Help with Pulled Pork for a crowd - First "dry" run, updated with QVIEW

[teebob2000]

OK so below is the final product.

20130602_124814.jpg

• teebob2000
• Jun 2, 2013

Mixed results, I'm afraid.  One was absolutely PERFECT for tenderness and moisture.  That one reached 198F in the oven before I took it out to rest under foil about 2 hours.  Total cook time between the WSM and the oven for that one was about 14 hours.  That's easily the longest PP smoke I've ever had, I assume that's because I had two in there and they draw the heat energy away from each other?  From now on I'm starting them late at night and finishing up in the morning.  I got to bed around 2 a.m this morning.

After another hour, the second one was still at only 188F but I took it out of the oven and rested anyhow because I took a fork core sample and it came out a little dry.  And yep, sure enough, about half of it was dry.  Not throw-it-out-dry, but not moist.  If I just had this one roast I'd have been really disappointed, but since I also had the first one, I pulled them both and mixed them up good and nobody's the wiser.  Plus I used a quadrupled recipe of SoFlaQuer's finishing sauce  (for a single butt/picnic I typically double the recipe) which helped a LOT.  Hides a world of sins.

I have mixed feelings about the 100% dry method.  The bark is REALLY solid on it, maybe a little too much for our tastes.  It's difficult to pull with my bear claws which easily rips though anything.  Tasting a a chunk by itself, it's got a very strong flavor and hard texture.  I cut it up as small as possible when mixing it into the rest of the pull.  I think next time I'll still do a dry smoke on the WSM.  Maybe keep it on the heat for an hour a pound or so?  After that, I'll probably put it in the oven covered by foil.  I like the thickness of the bark, but it's a little too chewy in spots.

As always, thanks everyone for your feedback, thoughts, ideas and comments!  Now, on to feeding all the neighbors!!  

Tom

 

[themule69]

Tom, that Looks great.

Happy smoken.

David

 

[teebob2000]

Tom, that Looks great.

Happy smoken.

David

Thanks David!

 

[dirtsailor2003]

When you're right, you're right, sailor!  16 lbs pre-smoke, 8.5 lbs post-pull.  Wow that's a lot of mass.

Yeah, surprising isn't it! If my brain

had been working earlier in this thread I would have explained it better! Fat, bones, weighs a bunch!

Did you put a finishing sauce on the pulled pork?  Also I chop the bark up and mix it in with the pulled. Let it all mellow for a day then serve. I feel that pulled pork is better the day after.

 

[teebob2000]

Yeah, surprising isn't it! If my brain

had been working earlier in this thread I would have explained it better! Fat, bones, weighs a bunch!

Did you put a finishing sauce on the pulled pork?  Also I chop the bark up and mix it in with the pulled. Let it all mellow for a day then serve. I feel that pulled pork is better the day after.

Thing is, my picnics were boneless so that's why I'm so surprised about the weight loss!

Yeah I sauced it then it sat in the fridge overnight.  I initially used a double recipe of the finishing sauce and then added another good dose in the morning because it wasn't as flavorful as I like it, probably because the 2nd roast was a little dry.

 

[jarjarchef]

Pork looked great!

 I agree with Piney about the from fridge to smoker. I will do as some have said and remove from fridge and allow to form some moisture then rub, but it is never more than 20 min till it is in the smoker from the time it is removed from fridge.

I did not see it or just missed it. When you put the pork in the oven to finish. How was it wrapped, what temp was the oven and how long?

I use this method a lot at home because I like my sleep and I usually don't need to for long since I cook a bit hotter (250-275). When I put the pork in the pan I will add apple juice concentrate and beer, wrap with plastic then foil and into an oven set at 190 if going in for a long time or a bit hotter depending on service time. I will allow it to cool just a bit and put on 2 pair of gloves and pull with my fingers. I am not a big fan of very shredded pork. I will save the juices from the pan and add a bit more beer and some apple cider vinegar if serving then, if not i leave out the vinegar. Toss the pork with the pan drippings and either freeze (no vinegar) or into a pan for service.

I only put this here because you said the heat from the chili flakes...... this is what i use for mine....

This is the rub recipe I am using at this time for all of my pork. It is a sweet rub with a good balance of flavors.

1c             Sugar in the Raw

1/4c          Fine Ground Sea Salt

4 1/2tsp    Granulated Garlic

4 1/2tsp    Course Onion Powder

2 1/4tsp    Celery Salt

1 1/2tsp    Ground Oregano

4 1/2tsp    Chili Powder

4 1/2tsp    Fine Ground Black Pepper

For some heat I would add 1tsp smoked chipotle powder. The boss does not like spicy food so I don't at home.

