Butt Question


 
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I have done 8 or so butts so far with fairly good results (I am from TX so I don't have much to compare to when it comes to pulled pork), but I do have one complaint/issue. I would say that 75% of my pork from a cook will come out wonderful, but the remaining 25% seems to not be as moist. It also seems that the meat that isn't as moist is whiter in color than the part that is very moist. Is this normal? It's like the white meat on a chicken not being as moist as the dark meat. Am I crazy? Does pork have light and dark meat, or have I lost my mind? Anyway, why would some of my meat be moist, but not all of it? Any help would be appreciated.
 
I read recently that the pork industry is battling a genetic problem that inclines the animals to a toxic stress syndrome that manifests itself at slaughter. This causes a toxic heat buildup that releases enzymes that adversely affect texture and moisture.
Unfortunately this trait is genetically linked to the leaner animals that the industry has bred. I believe that as many as 15% of animals show symptoms at slaughter. Industry efforts so far have concentrated on reducing sources of stress pre-mortem.
 
I don't know about what michael m just said, but I do know that a pork butt (shoulder) is composed of several (seven?) different and distinct muscles. Perhaps one or 2 of them is generally considered a tougher muscle?

On the 2 butts I've done, I did notice a difference in the sections, but none of them would have qualified as being "dry."
 
As stated there are 7 muscels and they are not all as moist it is normal to a degree.
I have heard some about what Michael has stated and it will interesting to see what comes of the research.
Injecting can help the overall moisture levels.
Jim
 
I've noticed the same thing on the half dozen or so butts that I've done. However, once pulled and mixed really good I find that I really don't notice the dryer parts. It seems to all balance out in the end.
 
Jim, you mention "injecting" the meat. What do you inject it with, how much, and how long in advance of cooking it do you do it?
 
Mike, read your labels. You don't want to inject meat that has already been injected. /infopop/emoticons/icon_eek.gif
 
Mike
If the butt is solution added then make the injection just flavor. Italian dressing that you have run through a screen to take out the big pieces works well, you can add some of your rub.
If the butt is not solution added you can have salt in the mixture.
I inject until the the pork butt will not take anymore.
You can do this as early as the day before with no problems or if rushed just before you put it on the cooker.
Jim
 
Jim,

I'm close to doing my first pork butt for pulled pork, using the Mr. Brown recipe. I remembered in the past, you recommended Italian salad dressing for injecting.

The place I bought my injector must have had 30 different bottles of commercial injection concoctions. Most seemed to be "one size fits all" claiming to be good for turkey, pork, beef, etc. Many were also Cajun. It looked like they all had preservatives, and some had things like "artificial" butter flavoring, although some said natural. (Jim, I did see your "Cajun injection" recipe called for real butter.)

Since I haven't ever done a butt, with Mr. Brown or anything else, I didn't know if any of these other flavors would help or hurt the finished product, and knowing Italian mixed with some of the rub was recommended, I didn't buy any.

My question to Jim and any others is, are any of the commercial blends good to inject, and if so in what?
 
Fred
If you don't have Italian dressing, oil and vinegar with spices will work just fine.
Prepackaged marinades and injections have a tendency to be expensive and may have ingredients that you don't want in your food.
Jim
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR> It also seems that the meat that isn't as moist is whiter in color than the part that is very moist. Is this normal? It's like the white meat on a chicken not being as moist as the dark meat. Am I crazy? Does pork have light and dark meat, or have I lost my mind? <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>While many refer to the outside bark of a pork butt as Mr. Brown, others refer to the two components of a pork butt as Mr. Brown and Miss White. The darker part is indeed like the dark meat in chicken. I find it tends to be more moist (greasy) than the lighter white meat that can dry out in a long cook. I tend to prefer the white meat sections in my pulled pork sandwiches as they are less likely to be chewy and sinuous. You can also see these variations in color and texture if you slice a pork butt.
 
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