300 for Pulled Pork?

[Colin1230]

When I'm doing a butt, if the pit temp gets to 300* I will tweek it back a bit early in the cook. Otherwise, I leave it the ef alone. They've all been good.

 

[forktender]

I run mine at 275 and they are great. And dont take forever and a day.

Same here Dave, they turn out great @275*

 

[wisconsin ram]

Today I saw a guy on Youtube recommending 300 degrees for pulled pork. I have chosen not to smoke butts sometimes because of the time involved, but he is claiming he gets top results in a few hours. He actually showed himself pulling a pork butt open, and it seems pretty clear his method worked.

Anyone else here try this?

I cook pork roast at 300, and it falls apart after three hours, so I shouldn't be surprised to see this.

Been smoking Pork Butts at 275 to 300 every since I got my Shirley back in 2019 It likes to run between 275 and 300

 

[Count Porcula]

Today I'm doing what I can to implement the Reed method on a 4-lb. butt, using the Smokin-It. The smoking phase is over. Actually had bark on top, but the sides and bottom, not so much.

I twisted the knob all the way, and right now I am seeing 283 degrees. I didn't bother measuring the temperature during the smoking.

I used 2.5 ounces of hickory. I have a smoke tube on the way to see if it makes any difference in the future.

I should be able to do another run on Monday with the new WSM. As luck would have it, Publix is doing BOGO butts, so that helps.

 

[Count Porcula]

Well, I learned some things today. The Reed method is not going to work in a Smokin-It. I see why he uses a UDS. If I were doing this again, I would just smoke the meat uncovered until it was tender and serve it.

When I took the meat out of the cooler at 165, it was swimming in grease and juice. When we ate it, it was pretty juicy, but I would call it soggy.

I usually take pulled pork and fry it in a big skillet with onions. I add sauce when it's a little browned, and I toss in some bourbon and light it. It has always been fantastic. I'm sure this pork would have been fantastic that way, too, but all I did this time was slap it on a plate and eat it with sauce, and it was okay but not great.

I had heard people talk about smoking corn on the cob. I decided to give it a shot. I put three ears in the smoker with butter and salt, and they tasted like creosote when they came out after 25 minutes. Either there is more to it than salt and butter, or smoked corn is a stupid idea.

 

[InstinCure]

If you want it leaner, you could smoke it fat cap down before wrapping. After the rest, transfer to any baking sheet with raised sides. Ripping off the fat cap and discarding, and then when pulling, try to grab each separate chunk of muscle, discarding as much slimy connective tissue as you wish. Add back in any liquid fat/ juice from the rest.

I like crispy bark and usually separate a butt into a few pieces, while also running 275-325* , to get a ton of surface area, have time for a good rest, and ready to eat 8-10hrs after lighting the coals.

 

[Count Porcula]

I went back and looked into butt smokes of yore, and I found out I got way better results than this.

According to a post on this very site, I took a 6-pound butt and smoked it using 6 ounces of wood. When the smoke quit, I put it on a broiler pan, covered it with foil, and baked it in the oven at 225. When the inside hit about 280, I went to 275. When it hit 195, I took the foil off and set the oven to 350. I was extremely happy with the results. They say you can't get bark with an electric, but the photo I took looks good.

I guess I'll quit playing around, trying to make Malcom Reed's UDS recipe work on a Smokin-It. I'll save it for the new WSM.

I have another butt, so tomorrow I plan to put it in the WSM at 300 and then try to do something similar to the broiler pan method, except I'll start out with the butt directly over the charcoal, like Malcom Reed.

 

[uncle eddie]

Never tried higher temps...I have wrapped PB to speed things up though.

I normally stay with low and slow, at 225F, and put it in the smoker the night before around 9 AM...
Depending on the cut, it may be done at 11 AM to 4 PM the following day while always planning for supper at 5 PM.
I just adjust the 'rest' and pull it at 4:45 PM.
Once, even after a 5 hour rest, my PB was still at 165F when I pulled it.

 

[InstinCure]

I went back and looked into butt smokes of yore, and I found out I got way better results than this.

According to a post on this very site, I took a 6-pound butt and smoked it using 6 ounces of wood. When the smoke quit, I put it on a broiler pan, covered it with foil, and baked it in the oven at 225. When the inside hit about 280, I went to 275. When it hit 195, I took the foil off and set the oven to 350. I was extremely happy with the results. They say you can't get bark with an electric, but the photo I took looks good.

I guess I'll quit playing around, trying to make Malcom Reed's UDS recipe work on a Smokin-It. I'll save it for the new WSM.

