Pulled pork and pulled beef together

[addicted-to-smoke]

Poured a bunch of Kingsford Comp into the smoker. Lit a small chimney of Kingsford Blue and dumped it into the center of the K-Comp.

Partially filled the water tray with hot water. It soon disappeared but probably helped from keeping the temp from spiking initially. Whatever, good enough.

4.5lbs Boston butt and about 3.5lbs of tri-tip, both on top grate.

Beef wasn't marinated, shoulda been. So, uh, poked with a fork, salted pretty well, some other seasoning and some Italian dressing. Sat for a good 30 mins.

Pork got a different seasoning (wow, I'm bad at remembering this) AND some unsweetened applesauce slathered onto it. That's my subtle secret ingredient so don't tell anyone, especially if it works. This butt might be boneless?? Came wrapped in twine; couldn't see or feel a bone in the side??

Some apple wood chips were soaked.

Meats on when WSM was showing 200-250-ish with intakes open about 20% and lid vent open about the same. Held this for about an hour and slowly crept down to 180-ish for the next hour when vents closed a bit more. Held steady, going to bed.

If the machine is too cold when I wake up I still have several hours I can re-do the heat in the a.m. and afternoon. I just don't want to overcook tonight. I should have enough fuel to go quite a while.

I'll take a meat reading in the morning and probably foil them both at some point after that. That's gonna be like 7-8 hrs from now.

Here's my buddy Chuck, who helped me season and setup and whatnot:




Grate temp was initially almost 50 degrees hotter than lid thermo but after about an hour they were very similar (this "circulation" characteristic seems to be somewhat inherent in the WSM, as opposed to the kettle?)

[austin87]

I don't get pulled beef coming from tri-tip. It's so lean I can't believe it's not cardboard. I never cook tri-tip farther than 135* or so internal with a good rest afterwards.

I'm not one to knock it until I try it, but can some folks throw some tips at me for pulled tri-tip?

[OoPEZoO]

That would be my concern as well.  I'd be afraid it would seriously dry out.  I usually use big fatty chuck roasts for pulled beef. 

[addicted-to-smoke]

Smoker cooled to 150. Tri-tip was an idea I got here ...

Beef looks tender but not pull able. Yanked it and wrapped it in some Worstershire and cranberry juice while coffee is sipped. Pork doesn't have bark, but it wasn't heavily seasoned anyway.

Gonna go light some char in a few and cook both for awhile longer at higher temp. Pleased that nothing turned into leather overnight (seemingly.) Making this up as I go along.

[1buckie]

I don't get pulled beef coming from tri-tip. It's so lean I can't believe it's not cardboard. I never cook tri-tip farther than 135* or so internal with a good rest afterwards.

I'm not one to knock it until I try it, but can some folks throw some tips at me for pulled tri-tip?

That would be my concern as well.  I'd be afraid it would seriously dry out.  I usually use big fatty chuck roasts for pulled beef. 

It's my fault he's gone off the path................

http://weberkettleclub.com/forums/bbq-food-pics/something-different/

I'm hoping the train won't go completely off the track, sounds good, so far !!!

Reverse sear might not be the greatest finishing idea, but you could give it a quick char....go too fast or too far & the gentle treatment will be lost.....

[austin87]

In the words of Ace Ventura - "alrighty then!"

Thanks Ken, I'll give it a shot!

[addicted-to-smoke]

And I must admit I haven't fully grokked your thread there Ken, and thanks again for sharing it again ... my short attention span saw pulled beef / tri-tip and sorta just went with it.

So where were we? If meats began at say, 10-10:30pm they were removed around 8am (I can't seem to get the forum's time offset to work for me. I didn't last post in this thread at 4:26am. It was more like 8:30am)

In addition to what the beef got when wrapped, the pork got some white wine, some more seasoning, some juice from clementines and a light coat of BBQ sauce for moisture. I untied it to allow it to "loosen its belt" and ride the wave.

I lit a small chimney of lump and added it. Not seeing much result, I lit a second small chimney of lump and added it. So now it's 10am and the cooker is showing about 300-325. At this point the meats have been resting in the kitchen, wrapped, for almost 2 hours now. Back on the smoker they go.

Ran them for 1.5hrs before deciding to finally read some temps. Both probes went in much better than the fork did at 8am ... pork 188, beef 194.

I added a little Gravy Master to the beef while on the machine to slow it just a touch.

I let them cruise for another 30 mins to 200 for pork and 205 for beef. Back to the kitchen to sit for a little while before tearing apart.

aaaaannndddd SUCESS!

Both pulled fairly easily, the beef certainly pulled easier than last time I'd taken beef that far (because ... last time I hadn't taken it far enough ...). The pork was a curiosity because it's boneless and because I hadn't seasoned it enough to create bark (both somewhat unintentional, so I think that all played out just fine.) The beef really took to the apple wood chips, whereas the pork nearly took none of it.

pork:




beef:




enjoyed a small taste for lunch with leftover roasted veggies from 2 night ago. I'm completely SOLD on these veggies now!

[1buckie]

Looks like you're as grokked as you need to be there man.......both look just peachy !!!!

[1buckie]

Only major difference with the beef might be that I inject the hell out of it with strained marinades.....even cheapo Lawry's will work fine.....just want to get something with a little bit of an oily consistency in there so it sort of "replaces" the fat that would be in something like chuck or clod or even brisket......

When you get all the bits of stuff saved out from straining, you might dump them either over the top of the piece to make a wild crust......or, dump them into small chopped vegetables for a screamin' salsa......

[addicted-to-smoke]

I LIKE that idea. Ideas.

I'll be doing this more for both types of meat and will likely use a foil pan next time, to hold more juices during the final part. But letting them ride to higher temps is something I had to overcome a mindset about.

The "bonus" here is I bought both meats earlier in the week not knowing I'd be traveling to my mother in law's today. Last night as I was almost ready to prep the smoker the wife says says "oh yeah mom wants you to bring pulled pork."

As if I can just whip that up from nothing in like an hour.

[1buckie]

I LIKE that idea. Ideas.
But letting them ride to higher temps is something I had to overcome a mindset about.

........it's a glass ceiling.....don't be fooled.......

[WNC]

All the pulled looks great!