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A Dissertation on Smoking a Lot of Pulled Pork

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  • A Dissertation on Smoking a Lot of Pulled Pork

    My man Rocko asked me if I'd share with him how I do a a big load of pulled pork, start to finish. I mentioned a while back that a long lost friend found me on Facebook and asked me the same thing. I typed him up a long email with just that, but figured I could do it a little better for a pulic post.

    My apologies up front for a long post, but when there's a lot to say, there's a lot to write...

    Start with the meat. I have 4 places that I frequent for meat. I'm not loyal to any of them, so the cheapest per pound for the day gets the business. I try to stay in the 10 pound range for butts, and try to get the most "square" shaped ones, simply because they either fit in a pan better, or because they are easier to wrap in foil, if that's your poison. I buy the meat the day before and keep it on ice in a cooler - I ain't got the fridge space for 80 pounds or more of meat...

    The night before the cook I make up my rub. Lots of it so I definitely won't run out while I'm dusting the meat.

    The day of the cook. Pull out the smoker, get the fire going and pull the butts out to prep. I always cut my butts in half now, for two reasons: 1- it decreases the cook time by at least a couple of hours; and 2- it adds extra surface area for bark to form. And bark equals flavor. Y'all know there's bone visible on two sides of the butts. I use a sharp cleaver to slice the meat with the bigger bony area on the 9 o'clock position. When I get to the smaller part of the bone which almost always comes across the center line, that's when the cleaver really earns it's keep.

    I just use a bunch of baking sheets and line the butts up, making sure I keep the fat cap down when I start applying rub so I can keep track of the fat cap once I have them all rubbed down. I love my method of applying the rub - I dump the rub into a large mixing bowl and use a sketti strainer. Scoop some up , shake over the top of the meat, rub it in good with my gloved hand. And I always weat gloves. A paprika based rub on wet hands leaves a nice stain, and then there's the sanitary thing... So I finish off the tops, then rotate one quarter, repeat, repeat, repeat. I finish up the ends with my hands, using the generous piles of rub in the bottom of the pans.

    By now the smoker has settled in, so in goes the meat. In my Lang, the firebox end is about 30 degrees hotter cause of the residual heat of the firebox itself. And the top rack gets a better smoke hit than the bottom. So I place the meat where the heat and the smoke do the best. Gotta know how your cooker works best for you... My target temp is 250, and I check/stoke/snuff the fire every half hour from the time the meat goes on till finished.

    I never spritz butts anymore. I have found that it does absolutely nothing to help keep the buts moist, and any bark that gets too crunchy will soften up in the foil stage. You will really have to make an effort to dry out a pork butt.

    I do nothing except tend the fire for the first four hours. No need to look at them, they ain't gonna be done, and every time you open the lid, you do nothing but heat the neighborhood.

    At four hours, I get my therms and head out. I'll rotate the butts the get the ones from the cooler end to the hotter end. Forgot to mention that I go fat side up to start. When I rotate, I roll them to fat down. Then I stick in the probes and set the alarms to 165. Now I only have four therms. I don't think I need to have a probe in every piece of meat. I'll probe the larger ones only. When they hit temp, you can pretty much rest assured the smaller ones will be there too, and no big deal if they are beyond the target temp. Then I'll play averages. I may have them like 162, 164, 165, and 167. That's all close enough to my 165 target.

    Then I pull them all. Here comes personal preference. I put the meat in large foil pans. I buy them by the hundred, so that helps with the price of them. I can fit 4 of the halved butts in one pan. Splash about half a cup of whatever liquid you have. I have used apple juice, Sprite, or just plain old water. What you're really looking for here is just liquid that will form some steam. I put one therm in the biggest chunk, run the wire out the corner, and cover tightly with heavy duty foil. Don't waste your time or money with cheap or thin foil. If you poke a hole in the foil, rip it off and try again. You need a tight seal to keep the steam in.

    Back into the smoker now, therms set to 200, and I ramp up the temp to 275, continuing to check the fire every 30 minutes. When one pan hits the mark, I pull it and drop it in the cooler. If you use the large pan method to foil, make sure your cooler can fit the pan! I put a towel in the bottom, drop in the pan, and cover with another towel. Then I stack the next pan and cover with another towel. Repeat as required.

    Probably the biggest reasons I use pans instead of just wrapping in foil are- 1. The mess of the liquid seeping out of the foil. 2. The speed in getting all that meat foiled up and back into the smoker. Imagine having to individually double wrap 16 chunks of meat... And 3. Along with the mess... You want to retain the liquid. Instead of opening the foil and pouring off the liquid, all over your feet (it has happened), the counter, or pretty much anywhere except what you're pouring it into, it is already retained for you in the pans.

    Back to the cooler rest... Go at least one hour in the cooler. They will still be 195 degrees or more. I have gone 8 hours before and still had the meat holding at 180 (not preferred). I'll typically give them about a 3 hour rest before I crack em open to start pulling. I hand pull it all, but I know lots of folks use the bear claws or big forks.

    I'll then weigh it out and vac seal the pulled pork in two and three pound bags and stick it in the freezer. With two and three pounders, you can provide any combination of poundage needed. Come serving time, I get out the big lobster pot and get some water boiling. Takes about 20 minutes to get a pot full of frozen 2 pound packs up to serving temp.

    This is exactly my method for doing chucks also.

    Sorry again for the long post, but hope this helps anyone who is looking for this kind of info. And my disclaimer- this ain't THE way, it's MY way.
    Last edited by Seboke; 06-25-2011, 10:59 AM.
    Lang 84 Deluxe (sold it, broke my heart)
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  • #2
    Thank you for this thread, I am doing two parties next weekend. Both with pulled pork. Most people here want ribs and chicken, so it has been a while since my smoker has seen any butts.

