Had the day off yesterday and decided to smoke a pork butt. As usual with me, just a small 4 pounder. That really is the perfect size for me. More than enough meat for several meals and keeps the cook time to about 8 hours or so which is perfect.
Anyways, decided to try things a little different this time. Made a fresh batch of rub but the first difference was this time only put a little brown sugar in the rub mixture. Decided to apply the brown sugar to the butt separately so I can use the same rub for beef etc. Also this way I could sprinkle a little rub back into the meat after its pulled which is a recommendation someone made that I wanted to try. I didn't want to do that with a ton of brown sugar in it though.
So to prep the butt I coated it with garlic olive oil instead of mustard (another recommendation I wanted to try), then applied a generous amount of rub all over. Next was a layer of brown sugar, then another light coating of the rub. Wrapped it in plastic wrap and in to the fridge to rest.
Decided to try cooking at a lower temp this time so I set the MES 30 to 225 (I usually set to 275). The Mav ET732 which I have tested and is pretty much dead on with ice and the boiling water tests shows the smoker display is actually reading about 25 degrees lower than the Mav shows. the MES shows 225, but the 732 shows its actually about 250.
Once the MES was preheated I put the butt in and got the AMNPS lit. I don't know why but I had some problems getting the AMNPS going this time. Kept having to pull it out and hit it with the torch again. Anyways, I finally got it going and the TBS was flowing nicely.
This time I decided to try putting apple juice in the water pan, about 2 cups (put in when I started the pre-heating). After the butt hit 100 degrees I I sprayed it with apple juice one an hour up to about 175 and also kept a watch on the water pan which I refilled once during the cook. Decided no to spray anymore after 175 to try and let the bark harden.
I also decided to try the no foil route this time and I cooked to about 198 instead of the 205 I had been cooking to. I kept the AMNPS blowing smoke all the up to 198. Pulled it out of the smoker at 198, wrapped in double foil, two towels and in to a cooler for an hour an a half. Then pulled it out and pulled it. While the butt was in the cooler I put more apple juice in the water pan which had dried out and put that back in the smoker to marinate with the condensed drippings.
It turned out REALLY well. Beautiful bark thanks to the longer smoke and it pretty much fell apart just picking at it with a pair of tongs. Pulled the bone right out, clean as a whistle. The meat also had a deep pink color much farther in than I've previously gotten, at least 2.5 inches in to the center. After pulling I drizzled a little of the apple juice/drippings marinade, sprinkled a little of the rub in and mixed it all together.
I'm new to smoking and this is the 3rd butt I've done and by far the best. As usual, I'll be making a pulled pork pizza with left overs tonight (my favorite use of left over pork).
And now for the Q-view
The naked butt:
Please see the pic at the very bottom for the first coating of rub. It moved that pic to the bottom after I uploaded them all and I cant seem to move it back in order (irritating!)
Brown sugar added after the first coating of rub:
A light second coating of rub over the brown sugar (very light):
Wrapped in plastic and ready for the fridge:
In to the smoker to start the cook:
Just before the first spritz at about 104;
Just before the second spritz (didn't take any more after that pic, I should have)
Pulled out at 198 and foiled for the cooler:
Pulled with just a pair of tongs:
And served. Kept it simple this time, On a piece of white bread, with home made sauce and just some beans (Decided to ditch the garlic bread and baked potato this time).
The first coating of rub. Can't figure out how to move this pic as the second pic.
Anyways, thats it. Hope you like the pics as much as I liked the meat! LOL
Anyways, decided to try things a little different this time. Made a fresh batch of rub but the first difference was this time only put a little brown sugar in the rub mixture. Decided to apply the brown sugar to the butt separately so I can use the same rub for beef etc. Also this way I could sprinkle a little rub back into the meat after its pulled which is a recommendation someone made that I wanted to try. I didn't want to do that with a ton of brown sugar in it though.
So to prep the butt I coated it with garlic olive oil instead of mustard (another recommendation I wanted to try), then applied a generous amount of rub all over. Next was a layer of brown sugar, then another light coating of the rub. Wrapped it in plastic wrap and in to the fridge to rest.
Decided to try cooking at a lower temp this time so I set the MES 30 to 225 (I usually set to 275). The Mav ET732 which I have tested and is pretty much dead on with ice and the boiling water tests shows the smoker display is actually reading about 25 degrees lower than the Mav shows. the MES shows 225, but the 732 shows its actually about 250.
Once the MES was preheated I put the butt in and got the AMNPS lit. I don't know why but I had some problems getting the AMNPS going this time. Kept having to pull it out and hit it with the torch again. Anyways, I finally got it going and the TBS was flowing nicely.
This time I decided to try putting apple juice in the water pan, about 2 cups (put in when I started the pre-heating). After the butt hit 100 degrees I I sprayed it with apple juice one an hour up to about 175 and also kept a watch on the water pan which I refilled once during the cook. Decided no to spray anymore after 175 to try and let the bark harden.
I also decided to try the no foil route this time and I cooked to about 198 instead of the 205 I had been cooking to. I kept the AMNPS blowing smoke all the up to 198. Pulled it out of the smoker at 198, wrapped in double foil, two towels and in to a cooler for an hour an a half. Then pulled it out and pulled it. While the butt was in the cooler I put more apple juice in the water pan which had dried out and put that back in the smoker to marinate with the condensed drippings.
It turned out REALLY well. Beautiful bark thanks to the longer smoke and it pretty much fell apart just picking at it with a pair of tongs. Pulled the bone right out, clean as a whistle. The meat also had a deep pink color much farther in than I've previously gotten, at least 2.5 inches in to the center. After pulling I drizzled a little of the apple juice/drippings marinade, sprinkled a little of the rub in and mixed it all together.
I'm new to smoking and this is the 3rd butt I've done and by far the best. As usual, I'll be making a pulled pork pizza with left overs tonight (my favorite use of left over pork).
And now for the Q-view
The naked butt:
Please see the pic at the very bottom for the first coating of rub. It moved that pic to the bottom after I uploaded them all and I cant seem to move it back in order (irritating!)
Brown sugar added after the first coating of rub:
A light second coating of rub over the brown sugar (very light):
Wrapped in plastic and ready for the fridge:
In to the smoker to start the cook:
Just before the first spritz at about 104;
Just before the second spritz (didn't take any more after that pic, I should have)
Pulled out at 198 and foiled for the cooler:
Pulled with just a pair of tongs:
And served. Kept it simple this time, On a piece of white bread, with home made sauce and just some beans (Decided to ditch the garlic bread and baked potato this time).
The first coating of rub. Can't figure out how to move this pic as the second pic.
Anyways, thats it. Hope you like the pics as much as I liked the meat! LOL