I have another butt, so tomorrow I plan to put it in the WSM at 300 and then try to do something similar to the broiler pan method, except I'll start out with the butt directly over the charcoal, like Malcom Reed.

I am sure you'll be extremely happy with the flavor using a WSM, regardless of temps, and the WSM's ease of use. Minion method arrangement of coals/wood, waiting til the coals are totally white and ashed over, dump in center. Wait for thin blue or invisible smoke.

I throw in a chunk of wood on top of the chimney when the top coals start greying, as opposed to dumping lit coals directly onto a wood chunk or vice versa.

Search "Harry Soo WSM" on YouTube in the mean time, he is often regarded as the WSM guru.

 

[Count Porcula]

I don't think I hurt it too much. It looks and smells very good. Not sure I smoked it long enough. It looks a little darker in person.

It's in the oven now at 300 on the broiler pan under foil. I just don't like the soup I got with wrapping. Guess I need to learn more about that.

 

[Count Porcula]

It smells unbelievable in here. It smells great when I use the Smokin-It, but this is a new level. I wonder if the food will live up to the smell.

I am trying to find out whether the cooler stage is really necessary. Far as I know, the meat will be finished when I hit 200 degrees, so I don't think letting it cool slowly will improve it. Am I wrong? Seems to me I should be able to cool it on the counter and pull at 160.

 

[Count Porcula]

This is the best barbecue I have ever had in my life. I have eaten at great restaurants. I have made my own for years. I've even had expensive Chinese pork in Singapore. I thought I had had good pulled pork. This stuff is from another planet. I can't believe it.

Tender, juicy, nice smoke ring, gentle smoke flavor that seems to go all through the meat, chewy, delicious candy-like bark, aroma straight from heaven...I didn't know what pulled pork could be until today.

If it's this good when I screwed up so badly, what is it going to be like when I actually know how to use the smoker? What must a competition-winning butt be like? What are people making that I don't even know about?

There is NO way to make this happen in the Smokin-It as far as I know. I am sold on the WSM. I have to do spare ribs next.

Thanks for all the help.

 

[chopsaw]

Happy it turned out . Enjoy .

 

[Count Porcula]

Now, of course, I am looking for improvement.

While it was juicy, it could have been more juicy. It stalled at 199 for a very long time while I was baking it in the oven on the broiler pan under foil. I am wondering if that dried it out. Maybe I should have taken it out sooner.

Also wondering if I should have brined it.

It would have been nice if the meat inside were a little saltier. Should I salt the next one the night before I smoke, or is brining the way?

 

[sandyut]

Did you add the finishing sauce?

 

[Count Porcula]

I made a vinegar sauce long ago, and it was sitting in the fridge, so I wet the top of the butt with it when I put it on the broiler pan.

 

[InstinCure]

Now, of course, I am looking for improvement.

While it was juicy, it could have been more juicy. It stalled at 199 for a very long time while I was baking it in the oven on the broiler pan under foil. I am wondering if that dried it out. Maybe I should have taken it out sooner.

Also wondering if I should have brined it.

It would have been nice if the meat inside were a little saltier. Should I salt the next one the night before I smoke, or is brining the way?

You could try wrapping just the butt in foil vs the whole pan.

Did you add the "soup" back in? That is more important than all the jelly fat/connective tissue you see when pulling.

The more you shred it, the more evenly fat coats each meat fiber, means less super juicy bites into large in-tact chunks of a very rough chopped butt

 

[Count Porcula]

I have never shredded pulled pork. I didn't know I was supposed to. I cut it in little chunks. Then I fry onions in lard, throw the meat in, brown it with the onions, and stir it all up with sauce and celery seed. Then I toss in bourbon or JD, light it, let it go out, and stir it some more.

 

[InstinCure]

I like it chunky too. Definitely helps for reheating. There's bear claw things to shred, some use forks. Somewhere in the Carolinas (I think) it's a regional thing to chop so fine they brag about it being mixed with the wood dust from the chopping block, LOL. I don't think "supposed to" exists, other than when trying to replicate.

I mix in a lot more rub when pulling it, and then when frying it. sometimes sauce. I cure virtually all of my butts (and pretty much all other pork, smoked poultry) using varying adjustments of "Pop's Brine". Check out the hot smoked bacon forum for more on that!

 

[zwiller]

I have never shredded pulled pork. I didn't know I was supposed to. I cut it in little chunks. Then I fry onions in lard, throw the meat in, brown it with the onions, and stir it all up with sauce and celery seed. Then I toss in bourbon or JD, light it, let it go out, and stir it some more.

EWWW. Might as well make the thing in a crock pot then!