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    • #3
      And that is how that is done!
      Keith

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      • #4
        Cool info, I've toyed with using the alum. pans but haven't tried it. Sounds like it solves a couple of problems and keeps that gold.
        Mark
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        "Likes smokey old pool rooms, clear mountain mornins. Little warm puppies, children and girls of the night"?
        Smoked-Meat Certified Sausage Head!

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        • #5
          Great read. I've got two butts on right now. I use the aluminum pans because of the tear problem and juice running out. Thanks!

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          • #6
            pretty much how I do it. With a couple of exceptions.

            I leave the pork fat up for the whole cook I figure it melts and keeps the meat moist - cook in pans the whole time - so you don't lose the juices and you don't get crap all over your smoker (have to pour a bunch of liquid out before foiling).
            And I rub the meat the night before.

            Seems to work :-)
            Made In England - Fine Tuned By The USA
            Just call me 'One Grind'



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            • #7
              Great post, Thanks.
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              • #8
                Like how ya got that all together!...Rich will be here shortly to grammar check ya!
                Sunset Eagle Aviation
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                • #9
                  Got a 25 pounder finished weight cook coming. Might just try the halving method. Thanks Seb!

                  Oh...2-3 pounds packs, eh? I was considering 5...too big huh?
                  In God I trust- All others pay cash...
                  Check out the Mad Hunky and products at https://madhunkymeats.com or https://www.facebook.com/MadHunkyMeats
                  Lang 60D, The Beast, 18 and 22 WSM, Brinkmann Backroads trailer, Weber 22 Kettle, gutted MB burning watts

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                  • #10
                    Originally posted by Richtee View Post
                    Got a 25 pounder finished weight cook coming. Might just try the halving method. Thanks Seb!

                    Oh...2-3 pounds packs, eh? I was considering 5...too big huh?
                    Great post Seboke!

                    I generally vacu-suk mostly 2 lb packs, butt I like the idear of 3 pounders as well... makes sense. I have done 5 lb packs and found them to be too much at times.


                    Drinks well with others



                    ~ P4 ~

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                    • #11
                      That was actually super helpful. I like that you explain it is OK to be a little off with temps and you use the law of averages. I discovered the using of foil pans completely by accident. I think they are an awesome tool. Seboke thanks for all that. My only gripe and it is because I AM A MORON is I wish for the quoted part you had a video, or pics.

                      Originally posted by Seboke View Post
                      I always cut my butts in half now, for two reasons: 1- it decreases the cook time by at least a couple of hours; and 2- it adds extra surface area for bark to form. And bark equals flavor. Y'all know there's bone visible on two sides of the butts. I use a sharp cleaver to slice the meat with the bigger bony area on the 9 o'clock position. When I get to the smaller part of the bone which almost always comes across the center line, that's when the cleaver really earns it's keep.

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                      • #12
                        and thats a worthy post my friends, well done
                        Island of Misfit Smokers Member #92

                        How to heal the world. Love people and feed them tasty food.

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                        • #13
                          Nice post Seboke - I'll toss ya some points for the effort.

                          I've cooked large amounts of butt as well so I'm taking some things away from this, and adding comments:

                          Take Aways:
                          I'll have to try halving them - I like the idea of more bark, and they gotta be easier to manuvere in the smoker. Question - why don't you just debone them instead of cleavering them? Seems like there would be some little bone fragments left doing it that way.

                          Great idea on the rub shaker - I don't have one, but know exactly what you're talking about.

                          Comments:
                          Try taking them to 195 instead of 200+ - I think it makes a lot of difference on the final bit through give the fact that the reheat also breaks them down a bit too - if you're re-heating 8 butts, the hold time is at least an hour figuring the serving time.

                          I'm with CA - I leave them fat cap up through the entire process.

                          You are spot on with the freeze and re-heat. I just ate a package of pulled pork this week that I smoked in Oct of 2010 - tasted like it was straight out of the smoker.

                          Anyone planning on a re-heat should try panning them - that liquid gold on the reheat is priceless! What I do is pour the liquid from all pans into a large stock pot and stick it in the fridge or outside if temps permit... once it has cooled, the fat layer can be easily scooped or popped off, and you're left with pure jelly goodness!



                          Tracey

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                          • #14
                            Originally posted by WALLE View Post

                            Great idea on the rub shaker - I don't have one, but know exactly what you're talking about.
                            I have been kinda looking for a coarser screened sifter...like for flour, but bigger to allow CBP etc. thru...

                            Originally posted by WALLE View Post
                            Anyone planning on a re-heat should try panning them - that liquid gold on the reheat is priceless! What I do is pour the liquid from all pans into a large stock pot and stick it in the fridge or outside if temps permit... once it has cooled, the fat layer can be easily scooped or popped off, and you're left with pure jelly goodness!
                            Plus..adding it back in before vac-ing in the gel state minimizes liquid "suck-in" to the vac machine. CAREFUL there... that little pan inside fills up and you get that in the pump...yer done.
                            In God I trust- All others pay cash...
                            Check out the Mad Hunky and products at https://madhunkymeats.com or https://www.facebook.com/MadHunkyMeats
                            Lang 60D, The Beast, 18 and 22 WSM, Brinkmann Backroads trailer, Weber 22 Kettle, gutted MB burning watts

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                            • #15
                              .

                              Not to mention the occasional campfire

                              My --->
                              Paul

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