OK, so I'm not posting any pictures because after a while one charred butt looks like all the others. The same is true with the foil pan full of pulled pork. It all looks good, but pretty much the same. Besides, my camera has been with my daughter in Spokane for a week and she does not get back for another few days.
I purchased a Costco 2-pack of butts a few months back and froze then vacuum-sealed them separately. Each one weighed about 8.5 lbs.
And on the 14 hour, he rested, he created a sandwich and admired his handiwork and said..... "It is good!".
After letting the pork cool to room temp., I separated it into 1 to 1.5 lb sections, froze them and then vacuum-sealed them. Suggestion: When you vacuum seal pulled pork (or any cooked or raw meats), freeze the meat first, then vacuum seal it. That way none of the juices are "squeezed" out of the meat during the vacuuming process. It also keeps the vacuum sealer from getting gunked up with meat juice.
I purchased a Costco 2-pack of butts a few months back and froze then vacuum-sealed them separately. Each one weighed about 8.5 lbs.
- I slow-thawed one in the fridge. That took about 5 days.
[*]Rinsed it off, dried it, tied it up and rubbed with my own recipe (dried dark brown sugar, kosher salt, granulated garlic, paprika, onion powder, coriander and dried chipotle powder).
[*]Wrapped it in plastic and into the fridge overnight.
[*]Removed from fridge about 2 hours before smoking and unwrapped it completely.
[*]Set up the 18.5" WSM for Minion (full load of KC) and 5 decent sized chunks of apple wood
[*]Closed the bottom vents to about 80% when temp hit 240.
[*]The temp stabilized at about 235 for most of the smoke. Very little attention needed to control the temp.
[*]At the 10 hour mark, the meat temp was at 170 (per my Maverick). I opened the vents to about 40% and kicked the temp up to about 255.
[*]The butt hit the 195 degree mark after a total of just under 12 hours. This was the first time lifting the lid. I removed the butt, sealed it in foil and put in in a toweled cooler for 2 hours.
[*]After the two-hour rest, I pulled the pork and added about 1/2 cup of Sweet Baby Ray's.
And on the 14 hour, he rested, he created a sandwich and admired his handiwork and said..... "It is good!".
After letting the pork cool to room temp., I separated it into 1 to 1.5 lb sections, froze them and then vacuum-sealed them. Suggestion: When you vacuum seal pulled pork (or any cooked or raw meats), freeze the meat first, then vacuum seal it. That way none of the juices are "squeezed" out of the meat during the vacuuming process. It also keeps the vacuum sealer from getting gunked up with meat juice.
