Smoking a rack of pork!! QView added

[teebob2000]

Hi all - wife picked up a rack of pork this week from Costco (exactly like rack of lamb, except, y'know, it's pork).  I'd never seen pork done up like this before.

It's 5.5#.  Directions for grilling say sear both sides on high heat, then into 450F oven for 15 minutes, then in 350F grill for 90 minutes.  I want to do this entirely on my WSM and add a little smoke, so I thought I'd do this...

Start a FULL chimney and then dump in the firebox.  Let it get up a nice heat, set the cooking grate directly on the firebox and sear it like that.  Then set the middle section on and put the pork on the bottom grate, close it up for 20 minutes or so and that will act as my 450F period.  Lastly, add the water pan, move the pork to the top grate and close it up for the last period.  It probably won't be 350F so it would be closer to 2 hours maybe?

Couple of questions.  First, does this seem like it should work?  Any advice or anything I've left out?  And second, is it worth smoking during the last period if it goes for only 2 hours?  Should get smoky enough, right?  I'm going with a more Italian-style rub (EVO & balsamic, rosemary, garlic, paprika) so what wood should I use?  I have a little of everything.

Also, the directions say it's done at IT of 145F but that seems awfully low to me.

Any help is GREATLY appreciated!!!  

EDIT: added pix of the packaging.

 

[jirodriguez]

Couple of things to keep in mind:

• once you sear the outside it also closes up the pores and absobes a lot less smoke
• putting the water pan into an already running WSM is very hard (and sometimes painfull).

I would do what we call a reverse sear. Get your WSM set up with the water pan running at 250'ish, smoke the pork untill you get to an internal temp. that is 10° below your target temp, then you can either sear it in a 500° oven or do what you were talking about with the grill. Let it rest for 15 min. and enjoy!

 

[SmokinAl]

Don't forget your camera!

I'd like to see this thing.

 

[teebob2000]

Oooo, that sounds good, Johnny!  I'm gonna give that a try!

 

[garyinmd]

teebob2000, I picked up one of these yesterday at Costco and was wondering what to do with it.  I was going to post a picture here on the site to figure out exactly what it cut it is.

These things have a lot of meat in them.

Not sure when I am going to fix this so I will be watching the thread to see how yours turns out.

Gary

 

[teebob2000]

Not sure when I am going to fix this so I will be watching the thread to see how yours turns out.

Gary

Hey Gary, why don't YOU go first??  

This on rack of lamb from Wikipedia.  Gotta think this is the same thing but from pork??

A rack of lamb  or carré d'agneau  (though this may also refer to other cuts) is a cut of lamb cut perpendicularly to the spine, and including 16 ribs or chops. At retail, it is usually sold 'single' (sawn longitudinally and including the 8 ribs on one side only), but may also be sold as a "double rack of lamb", with the ribs on both sides.

 

[garyinmd]

Sorry teebob, already have a chuckie in the smoker today, so your up.

      Will do more research and see what other members think, Pops may know where this cut comes from.  I am looking at next Sunday at the soonest I will have time.  Just looking at the chunk of meat in them unless someone has a better idea will probably smoke them somewhat like a loin, might have to have a couple of beers to figure this one out.

That's the best thing about this hobby, unless I really screw it up we get to eat the test subjects.  (daughter has pizza joint on speed dial just in case)

 

[fpnmf]

Looks like a crown roast to me!!

http://leitesculinaria.com/5705/rec...rown-roast-of-pork.html#.TqCdBw6VcGM.facebook

 Craig

 

[teeznuts]

I need to get to Costco! Can't wait for your q-view.

 

[garyinmd]

Your right Craig, just sat butt down at computer and typed "rack of pork chops" in google and it does mention crown roast (For reference, a pork rib roast/rack of pork is a simpler version of a pork crown roast, which is a pork rib roast/rack of pork turned into a circle and tied). 

The links I looked at are below.

http://www.porkbeinspired.com/cut_rackofpork.aspx

http://www.alcoholian.com/?p=4542          This one even shows the exact package we bought.

Might have to double the beer and thought process, cut apart or leave whole, smoke then oven or grill, decisions, decisions, decisions. 

  Or I can just out wait teebob2000 to see what he comes up with.

Gary

 

[oldschoolbbq]

Teebob , Garyinmd ; I only have a limited amount of Popcorn and Pepsi,so ya'll ,one at least , do it!

