Pellet Fan
Recipe Section => Pork => Topic started by: Michael_NW on February 04, 2018, 12:56:03 AM
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I had posted my results of wrapping pork butt in foil vs. butcher paper back in December in order to refine my method. I just wasn't happy with the results prior to that, and while that cook was by far the best pulled pork I had done, there was still room for improvement especially in the bark dept.. So I changed up my pit temp variables, today, and tried it again. The results were awesome, my wife loves the pork, and I'm glad to finally have found a method that appears to be fool-proof (cuz I can be a fool, at times). :P
Here's what I did:
- Dry brined two 9 lb pork butts 48 hours prior to cook
- Applied dry rub (mine was an altered Memphis Dust) 24 hours prior to cook
- The morning of the cook I applied a thin coat of maple syrup with another light coat of rub
- The meat went on the smoker at 6:00 am at 225; when they hit an IT of 160 I wrapped one butt in foil and the other in butcher paper, raised pit to 275; this was at 2:00 pm
- The meat came off the smoker when they probed tender at ~203 IT, rested in an unheated oven for an hour, then pulled
This is the foil butt - lots of juice, tastes wonderful
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This is the bp butt - lots of juice and flavor, more bark
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Both side by side, foil on the left. You can see the bp pork is darker due to more bark.
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So, it's butcher paper for me and I'm sold on this method. Even though I had used maple syrup for the rub glue I couldn't taste it in the final product so I probably won't do that again. Others with a more sensitive palate might be able to taste it, but not me; I can't tell any difference between different pellet flavors, either. I pulled the butts using tongs - they were soooo tender. After pulling both butts I poured the juices into a fat separator and poured the meat juice back over the meat, though it wasn't necessary from a moisture standpoint it did add quite a bit of flavor.
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Looks and sounds fantastic. I may have to get me some butcher paper.
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Very nice experiment. I love when folks do stuff like this and then share results. Thanks. And your pork looks great :clap:
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Yum
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Great looking PP. Thanks for sharing. Butcher paper it is for my next PP cook.
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Excellent post Michael. Good description, start to finish.
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I will need to use that butchers paper that I bought next time. Any particular reason why you let the fat separate from your juices and didn't include it in the mix?
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Great comparison.
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I will need to use that butchers paper that I bought next time. Any particular reason why you let the fat separate from your juices and didn't include it in the mix?
None other than I thought there was already plenty of fat and flavor in the pork. Really. When I pulled it with the tongs it almost sounded mushy. After I had added the juice back in to both pulled butts I could see the liquid in the bottom of the pans; that had never happened with my pulled pork cooks before this. My wife raved about the taste - end of discussion!
What was surprising was how well the butcher paper held in the liquid; it was trickier to pour off due to the less stiff nature of the paper, but there was no less liquid in the bp than the foil.
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Shouldn't a great post like this be in the recipe section under pork? It would make it easier to locate later, especially for someone not too familiar with the site. :)
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If Kristen or Bentley want to move it they can. I meant it as the end to an experiment regarding foil vs butcher paper and trying to find the balance between temp-time-bark, so it's not so much a how-to as it is a look-what-happened. :pig: But you're right - I suppose it would make a decent place for someone to start if they are new to pellet cooking or are trying to nail down their method like I was.
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It would be good to have in the recipe section now that it has spent a few days in general, so I will move to make sure it is always easy to find.
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Nicely done!
I "foil" mine in a foil lasagna pan with apple juice, but I might try that way soon now that I have butcher paper.
I agree with you on the binder. I have never used any "binder" on anything I put dry rub on. Never found a need. Put the rub on a few hours before cook and then into fridge to keep cold, the natural juices from the meat will do the binding for you.
Thanks for sharing!
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Very nice color.
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What was surprising was how well the butcher paper held in the liquid; it was trickier to pour off due to the less stiff nature of the paper, but there was no less liquid in the bp than the foil.
That is why I put the foiled butt in a pan after I pull it off the grill. I just remove the foil and the juices fall in the pan. I then pull right in the pan with the juices and mix everything together after throwing a little more rub in with the pulled meat before mixing. I am too lazy to wait to separate fat and reincorporate.
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What was surprising was how well the butcher paper held in the liquid; it was trickier to pour off due to the less stiff nature of the paper, but there was no less liquid in the bp than the foil.
That is why I put the foiled butt in a pan after I pull it off the grill. I just remove the foil and the juices fall in the pan. I then pull right in the pan with the juices and mix everything together after throwing a little more rub in with the pulled meat before mixing. I am too lazy to wait to separate fat and reincorporate.
If it were for me and the majority of folks here I would do exactly as you recommend, BBL. You're not lazy, I prefer the term efficient. :pig: I am not averse to more fat in my pork, but I do not cook just for myself. So while I am fine with fat leaking out of the bun of my pulled pork sandwich, my wife wishes for a less napkin-centric experience. :D
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I have never used butcher paper before but this thread convinced me to try it. I want what you used given it's ability to hold a good bit of the run off juices.
Is there a type or brand that is recommended? Where do you find it?
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Boy, am I late in answering this or what. Please forgive me, Ralphie! I got mine a webstaurantstore, but I'm sure its available in many places.