Looking for a little Pulled Pork help please

[MikeRocksTheRed]

Just seeing this post today...looks like you got great advise and probably would have done just fine with out.  Very nicely done.  And if you like a lot of bark, having two peices of pork instead of one was just an extra bonus.  Two seperate peices would have also reduced your overall cooking time, so keep that in mind on your next one.  As far as wrapping, it helps you get past the stall which can be very nerve wracking on your first few cooks.

The pics look great, but how did it taste?  I'm guessing you were very pleased with the outcome and yourself!

[SoupDogg77]

Thanks, I was pleased with the outcome, as were the guests we fed and my coworkers who sampled the leftovers. It's already been requested for the next potluck!  In hindsight, I know one mistake I made that won't happen again, after it rested when I removed it from the foil, I just tossed the foil in the sink, not realizing it was full of juice. I want to get one from the butcher shop next time, with the bone-in. This was one I got from the local supermarket. I also found it a bit harder to pull apart that I was expecting. I had to use a knife to reply cut it up in to smaller chunks and then just pulled it apart with forks. One of the halves was easier than the other. As far as taste I was very happy with the way it came out. I made my own rub, just copied one I found online and substituted one spice for another because I didn't have any of what it called for. I had quite a bit of rub leftover for the next one too.  Thanks to everyone who helped calm my nerves and for the solid advice, I think overall it was a success and I look forward to the next one.

[guitarfish]

@SoupDogg77 I find that with smaller trimmed butts it definitely helps to brine overnight. I don't bother brining large bone in ones, just rub. With the juices, I'll let them cool, skim off the fat, re heat in the nuker and add back to the meat.

[addicted-to-smoke]

... I also found it a bit harder to pull apart that I was expecting....

My supermarket has bone-in butts, yet they are typically on the smaller size, 5lbs or less. Rare to see one there 8lbs or bigger. I've only done a few, I may or may not wrap, I've got time, pull at about 200 degrees. Bone always comes out easily. And they always take more effort than they should to pull apart.

One of these days I'll get it, but don't yet know what I'm doing wrong. I have yet to actually let one rest, wrapped up in a cooler, maybe that's my problem but it sounds like you may have done that without benefit?

[TheDude]

I've only done two. First one pulled with no effort. Second I didn't wrap and Mother Nature intervened. Both got the cooler treatment. Second one could have used 2-3 more hours, but about 1/2 of it pulled. I'll wrap from now on. Also gonna try running around 300° next time.

[Big Dawg]

You know what they say, @SoupDogg77, practice makes perfect, and a lot of happy friends.

Great Job ! ! !





BD

[1buckie]

Good Show!!!!!

that looks right on & if that's a 1st time, you'll be in for a tremendous treat when they improve over the next cooks......when you REALLY nail one, it is sublime!!!!

Most important part for me is the "rest period".....hour + foil, wrapped in an old, clean towel & tight packed in a dry cooler.....something magical happens during that extra time that really changes the deal......it is hard to wait the extra time, esp. smelling the aroma, but it's worth the delayed gratification......  

[SoupDogg77]

Thanks for the tips everyone. One thing I'm wondering and maybe someone from here may know. I've read many article/tutorials and watched several YouTube videos on smoking pork butt/shoulder and there seems to be a wide range of temperatures that people pull them off the smoker at. I'm wondering what the difference is if you pull at different ends of the range. Like, what's the difference in the end result if you pull at 190 or if you pull it at 205. I've read/heard both of those and I feel like that's a pretty wide range. I pulled mine at 195. I also wrapped at 160, I've been hearing to wrap at 150, if that makes any difference.

As far as the rest, I left it in the same foil that I wrapped it in at 160, and put it directly into an empty dry cooler, no towel or anything. It took it off around 12:30pm and then had to go shopping with the wife never touched it again until 3pm or so. Was that too long of a rest maybe?  It was still warm  when I opened, may even say it was hot, but it didn't check.

[SmokenJoe]

@SoupDogg77     And now the "rubber meets the road" or, if you like, the "pork meats the table".   My family LIKES the Harry Soo method (SYD; tvWBB), I try to stick with it.   However, here is a link that you may want to try.  If your family LIKES it, then you're done (but you can practice on your own when they are away)

http://amazingribs.com/recipes/porknography/perfect_pulled_pork.html

SJ

[Big Dawg]

@SoupDogg77, I don't think resting it longer would make it tighten up.  I think you said that part of it pulled very easily and other sections not so much.  Since there area multiple muscles in there, some sections just may not have broken down.

Get a good bone-in butt, light it up, and invite us all over to be your guinea pigs ! ! !





BD

[BBQFiend]

Looks awesome. Congrats! I might try that this week.

[1buckie]

Thanks for the tips everyone. One thing I'm wondering and maybe someone from here may know. I've read many article/tutorials and watched several YouTube videos on smoking pork butt/shoulder and there seems to be a wide range of temperatures that people pull them off the smoker at. I'm wondering what the difference is if you pull at different ends of the range. Like, what's the difference in the end result if you pull at 190 or if you pull it at 205. I've read/heard both of those and I feel like that's a pretty wide range. I pulled mine at 195. I also wrapped at 160, I've been hearing to wrap at 150, if that makes any difference.

As far as the rest, I left it in the same foil that I wrapped it in at 160, and put it directly into an empty dry cooler, no towel or anything. It took it off around 12:30pm and then had to go shopping with the wife never touched it again until 3pm or so. Was that too long of a rest maybe?  It was still warm  when I opened, may even say it was hot, but it didn't check.

The conversion or "stall" happens from around the mid 150's to high 170's, approx. wrap anywhere in there & you'll speed things up some......wrapping 1) speeds the cooking  2) softens the outer bark 3) stops the darkening of the bark  4) takes extra time & effort

I wrap as they come off the cooker, then wrapped in BBQ towels (DO NOT use the wife's clean linens!!!) into the dry cooler, min. 1 hour rest......

HOW to tell when it comes off the heat is pretty simple....bone comes loose from the meat (personally, I check the twist of the bone, then leave it in place to keep the shape integrity & hold the basic heat in)

Example of clean from the bone:



If no bone (same for bone-in,without fiddling w/the bone) is to stab it gently w/ an ice pick, skewer, or the like to see if it's EXTREMELY soft, like you're going to fall right thru it if you don't pull back...likely this will be somewhere above 200f.....205f even......

The bone is basically a built-in pop up timer......

Post cooler pull................

[jfbincypress]

First off, great first go!

I agree with 1Buckie (not the first time someone has said that):

I don't wrap until completed, as I like the extra texture in the bark.

I usually cook for 14-16 hours (just plan on it), and cook until 200-205...the consistency of the meat will tell the story of when it is ready to come off.

If is all doesn't pull easily, then it needed some more patience and time.

It's much easier to gauge the perfect time to pull, if it isn't wrapped at the time of testing.

After the cook is complete, wrap in foil, line cooler with towel, insert wrapped butt, and cover with a towel and close cooler. In that hour (or two), is where the final bit of magic happens.

Keep working toward that perfect cook, that's most of the fun!


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[SoupDogg77]

Sounds like some solid advice guys, I've heard varying opinions on wrapping. I'll give the non-wrapping a try on my next cook. Also letting it go until a little higher, 200-205. What is your ideal cooking temp if you could set it & forget it, 225? 250?

[jfbincypress]

Sounds like some solid advice guys, I've heard varying opinions on wrapping. I'll give the non-wrapping a try on my next cook. Also letting it go until a little higher, 200-205. What is your ideal cooking temp if you could set it & forget it, 225? 250?

I'm ok with my temps wandering between 225-240...not much higher, though.


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