Weber Kettle Club Forums
Cooking & Food Talk => Charcoal Grilling & BBQ => Topic started by: M635_Guy on September 28, 2019, 05:36:01 PM
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This is my fourth or fifth time cooking with the Performer (and charcoal in general - I'm not really counting what I did in college nearly 30 years ago...). I started prepping around 8:30 AM today and had the meat on the cooker by 9:30.
Pix and Thoughts:
I got a 7.5lb bone-in shoulder from the only real butcher shop in the area. It was pricey. I've got a Whole Foods that gets local stuff in every Friday and is a lot closer, so the next time I'm feeling like spending that much on one I'll probably try theirs. I could use some opinions on the Harris Teeter or Publix shoulders vs. the butcher in terms of price-for-value.
I dry-brined the shoulder for about 18 hours.
The process is a life-lesson in being judicious in course-correction and going with the flow. I had some peaks and valleys on temperature that had me fretting a bit. Eventually I'll figure out the nuances of the vents, but a little can mean a lot. I'm a little high-strung by nature, so I'll need to learn to relax. That's a good thing :) (I'm sure once I figure it out my friends will say I should have gotten this grill a long time ago...)
Again, the remote thermometer (one in the meat, 1 at the grate) is worth its weight in gold. Flattens the learning curve and allowed me to get other things done without worrying if I was screwing up some pretty expensive meat.
I probably could have used more seasoning.
Since I went fat-side up (which was the recommendation for the slow & sear), it was less-pretty than I expected when I checked it at 4 hours (and the "top" was imprinted by the grate). Oh well - it gets chopped up anyway, tight?
(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/1280x1024q90/924/9sfiyp.jpg)
I wrapped at about 5 hours, and then went to 195F. Almost exactly 8 hours total.
(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/1280x1024q90/923/cWH75J.jpg)
I wound up with one of my chunks of hickory un-burnt, though the other two were entirely gone. I also had a fair amount of charcoal - guessing there was several-more hours of cooking available. Wondering if 25% less coals would work better? Any reason to think too much charcoal is less even, etc. I'll just re-use what's left for whatever is next (thinking a spatchcocked chicken or maybe the redonkulous jalapeno-stuffed bacon-wrapped chicken thighs I saw on the HowToBBQRight channel on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OZvhpkaAcqs (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OZvhpkaAcqs). That guy is evil, but the best kind of evil. Anyway...
After about 80 minutes of rest - grate-marks from the rack I used. Not gobs of bark, since the flesh-side was down...
(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/1280x1024q90/924/SD5vYf.jpg)
I'm wondering if flesh-side up is better, but don't want to dry out the shoulder.
Bone came out nice and clean
(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/1280x1024q90/922/EN9z2j.jpg)
Looks pretty good to my complete noob-ness (any insight appreciated)
(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/1280x1024q90/923/jhJJFY.jpg)
This pic under-sells it
(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/1280x1024q90/922/DqgIST.jpg)
I made Eastern-NC style sauce from white wine and apple cider vinegars, brown sugar, cayenne, salt, white pepper, some pepper flakes, cholula and a secret ingredient (a few splashes of bourbon - I figured it would soften/round out the vinegar a bit)
(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/1280x1024q90/921/mb97Xx.jpg)
I was pretty happy - it was tasty! Still happy to learn any ways to improve
(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/1280x1024q90/923/T06VDX.jpg)
Next time I'll probably go with a smaller piece of pork. Four pounds would still yield plenty with leftovers. Going to surprise some friends with BBQ care-packages tomorrow. :)
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I think you did just fine. Nice smoke ring. Cooked to tenderness since the bone pulled out clean.
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I think you nailed it, now learn to relax, it will make it even more fun
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Fat side up? Fat side down? Try what I do. I trim it so there is little or no external fat. There's plenty inside to keep the pork moist and tender. Plus ya get more/better bark.
Looks like ya did a fine job to me.
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FWIW, your local butcher shop, like Whole Foods, probably carries a better quality product than the grocery stores. That said, think about judging a beauty contest. Butcher store might be a flat out 10 and be better than the grocery store, but the grocery store could still be a "8". Would you be happy with an "8" ? Is a "10" worth the price difference?