I'll be waiting , how about you Al? I got a seat right here , front row.....LOL

 

[teebob2000]

This one even shows the exact package we bought.

OK this has my mouth watering now!!  I'm gonna get some pesto working on these bad boys for later.

 

[scooper]

I have roasted those before I got a smoker.  I have not smoked one yet.  Check out the label.  It has a sodium solution in it, so it is pre-brined for you.  It's quite hard to dry one out.  Should be great in the smoker!

Costco usually get them this time of year and carries them through the holidays. 

 

[teebob2000]

Yep, 10% pork broth, sodium citrate and salt solution.

First, peeled off the membrane.

Combined a 1/4 cup Stonewall Kitchen basil pesto, 1/4 cup EVO, 1 TBL chopped garlic and 1 TBL balsamic vinegar...

...slather it on that sucker real good, cover and into the fridge for a couple hours.

To be continuted...  

 

[jc1947]

Looking forward to seeing the BearViews.

 

[chef jimmyj]

Teebob, 145*F IT is plenty, have no fear, after the rest the temp will be between 150* and 155*F with plenty of juicy goodness and a pale pink blush...It's the best temp for Pork loin, bone in like yours or boneless...JJ

 

[SmokinAl]

Man that sucker looks good!

I can't wait to see the finished product!

 

[teebob2000]

OK, she's in.  Lit a full chimney load and then dumped, added another dozen or so coals on top.  I have the rack in the foil pan pictured above set on the top grate with no water pan.  Temp probe at level shows between 320F and 330F.  I added 3 alder chunks.  It's a HELL of a windy day here so I expect my temp might fluctuate more than I want.  I have it set close to the house but the wind is really swirling.  I have my vents at 100/0/0 (downwind one is open).  I'll add my meat probe in about an hour and see what's what.

Following JR's sug above, I'll get it to about 135F IT and then try to sear it on a grate set right atop the firebox.  If it's too windy and I'm getting too much ash when I open it, which I expect I will, I may have to use the oven for the last stage (hangs head in shame).

UPDATE:  Temps shot WAY up all of a sudden (370F and rising) so I added a water pan after all.  Now temp is stable between 230-240F.  I'm happier.  It's been on an hour and I tipped it up on end (it was laying bone side down).  It's got NICE color going!

 

[garyinmd]

Careful teebob, remember I have to follow this next weekend 

 

[teebob2000]

Oh.  My.  Good-golly sakes.  OK, I have NEVER tasted better pork in my life.  My wife concurs.  This is amazing!!!  I give credit to the cut more than anything, I'm not sure how you could mess this up unless something very bad happened.  Tender, juicy, smoky, simply amazing.

THANKS for all the expert advice from everyone!!!  It was invaluable.

So my WSM temp hung around 240 for the rest of the time.  At about 2.5 hours total time, the pork IT hit 135F.  I removed the WSM center section, then set the cooking grate on top of the firebox.  I took the pork out of the pan and onto the grate directly over the coals, bone side up, then set the lid on the top.  When the IT hit 143F I turned the pork over and replaced the lid.  Pic below is post-flip.  When I flipped it, it smelled like bacon over a charcoal grill. In other words, PHENOMENAL.

When the IT hit 147F I removed the pork from the grill and back in the baking pan, and covered for a 15-minute rest.  I left in the pan all the rub and juices that had rendered out of the pork.  Everything was cooked so I wasn't concerned about contamination.  Here it is post-rest, IT at 153F.

I removed it to a Pyrex baking dish for carving.  I cannot describe the smell of this roast.  It was amazing.  Crunchy skin, perfect smoke ring, tender as hell.  I could have separated the pieces with a butter knife.

I also made some of my oven-baked herbed garlic potato chips.  Thin-sliced potatoes marinated in EVO, minced garlic and Italian seasoning, sprinkled with paprika and baked on a cookie sheet at 375F for an hour (flipped half-way through) or until they're however crunchy you like them.  We like them crunchy.

For plating I spooned the herby au jus from the original baking pan over the pork.  Daddy got the end piece.  The final presentation (served with a nice glass of a sassy, chilled 2002 gruner veltliner)...

Even though the chops were an inch thick, they cut easily with a fork.  No knife needed.  (I picked mine up and ate it caveman-style.)

Guys, I'm telling you, you have to try this cut of pork.  Get a Costco membership if you don't have one.  I'll say it again:  this is the BEST tasting, most tender pork I've ever had in my life.

Any questions, please let me know.  I'm still in heaven.