This is enough for 2-3 butts or 2 shoulders or 6 racks of SL rib racks. Will vary on size and how much you apply.

Mix all ingredients well and rub onto the meat generously..

Finishing Sauce

I then will add with the pork in a pan the following. This is enough for 2 Shoulders.

1/2 c.   Apple Juice Concentrate

1/2 c.   Apple Cider Vinegar

1 c.      Beer 

(I use a lighter beer for this, I have used dark or heavier beers and they get too bitter for me)

 

[teebob2000]

Pork looked great!

I did not see it or just missed it. When you put the pork in the oven to finish. How was it wrapped, what temp was the oven and how long?

Hey jarjar - Thanks!  I ended up 9.5 hours on the WSM and then around 6 hours in the oven at 235F.  After a few hours in the oven I laid a piece of HD foil over the top because even though they weren't yet up to temp, I was getting concerned about drying out.  Call it nervousness at doing my first dry smoke.  LOL

I think in addition to tightly tenting in foil in the oven, next time I'll separate the bark out once it's finished and chop up separately as you suggest.  Sounds easier that way.

And the chili flakes are in the finishing sauce I use.

 

[va_connoisseur]

Looks great. Good bark and color.

I may have overlooked it but what temp where you running your WSM?

I've gotten 5 butts on the WSM 18" using the top and bottom rack (average ~8 pound each), she pulled steady for the entire cook. I was cooking at ~275.

 

[teebob2000]

Looks great. Good bark and color.

I may have overlooked it but what temp where you running your WSM?

I've gotten 5 butts on the WSM 18" using the top and bottom rack (average ~8 pound each), she pulled steady for the entire cook. I was cooking at ~275.

Hey VA, thanks!  Don't think I said previously, it ran about 245F to 255F the entire time.

OK, so I HAVE to ask how you use the bottom rack for the meat??  Don't they get burned to a crisp?  If it's easier than explaining, do you have a thread you did on how to do that?  Because I'll have to do a mess of them at some point and using the bottom rack would be handy.

Thanks

 

[va_connoisseur]

Hey VA, thanks!  Don't think I said previously, it ran about 245F to 255F the entire time.

OK, so I HAVE to ask how you use the bottom rack for the meat??  Don't they get burned to a crisp?  If it's easier than explaining, do you have a thread you did on how to do that?  Because I'll have to do a mess of them at some point and using the bottom rack would be handy.

Thanks

I have never had an issue with the meat on the bottom rack burning or drying out. The hardest part for me was learning messy lesson that you really should foil the butts on the bottom rack because when they hit 200-205, they are ready to fall apart.

Now when I do multiple butts on a smoke, I let the ones on the bottom rack get to ~165 and double wrap them in foil. This reduces some bark but it makes it a lot easier to reach down there grab the meat when it hits temp.

 

[pgsmoker64]

Awesome looking bark!   Gotta love the WSM!!!

Great job,

Bill

 

[redwood carlos]

Looks like the one that opened up on the left lost more moisture, causing more heat loss through evaporation, causing a longer cook time, and more moisture loss. imo

 

[teebob2000]

Looks like the one that opened up on the left lost more moisture, causing more heat loss through evaporation, causing a longer cook time, and more moisture loss. imo

But wouldn't that have caused the internal temp to go high faster than the other one?

 

[demosthenes9]

But wouldn't that have caused the internal temp to go high faster than the other one?

Not really.   Think about when you sweat.   You lose moisture but your body cools down via evaporative cooling.  Same thing can happen with meat. 

That said, I guess I'm not seeing the same thing in the pic that Carlos saw.  I'd almost bet that the "dryness" you ran into was due to the Butt not being cooked long enough or to a high enough IT to break down the fats and the connective tissue.   From the pics, one of the butts looks noticeably larger than the other.  Is that the one that only made it to 188 ?

With regards to the bark, you might try doing Eric's wet to dry chamber method.   The way I do it is to fill my water pan up about 1/2  to 3/4's with sand, put foil over top of it, then I put a disposable aluminum pan on top of that and add some water to it.   Start smoking and add water as necessary in the early stages.  About half way through the smoke, I stop adding water.

 

[jaxrmrjmr]

It could have had something to do with it being a picnic.  I have had some smaller picnics get dry on me before, that's why I stick with the butt (or end) section.  Lots more fat, connective tissue, and the meat type is more uniform.  There is one little section of meat that is darker than the others and just melts like butter.  I love that section but have been saving it for my father-in-law lately since he is having dental issues.  It's sort of like that half dollar sized piece of dark meat that hides next to the thigh bone in a turkey - it's the best piece of the bird.