FWIW, I buy all my meats at Kroger, Sams, Meijer's, etc. The larger grocery chains. I generally stay away from the really budget places like Sav-A-Lot as they tend to sell "select" grade meats instead of choice. I also stay away from butcher shops and Whole Foods because while the ribeye there might be better, it's also $20 per lb versus $6 to $7/lb when on sale at Kroger.
With pork, I'd wager that if your's was pricey, it was probably something like Duroc or some other "heritage" type breed. That's kind of like "Prime" grade or Wagyu beef compared to mass market "Choice" grade.
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BTW, nice job on your first butt. Looks nice, tender and easy to pull.
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Not sure I’ve heard of brine for a Boston butt before. There’s a lot of fat so you’d have to be pretty dim to fuck it up. Yours looks great. Don’t worry about temp fluctuations. I aim for a range of 225-275. If I’m in the range I’m happy. If you want more bark, cut your butt in half. It’ll reduce your cook time and give you more surface area for the good stuff.
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Nice looking cook. I wish my first low-and-slow adventure had turned out looking that good.
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Not sure I’ve heard of brine for a Boston butt before.
I've seen mentions in a couple places - HowToBBQRight and ABC among others. The idea of pulling the moisture deep seemed logical.
There’s a lot of fat so you’d have to be pretty dim to fuck it up.
I'm a master of realized unlikelihoods...
Yours looks great. Don’t worry about temp fluctuations. I aim for a range of 225-275. If I’m in the range I’m happy. If you want more bark, cut your butt in half. It’ll reduce your cook time and give you more surface area for the good stuff. [/quote]
Much appreciated! 8)
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FWIW, your local butcher shop, like Whole Foods, probably carries a better quality product than the grocery stores. That said, think about judging a beauty contest. Butcher store might be a flat out 10 and be better than the grocery store, but the grocery store could still be a "8". Would you be happy with an "8" ? Is a "10" worth the price difference?
FWIW, I buy all my meats at Kroger, Sams, Meijer's, etc. The larger grocery chains. I generally stay away from the really budget places like Sav-A-Lot as they tend to sell "select" grade meats instead of choice. I also stay away from butcher shops and Whole Foods because while the ribeye there might be better, it's also $20 per lb versus $6 to $7/lb when on sale at Kroger.
With pork, I'd wager that if your's was pricey, it was probably something like Duroc or some other "heritage" type breed. That's kind of like "Prime" grade or Wagyu beef compared to mass market "Choice" grade.
I live in central NC - there are a ton of hog farms fairly close. I think I'll try a Publix shoulder next time or one from the Nahunta place at the Raleigh Farmer's Market.
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Nice looking cook. I wish my first low-and-slow adventure had turned out looking that good.
I give full credit to the thermometer. ;)
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Also, try your next one without wrapping. Your cook time will go up and you’ll have to be patient through the stall but if you really like bark that’s where it is IMO. Again, your cook looks awesome! The sauce sounds great and looks like you had it with some potato salad? I’ve got a butt in the freezer and once it gets a tad cooler outside I’m putting my Chief to work.
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Looks like a good butt to me! I haven't messed one up yet. You might as well find a cheap brisket point or something and try that out, caise I think you have it figured out.
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I think you nailed it, now learn to relax, it will make it even more fun
This
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Had some of the Q for lunch just now - the sauce I made is way better today! I also added back some of the juice that came out after it rested.
This will be a regular thing... :)
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Nicely done! I'm a little high-strung myself when it comes to keeping the temperatures constant, but the probes really help calm me down as I know I'm seeking a reasonable temp range for my cook, not one perfect temp. Looks like everything came out beautifully!
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Looks awesome! Yeah it seems like almost anyhting soupy or saucey is always better the second or even third day.
I still need to try a pork butt. Already have too much meat in the fridge though and not enough mouths to eat it!
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I think I'll do a spatchcock chicken next. A brisket is on the horizon though...
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I think I'll do a spatchcock chicken next. A brisket is on the horizon though...
At the rate you're going, you're gonna be the most popular guy in the neighborhood!
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I'll just re-use what's left for whatever is next (thinking a spatchcocked chicken or maybe the redonkulous jalapeno-stuffed bacon-wrapped chicken thighs I saw on the HowToBBQRight channel on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OZvhpkaAcqs (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OZvhpkaAcqs). That guy is evil, but the best kind of evil. Anyway...
