Here are the results of my side by side test of pork shoulders with injection and seasoning and with nothing but smoke, heat, and meat. First off I must apologize for not getting a pic of the cooked butts before I pulled them.
Here is the pork butt after I got done injecting with Kosmos Q original pork injection.
Here is the fully seasoned butt along side the unseasoned butt. Ready for the pit.
Here is the finished pulled product. Unseasoned butt on the right. Both shoulders got a nice bark layer in the smoker.
Report:
1) Seasoned butt was injected and seasoned with Kosmos-Q original pork injection, Lawry's seasoned salt, and Jeff's Original Rub. Butts were smoked in my Stump's Baby at 250 degrees F with Pecan and apple chunks using GFS charcoal briquettes. (I am fairly certain these are Royal Oak.) Wrapped at 170, smoker temp increased to 275 degrees F, and pulled at 201 degrees F. (367 K)
2) First taste impression of the unseasoned butt: I pulled a piece of the bark off the unseasoned butt and was first hit by the lack of salt. This quickly subsided as the pork flavor shined through. I was amazed at the amount of flavor the unseasoned butt had. That said, I now know why I don't like most restaurant pulled pork. After the first couple bites, the pork really started tasting bland and demanded some additional seasoning which I added but it wasn't the same as having the seasoning integrated into the cook. For someone with sodium restrictions, this is really the way to go as you can control every grain of salt that goes into your finished product.
3) Injected and seasoned butt: This shoulder was a bit more moist and tender than the unseasoned butt. I injected the shoulder with Kosmos-Q injection using water and package directions then used Lawry's seasoned salt before a generous sprinkling of Jeff's Original Rub. The shoulder had a good flavor but didn't have the clean pork flavor of the unseasoned butt. That said, everyone seemed to want to eat more of the seasoned butt.
4) Conclusion: If you want a good clean pork flavor, go with the unseasoned approach. The unseasoned butt could not have been any easier to prepare. The freedom to add your own salt and flavorings to the finished pork can make it more versatile. The seasoned and injected butt took longer to prep but I feel the end result was worth the extra prep. The seasoned butt had a more complex flavor. I may try smoking an unseasoned butt again in the future if I want to purpose the pork for multiple applications, pozole, tacos, breakfast meat, etc...
Thanks for watching....
JC
Here is the pork butt after I got done injecting with Kosmos Q original pork injection.
Here is the fully seasoned butt along side the unseasoned butt. Ready for the pit.
Here is the finished pulled product. Unseasoned butt on the right. Both shoulders got a nice bark layer in the smoker.
Report:
1) Seasoned butt was injected and seasoned with Kosmos-Q original pork injection, Lawry's seasoned salt, and Jeff's Original Rub. Butts were smoked in my Stump's Baby at 250 degrees F with Pecan and apple chunks using GFS charcoal briquettes. (I am fairly certain these are Royal Oak.) Wrapped at 170, smoker temp increased to 275 degrees F, and pulled at 201 degrees F. (367 K)
2) First taste impression of the unseasoned butt: I pulled a piece of the bark off the unseasoned butt and was first hit by the lack of salt. This quickly subsided as the pork flavor shined through. I was amazed at the amount of flavor the unseasoned butt had. That said, I now know why I don't like most restaurant pulled pork. After the first couple bites, the pork really started tasting bland and demanded some additional seasoning which I added but it wasn't the same as having the seasoning integrated into the cook. For someone with sodium restrictions, this is really the way to go as you can control every grain of salt that goes into your finished product.
3) Injected and seasoned butt: This shoulder was a bit more moist and tender than the unseasoned butt. I injected the shoulder with Kosmos-Q injection using water and package directions then used Lawry's seasoned salt before a generous sprinkling of Jeff's Original Rub. The shoulder had a good flavor but didn't have the clean pork flavor of the unseasoned butt. That said, everyone seemed to want to eat more of the seasoned butt.
4) Conclusion: If you want a good clean pork flavor, go with the unseasoned approach. The unseasoned butt could not have been any easier to prepare. The freedom to add your own salt and flavorings to the finished pork can make it more versatile. The seasoned and injected butt took longer to prep but I feel the end result was worth the extra prep. The seasoned butt had a more complex flavor. I may try smoking an unseasoned butt again in the future if I want to purpose the pork for multiple applications, pozole, tacos, breakfast meat, etc...
Thanks for watching....
JC
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