Do you have to foil?


 

Becky M-M

TVWBB Pro
So i am going to be making that butt tomorrow.... never made one on the kettle before. but i have made a lot of pernil in the oven. Pernil is Puerto Rican pork roast..... i make them in the oven and never cover them with foil and love the bark.

if i pull the butt off the grill and then foil wont i lose the bark? what is the necessity of foiling when you pull it off the grill?

<span class="ev_code_GREY">sorry for all the elementary questions guys.... its my first time and i dont want to screw it up.....</span>
 
Becky,

I've smoked 5 pork butts since I got my 22 WSM in June and haven't foiled a single one. Pulled them when the internal temp was 190 degrees and very loosely placed a foil tent on them, mostly to keep them warm. Not even sure I would have had to do that. Waited about 45 minutes then pulled. All have been very tender and juicy with most fat rendered out and with good bark. I'm sure you'll get lots of opinions on this. I wish you success.

Scotty W.
 
Foiling when you pull it off is to keep it warm if its going to be a while before you serve it. You'll see some talk here talk about foiling a butt and placing it in a cooler lined with towels and holding it for a few hours. Otherwise, there is no need to foil.
 
Nope.....there is no need to foil (only when done to hold). Foiling helps speed the cook, but I have never done it with a butt. Good luck with the cook tomorrow.
 
i never foil while cooking. i do foil when the meat is resting but its more like a tent, loosely covering the meat, rather than tightly wraping the meat.
 
I have cooked many,many butts - they're my best thing. When I take them off the smoker I foil them and leave them in a cooler packed with newspapers to let them rest and finish cooking. They stay there for a hours. I have never lacked tons of bark, and the resting-cooking does wonders for the texture and the flavour. Don't worry about it, and do let them rest foiled. That's my .02


PS: that said, there are few if any"have-to"s.
 
ahhhh well dont i feel silly.... lol i thought the foiling had something to do with continuing the cooking process. When i make pernil, i just very loosely cover it after i take it out of the oven. i also wait a while, mainly because its too hot too eat...

so i am going to go the no-foil route....throw this sucker on the grill at about 3 or 4 in the morning when its a warm 25 degrees outside
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I wrap my butts in foil after almost ever cook for holding purposes. Personally I have never seen an issue with bark when foiling after cooking. Here's some bark from a butt that was held in foil/towel in a cooler for 5 hours. Bark was pretty good, trust me.
 
so i am going to go the no-foil route....throw this sucker on the grill at about 3 or 4 in the morning when its a warm 25 degrees outside
So, how'd it come out? And for the record, I never foil, unless I'm trying to speed up the cooking and have a deadline.
 
Originally posted by Gary H. NJ:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">so i am going to go the no-foil route....throw this sucker on the grill at about 3 or 4 in the morning when its a warm 25 degrees outside
So, how'd it come out? And for the record, I never foil, unless I'm trying to speed up the cooking and have a deadline. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

it didnt!
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i got a spoiled butt from Walmart.... soooo very, very upset. i was so upset that i didnt return it, it is sitting outside right now because it smells horrendous.
 
spoiled butt
Argh. Don't let the experience drag you down. The cure: New fresh butt and new smoke!
Seriously, go back to the Wallyworld and let the manager know. It's all part of the healing process.
Cheers.
 
...And you might get a better one from somewhere else.
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Around here my choices for bone-in butts are Kroger or Tyson (walmart) enhanced pork, Excel (LEAN), and IBP from Sam's Club. The latter brand pork is head and shoulders above the rest.
 
Becky,
Sorry to hear your butt was spoiled. If you add your location (closest major city) to your profile, maybe some members here can help you find a good place to go in the future. Personally, I've always bought my bone in butts from Sam's (two pack in cryo) and never had a problem, but when I get burned, I start looking for alternatives.

Better luck on the next one.
 
Becky,

Like others have said, I don't foil while cooking or after. I typically let mine cool on a plate until I can handle it, then pull in a old cake pan to minimize mess. Bear claws help a lot for this process, too. Good luck with your next butt!
 

 

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