Question about pulled pork

[BBQFiend]

Hello Everyone,

First I just wanted to say thank you to the members of this forum. You are very eager to help and your tips have shortened my learning curve when it comes to smoking. My newest confusion is about pulled pork. I've done a few butts and what I've found is the meat consistency isn't exactly what I'm looking for. Maybe it's because I'm in the south and used to vinegar pulled pork but the pork I make isn't very juicy. It seems a tad dry. Am I supposed to mix the dripping from the butt into the meat at the end? I've seen some other forum posts on making a sauce to add in. I have not tried that yet. From a lot of your posts many of you make it seem like that is not necessary. My other thoughts are maybe some injection is needed.

[MINIgrillin]

Well. Here's how I do it.

I smoke for 6 hrs on wsm. Remove from smoker and place into foil pan, cover with foil, and finish in the oven. When up to done temp remove from oven and place in cooler to rest. Remove from cooler and pour juices into a separating cup to remove most of the fat. (You want some of the fat or the end product won't have a good "mouthfeel")
Pull the pork and add in more rub to taste. Add the juices back into the pulled pork. Use tongs to mix

Prepare for accolades

[BBQFiend]

Maybe that's my problem, I most likely need to re-add in the juice.

[MINIgrillin]

I ran into the exact thing you did. Too dry and not very flavorful. Combined with some laziness I came up with this way of doing it. Give it a shot. Don't forget to add some more rub as you are mixing it up.

Also, if traveling with the pork, you can hold the juice in another container. Nuke it when you get there and then add it to pulled pork. This keeps you from having a big juicy mess in the car and let's you heat it up a bit.

[BBQFiend]

What temperature do you use when putting it in the oven?

[BBQFiend]

Can you give me a few more specifics to like a general scenario similar to the one below?

4lb shouler cooked at 250 for 6hrs
Oven at 300 until internal temp is 195
Put in cooler to rest.... how many minutes?

[Travis]

Here's my method, and also got a question.

No matter the size of your bone in shoulder, put in on, fat side up at 250-275ish "grate" temp and hold that temp. Don't open that lid until about 4 hours, just maintain a steady temp. Consistent temps will help your cooking times.
When you check on the butt and notice the fat cap separating or splitting from itself, take it off. You will also check for your "bark" and color. Double wrap in foil, adding a little liquid and back on the pit.
Give it a few more hours... three or four, pull it and run a skewer or a probe through. Obviously if it's tough, needs more time. Wiggle the bone also, if it doesn't move, needs more time. Go by feel, not temp.
Once your happy and have pulled it, rest it for an hour or so either wrapped in a towel in a cooler or just on the counter still wrapped.
Pull it saving the juices, sprinkle more dry rub over the meat and pour in juices.
Don't worry about IT's (internal temp) just go by feel.
This is just my way. Works for me so I stick with it. Everyone does it the way it works for them. You will too.
Question-Do you buy your shoulders from the same place? If so, try another shop as well. Like a quality butcher shop. All pork is different grades just like beef. Might just be what your starting with. I buy shoulders from my grocery store when on sale of course. Good, but not the best quality. If I'm cooking for a party, I buy better stuff from my butcher.
This is a good read and sorry for he long windness.

http://www.meatscience.org/TheMeatWeEat/topics/fresh-meat/grades-of-meat


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[Davescprktl]

Another trick is before pulling let it rest and cool down a bit.  I was watching a YouTube video by Franklin Barbeque where he made this very point.  If it is pulled before it cools it will dry out rapidly.  Don't have the link for you but you should be able to find it easily on YouTube.

[varekai]

@Davescprktl , interesting, I was under the impression that as it cooled it would tighten up and be harder to shred. I am taking all of this info with me though into my next pork shoulder smoke session... @Travis, and bone in you say? will check that out also.

[Uncle Al]

Here is my method.  I start by trimming off any excess fat, inject with a mixture of apple juice and rub and then a mustard slather with a good coating of rub.  Pit setup: lump charcoal (or previously lit briquettes), oak wood chunks and water for the water pan.  I use a slow-n-sear to keep the fire indirect from the meat and the added benefit of the built in water reservoir.  The addition of water in the setup really helped my cooks from drying out.  You want the water to evaporate so that the cooking chamber is really humid - I refill several times and go through 5 or more liters of water for a long cook.  This humidity will not add moisture into the meat but if the humidity is high enough around the meat then it cannot sweat out moisture from itself and dry out.  I cook at 275° grate temp and use a wireless thermometer to keep tabs on the meat's internal temperature.  At around 145° I check and add fuel, wood and water before I get into the stall - I don't want to loose momentum here.  Once the meat finally pushes through the stall and gets to 165° I double wrap in foil and than back on the pit with the temperature probe, refuel with lump (no wood) and add water again.  I pull between 200°-205° but only if the thermometer probe goes in like butter - if not I leave it in a bit longer.  After pulling from the pit I let it rest in the foil in a small ice chest with old bath towels filling up the void. I let it rest for 2 hours (more if I need to sleep) and then I pull/shred the finished product.  Once it is all shredded well I add a little finishing sauce (cider vinegar, brown sugar and rub), mix it in then it is ready to serve.  One last thing - I prefer to get bone in but if boneless is all I can get then I have found that tying it up with twine helps the sliced up end from drying out without the bone. 

[HoosierKettle]

I always like a pulled pork thread. Always learning. Great tips.


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[Travis]

@varekai Ask your butcher if that isn't readily available to you. They can get them.
@Uncle Al I like your vinegar, brown sugar tip. I'm going to try that. I just pulled a butt out the freezer.


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[varekai]

@Travis, I will look in to it, I just bought a vac pak Farmer John...I do think  there was a bone in though.

[MINIgrillin]

Can you give me a few more specifics to like a general scenario similar to the one below?

4lb shouler cooked at 250 for 6hrs
Oven at 300 until internal temp is 195
Put in cooler to rest.... how many minutes?

I put it in the oven at 250-275. Depending on what time I need it to be done. I have rested up to 4 hrs but usually 2 hrs. I can't give cook times. I don't know. I pull it out at 195-200. I go by feel. When you do more of these pork butts you'll find that they are pretty fool proof. Just don't undercook it or overcook it. The texture will be jacked up. I just go 6hrs in the smoker and finish in the oven to temp.

I'll also place it on the oven for 10 minutes or so uncovered to vent. I read this somewhere. Do this to stop the cooking and the temp rising too much.

I usually buy a 2 pack from sams club.

It should be stated that this method is good for me cuz it allows me to put meat on the cooker at midnight. The dogs wake me up at 6am on the button. Let dogs out and check temps. Feed dogs and place meat into foil pans and into the oven. Go back to bed. I suck at overnight cooks. It wipes me out and it makes me miserable at the event I'm cooking for.

[pbe gummi bear]

Imo pulling the meat @195 gives you inconsistent tenderness. There are a lot of muscles in a pork butt and they won't all be soft at that temp- especially if it just hit that temp and hasn't rested. Take your butt off the shoulder at 205, foil it, and hold it in an insulated container until you're ready to pull it and serve. Oh and +1 for going by feel or buy when the bone pops out. You can use a skewer or thermapen to check for tenderness. Note that will take a lot of practice.