I agree with you - Malcolm Reed and his wife put out some outstanding how-to videos. I've used his approaches several times with great results. He just comes across so genuine - you know he loves what he's doing. I also like how he'll bring others in to do their thing and he gets out of the way to watch and learn. He's simply got that down-to-earth style that is really approachable and enjoyable to watch. And, of course, everything cooks beautifully!
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Had some of the Q for lunch just now - the sauce I made is way better today! I also added back some of the juice that came out after it rested.
This will be a regular thing... :)
This might be sacrilegious to many, but pulled pork ALWAYS tastes better then next day or thereafter. Sauce does as well. The flavors have time to marry and develop. Think about this. When you smoke a butt, the smoke doesn't penetrate very far into the meat. You could slice off the outer 1/8th inch and all you'd have remaining is cooked pork, just like you'd get baking it in an oven.
But, when you pull the butt and mix it up, all that smokey goodness on the outer surface gets mixed through but will also transfer to the inner portions. While sitting in the fridge, that flavor will continue to develop and permeate through the pork. At least, that's what I think it does. Granted, my taste receptors are kind of shot after messing with a smoker all day. I don't "taste" smoke nearly as well as others at the end of the day, BUT, I've had other folks tell me the same thing. That my reheated pork has more smoke flavor than it did the day before.
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Had some of the Q for lunch just now - the sauce I made is way better today! I also added back some of the juice that came out after it rested.
This will be a regular thing... :)
This might be sacrilegious to many, but pulled pork ALWAYS tastes better then next day or thereafter. Sauce does as well. The flavors have time to marry and develop. Think about this. When you smoke a butt, the smoke doesn't penetrate very far into the meat. You could slice off the outer 1/8th inch and all you'd have remaining is cooked pork, just like you'd get baking it in an oven.
But, when you pull the butt and mix it up, all that smokey goodness on the outer surface gets mixed through but will also transfer to the inner portions. While sitting in the fridge, that flavor will continue to develop and permeate through the pork. At least, that's what I think it does. Granted, my taste receptors are kind of shot after messing with a smoker all day. I don't "taste" smoke nearly as well as others at the end of the day, BUT, I've had other folks tell me the same thing. That my reheated pork has more smoke flavor than it did the day before.
That is true. I add just a touch of a vinegar sauce and a touch of dry rub and mix it through the pork then vac bag and freeze. When we want pork, I pull the bag out and toss in some boiling water.
When you cut that bag open the smell and flavor is simply incredible. Way better than when it’s fresh made imo. The good thing is you can have a stock pile of pulled pork at all times for an impromptu dinner or get together. Or you can make it months in advance of a party.
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HoosierKettle nailed it. I pull, mix in the juices from the pork, and vac bag into serving sizes. Freeze, and drop into boiling water... meals in minutes!
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@hawgheaven @HoosierKettle same here, I love my vacuum sealer, game changer and food and money saver !! thus the need for the upright food bank (freezer) in the garage it pays huge dividends
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I also agree that the flavor gets more intense as it sits in the fridge. That is why I personally use very few pieces of smoke wood. We don’t like a lot of smoke but a hint is perfect.
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Looks good to me. Like previously stated, just relax. You really do have it down, now spank that next cut you’ve always wanted to do.
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That is true. I add just a touch of a vinegar sauce and a touch of dry rub and mix it through the pork then vac bag and freeze. When we want pork, I pull the bag out and toss in some boiling water.
When you cut that bag open the smell and flavor is simply incredible. Way better than when it’s fresh made imo. The good thing is you can have a stock pile of pulled pork at all times for an impromptu dinner or get together. Or you can make it months in advance of a party.
Fantastic idea...
I agree with you - Malcolm Reed and his wife put out some outstanding how-to videos. I've used his approaches several times with great results. He just comes across so genuine - you know he loves what he's doing. I also like how he'll bring others in to do their thing and he gets out of the way to watch and learn. He's simply got that down-to-earth style that is really approachable and enjoyable to watch. And, of course, everything cooks beautifully!
Indeed - my wife is not generally one to watch videos like that, but she liked both Malcolm and the everything about the recipe. I think I'm going to try the stuffed thighs next...