Pulled pork method

burnz · Jun 30, 2009

I was watching dinners drive ins and dives on the food network the other day. And Someone was making pulled pork. They smoked it for a bit then took it off the smoke and wrapped it in suran wrap then in tinfoil then tossed it in the oven.

Now I was thinking that the plastic wrap / suran wrap (whatever you want to call it) would melt, and I was thinking what the heck is this guy doing??? But he pulled it out of the oven and took off the tinfoil and the suran wrap wasn't melted at all and the pork looked absolutly delicious and juicy.

Has anyone ever tried that when smoking on the smoker? instead of taking it off at 165 and just wrapping in tinfoil, also adding a layer of plastic wrap? I was thinking of trying it on the 4th but I kinda don't want to spend all day smoking something then come to find out when its done that it got infused with the taste of the plastic wrap cause it melted.

smokingauthority · Jun 30, 2009

I've used sarann wrap on ribs a few times, it helps with the tenderness but it's almost like boiling them before hand, I've since quit using it. I do still wrap some foods in foil though, I keep the juices for other things I smoke like venison, never enough fat on that meat to moisturize anything.

bassman · Jun 30, 2009

I have used the plastic wrap/foil technique before. The meat turns out very juicy and tender. It's just more trouble than I want to go through every time.

coffee_junkie · Jun 30, 2009

I've used roasting bags designed to cook roasts inside, in a very hot oven, If I where going to try this method I would use the roasting bag then wrap in foil...just in case.

bigsteve · Jun 30, 2009

Interesting. So you're saying pulled Pork comes out even more juicy and tender than it does when braised in foil? Wow!

bigbaldbbq · Jun 30, 2009

The plastic won't melt till about 375 or so. So if you never take the heat that high it will be ok. I have tried it when holding the meat in a cooler. I have never cooked with it on there.

que-ball · Jul 1, 2009

Doesn't the foil itself prevent the moisture from escaping, especially with a double wrap?

scpatterson · Jul 1, 2009

Pork butts have enough fat inside to keep it from drying out as long as you manage your temps. I have used the foil before but I dont normally use it. Manage the temps and it will come out very juicy and tender

capt dan · Jul 1, 2009

Umm, thats not correct. Celophane or saran wrap will start to melt around 265-270. PVC might make it to 375, but we aint talkin bout that are we.
There are about 6 different kinds of plastics used in cooking. The highest melting point are the utensils like spatulas and pan handles, the least is celophane or saran wrap. A ziplock baggie won't even make it past 275.

fire it up · Jul 1, 2009

Lots of restaurants will cook hotel pan sized batches of things like rice at 325-350ish and even ribs to be steamed. They will wrap with plastic wrap and then tightly with foil. The wrap never melts, it will tear like nothing when you go to rip it off the pan but they will always hold up. As long as you aren't too high a temp.

capt dan · Jul 1, 2009

lay a sheet of saran wrap on your smoker rack or grate next time its at 300 and get back to me! LOL.I don't think you will like the outcome!

billbo · Jul 1, 2009

I'll stick to foil thanks. Something about suran wrap just doesn't sound right even though some say it is ok. That's just me though.

burnz · Jul 1, 2009

hmmm... well kinda getting mixed results here. I haven't quite decided yet, but I think I might try it. Cause how do you know if it'll work unless you try is my point of view. I've got a gas smoker so its easy to control my temps, I keep it right around 225. the highest it might get is 250 but doesn't go beyond that. And if it ruined, oh well, at least I know. I'm cooking a bunch of other stuff, and there's only going to be about 4 of us. So I think I'll give it a shot.

I'll post up the results and let you know if there's any difference between that and just using tinfoil. Or I might be back telling you its a complete disaster :-)

scubadoo97 · Jul 1, 2009

I don't know about saran wrap but Strectch Tite brand will not melt at 300f. How I know this?

Had some boneless skinless chicken breast that had been double wrapped. I unwrapped them, I thought, salt and peppered them and tossed them into a very hot pan. They browned nicely but it became apparent that something wasn't quite right when I flipped them. With the normal shine of a boneless skinless breast and the plastic wrap being well placed without excess the wrap was near invisible. I was also using tongs to handle so couldn't feel it as well. Yes it was a bonehead mistake but the wrap held up to 6-7 min of medium high heat without melting or deforming.

fatback · Jul 1, 2009

alot of people cook ribs that way...I don't know why the plastic wrap doesn't melt, but it just doesn't. One of the more common recipes circulating the internet is allegedly one of Emeril Lagasse's. Go figure.

burnz · Jul 10, 2009

Well I tried it last weekend. I used the saran wrap brand and it melted. It didn't melt into the meat though it just melted onto itself and basically unwrapped itself inside the foil. The meat tasted great still, but it wasn't any better than just wrapping in foil. Probably won't do it again I don't see any benefit to it.

bman62526 · Jul 10, 2009

I agree that if you want the extra tenderness, braising in foil will get you there...no need to even use plastic wrap.

smoke freak · Jul 10, 2009

Amen! Plastic wrap doesnt melt at low temps but that stuff sucks!

tn_bbq · Jul 10, 2009

I saw a guy wrap a shoulder in plastic wrap. He didn't adjust his cooking time and it ended up being overcooked.

pitrow · Jul 10, 2009

You also have to take into account the temperature of what you're wrapping too. If the saran wrap is tightly around a pork butt that's 200 degrees at most then it will never melt, even if the oven temp is 500 degrees.

Very similar to the science experiment where you take a paper cup, put some water in it and put it directly on a flame. The water will boil, but the cup will not burn because the water limits it to 212 degrees and paper needs to be 451 degrees to burn. So even with direct contact to flame, as long as there is water in the cup, it won't burn.

Same thing happens with the saran wrap. As long as it's tightly in contact with the meat, it shouldn't get hot enough to melt.

Pulled pork method

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