First time pulled pork


 
K

Kevin MM

TVWBB Member
This is only the second thing I am cooking on my 18", I have cooked ribs several times but pulled pork is the longest cook I have done. I bought two pork shoulders bone in, each weighing 9.5 lbs., should I put them both on the top rack or use both racks? Any other advice that might help me with this cook is much appreciated.
 
If they both fit on top rack with a little space between them, I would put both on same rack. Just easier to temp, spray etc. And they will cook at the same rate.
Happy smokin'

Mark
 
Kevin MM said:
This is only the second thing I am cooking on my 18", I have cooked ribs several times but pulled pork is the longest cook I have done. I bought two pork shoulders bone in, each weighing 9.5 lbs., should I put them both on the top rack or use both racks? Any other advice that might help me with this cook is much appreciated.
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What MK said, exciting isn't it :) mmm, pulled pork
 
Does anyone brine their pork shoulder? If I need to put more coals on should they be lite or not before I put them in?
 
Kevin MM said:
Does anyone brine their pork shoulder? If I need to put more coals on should they be lite or not before I put them in?
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One time for a comp, I brined and injected. I have on occasion brined butts but am not sure it is necessary. I would inject tho without question.

Mark
 
Kevin MM said:
Does anyone brine their pork shoulder? If I need to put more coals on should they be lite or not before I put them in?
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I never brine nor inject my pork butts. But I know lots of people do inject them. I would say if you're thinking about injecting for moisture sake it is not necessary as there is plenty of fat that will render inside the butt to keep it moist. If you're thinking about it for a flavor profile, that's different. Again I've never done it but if you try it be sure to let us know how it turns out!

As far as adding coals goes, I usually pack the charcoal ring full with KBB for a butt cook. That generally lasts me the 8-10 hour cook w/out the need to add anymore coals, even when using a water bowl initially filled with tepid water. On the rare occasion that I have had to add coal during a cook, whether they have been lit or not depended on how low my temps got (and how fully extinguished the coals were). Like I said I usually have enough coal to last my entire cook so if I need to add more it's because the fire is completely out. In which case I add lit coals.

Bottom line: Use the minion method and put as many unlit coals in as you can fit before you take off however many you're gonna light. That should last you for the whole butt cook.
 
I like injecting for pork butts, the Weber "Smoke" cookbook has a quick and easy recipe for injecting pork. Brian's right, fill your coal ring and then light some up, and you're good to go. Don't worry about using too much charcoal since you can close the vents after your done and save whatever coal is left. My personal opinion is the more meat you can fit in your smoker no matter what size, the better the smoker works. I've done single pork butts, 2 pork butts, and just last weekend 4 pork butts (almost 40lbs) on my 18.5 WSM and the last one was the easiest and least fussy. I was able to literally just load the WSM, set my vents, and forget it for 13 hours. In fact the smoking was done overnight and I slept through the first 8 hours. The pork turned out great.
 
40 lbs! That's a lot of butt meat! But you do make a good point about more meat = smoother smoker experience. I never made that connection, but it makes sense... more meat = more thermal mass = more stable temps...
 
I plan on putting the meat on around 12 tomorrow night, is it to early to inject it tonight before 12. Then it would have the rub and injection for longer than 24 hours, is that too long and the meat would turn to mush?
 
I don't have "the" answer to your question, however my concern would be being out of the vacuum sealed package for 24 hours. I supose you could seal them up in a ziploc baggie, but the ziploc would have to be a huge bag if they're averaging 10LBS each. Anyway, the bottom line to my concern is the meat losing it's natural moisture
 
Kevin, I personally would inject 5-6 hrs before the cook and rub an hour or so before the cook. There is probably a lee way SP

Mark
 
Kevin MM said:
I plan on putting the meat on around 12 tomorrow night, is it to early to inject it tonight before 12. Then it would have the rub and injection for longer than 24 hours, is that too long and the meat would turn to mush?
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I did two 10-pounders last weekend using this recipe. To save time, I did the injecting Thursday night and put both butts in a big stock pot to marinate. Friday evening around 7, I pulled them out, dried them off and applied the rub. They went on the WSM around 10:00 that night and were fall-apart (literally) tender by noon on Saturday. Here are my notes from the cook. Have done pork a bunch of times in the past (thought this was the first time on the WSM), I have to say I wasn't overly impressed with the injection. Using a full water pan, the injection isn't really needed for moisture, and I didn't notice that it brought much flavor to the party. The rub was fantastic, though. Not trying to talk you out of injecting, just saying that it didn't work for me. Also, I can tell you that injecting ahead of time won't lead to mushy meat.
 
Thank you for the notes they are very helpful. Has anyone used Harry Soo's recipe? It seems like a lot more steps, is it worth taking the meat off wrapping them up in tin foil and put back on the grill to cook?
 
So I am all done cooking my first pulled pork.. Everything was smoothed sailing until the IT got to 160, then it stalled there for a long time. I upped the temp and then I wrapped them up. I was afraid the meat would dry up. Why does it stall like that and what should I do in the future just in case this happens again? Or is their something I can do to prevent this? Everyone did love the pulled pork so I guess you can say it was a success. Up until the time it stalled I was cooking it at 225.
 
Congratulations Kevin on an excellent job with the pork !!!

I use Harry's methods on the meats that we cook. If you carefully dissect his methods, you will note one very important recurring theme. That being working in stages with a specific goal for that particular stage. Much easier to handle any upsets if only interested in arriving at one specific goal at a time. And yes, wrapping is one of those important stages. It is a brazing stage where steam is allowed to fully tenderize the meat and collagen.

Many are hung up on this thing called moisture, thinking that this moisture is water or even fat. It is not. The meats we generally cook low and slow are tougher meats due to their usage on the animal. Because of this usage, these meats have loads of tougher collagen. Low and slow cooking allows the tougher collagen to break down into gelatin, which is what we see as 'moisture' in the meats. If you overcooked meats, you can loose most of this gelatin which results in dryer meat.

Bob
 
Why do they tell you to take the meat off when the IT reaches 195 when actually pork is done when the IT reaches 145?
 
Kevin,

Meat (ie Muscle), when on the animal, are used for either locomotion or for support. Those for support do not have as much tough collagen as those used for locomotion. As such those meats for support will be tender at a much lower temperature. The USDA specs are for safety and to not speak to tenderness.

It is the tough collagen that is present in the muscles of locomotion that, although "cooked" at 145, has not broken down and is not tender.

As an experiment, try cooking a partial port butt or ribs or brisket to 145. Also do the same with another duplicate meat, but take it to the tenderness stage.
 
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Kevin, my experience has shown that pork butt is done based on how you want to serve it. If you want to slice the meat you do not cook it as long as if you want to pull it. If you do the slices will fall apart. If you cook to slice, then pulling will be sub satisfactory because pulled needs more cooking time, regardless of your cooking temp.

Dealing with the stall is another issue you asked about. You can, if you choose, blast thru it by increasing the cooking temp.
You can also just live with it, but plan on the stall time 1st. You can wrap the meat in foil or paper or whatever you want, some folks increase the cooking temp after wrapping. There may be other methods that I am not aware of.

Congrats on your cook today!

Mark
 
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