 
A recommendation for the cooler...

I use one of the gatorade coolers that you put drinks into.

A whole shoulder or butt wrapped in a beach towel fits perfectly and snugly into one of those things.

As someone else mentioned. Make sure you are cooking at a low temperature. I go to 165 in the smoker, take out and foil and into the oven at 250 until it hits 200 internal then pull out wrap in towel and into gatorade drink cooler.

After an hour or two I take it out and it is about as tender as you can imagine. For braising and misting, I usually use apple SAUCE and mop it on there each hour once the bark starts forming. This lasts a lot longer than the juice that evaporates faster than it soaks in/keeps moist. When foiling I use Apple Juice and Orange Juice inside the foil since it usually doesn't get out.

I had the same thing happen on the first one I did but everyone since then has been perfecto.
 
I myself learned of the towel and cooler method right here on this site. All I can say is yes it most certainly does make a difference in my opinion. I leave mine a good couple of hours after I pull it from the oven. I had some of the same problems you did, I just kept tweaking the process. All I use is stock silver smoker, no mods. I use two thermometers. One in the meat and one stuck through a cork and wedged in the cooking grate close to the meat so I can see the true temp at meat level (another trick I learned here). I actually like to run my temp at about 245-250. When I do that it takes me 6-6.5 hours of good smoking to bring the temp of meat to 165. Then I double wrap in foil and put it in the oven at 240. It takes about 6 hours to get to 200-205. Then in the towels and in the cooler for 2 more hours. I always start with about a 7.5lb butt. This method makes the meat just fall apart when I'm pulling it. Even that isn't good enough for men. I usually never eat it right then. I store it in ziplocks (1-2 lbs per bag) and don't start eating on it until the next day. For reheating I even cheat and transfer the meat from the ziploc storage bag to a ziploc steamer bag then heat in the microwave for about 4 minutes. The meat will be so tender and moist without a hint of greasiness.

All this I learned right here from our BBQ buddies.
 
I was wondering how those steamer bags would work for reheating pulled pork. Thanks for sharing that tip, KBLBBQ!
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Smoknrookie. All good advice so far. 205 internal temp foil wrap, towel wrap and in cooler for at least a couple hours.( i have held it in a cooler for up to 8 hours and the butt maintained a internal temp of 175.) smoke low and slow I smoke at 225 to 240 deg. Plan for a long plateau. ( it has taken me over 24 hours for a 9.5 lb butt. Remember each butt is different and will take different times. Best thing to do is have a fridge full of barley pops Comfy chair, favorite tunes on the noise box and a few good friends and make a long night of it. just enjoy the ride
 
It sounds like you all know what you are talking about.. I am going to give it another shot this week and we will see what happens.. I will keep you posted on the outcome.. I will deffinitely give the towel wrap and in the cooler a shot this time, it sounds like you all agree that it does make difference.. Thanks for the info..
 
I'm a bit late to the party, but the longer you can keep it in the cooler, the better! (*within reason of course, a few hours is all good!)
The fat and braising juice are all in that foil. It will continue to cook when wrapped up in the towels and cooler and that juice will keep things nice and moist; be sure to use oven mitts when taking it out cuz it will be hot!
 
I think the only way for me to properly help would be for you to send me a butt and a shoulder from your farm so I can give them a try and give you proper feedback.
 
You may have cooked it at too high of a temp. You want to cook at 225-250 range for a LONG time. I do mine overnight. Double check the accuracy of your thermometers. Check your digital thermo in boiling water...should read 212 at sea level. Check the thermo on your cooker with your freshly calibrated digital to see if they match.

Then pick up another butt and get back at it!!! Good luck and have fun!
 
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