I cooked two butts this weekend, but ran out of time before they reached my desired temp of 195. I pulled them at 185. One was very tender, the other tender, but not as much. I read somewhere that foiling butts at 170 and leaving them that way until 195 will improve tenderness and moisture. Do you agree with this technique? I have done it with ribs, but not butts. Any thoughts?
Foiling Butts, yes?
- Thread starter DavidD
- Start date
Bill Spearman
TVWBB Super Fan
Davidd, there are a myriad of ways to do butts, high and fast, low and slow, foiled and unfoiled, etc. Only by experimenting will you find the right combo for your taste. I personally like 300 at the lid and no foil unless I am in a real hurry.
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Davidd:
I read somewhere that foiling butts at 170 and leaving them that way until 195 will improve tenderness and moisture. Do you agree with this technique? I have done it with ribs, but not butts. Any thoughts? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Well when you foil, you speed up the cooking process a great deal, and steam the meat somewhat, not sure if steam is the right word but that's what I'm using.
When you foil ribs it softens them up and if left in the foli too long they will be mushy and falling off the bone and in every direction. I do Foil Chuck Rolls when doing them, usually around 160-170 but I never foiled a butt except for resting before pulling. The problem with foiling meat is that it tends to soften up the bark, which isn't a bad thing as long as it doesn't get too soft. As Bill said, next time you do butts foil one and leave the other one unfoiled to see which way you like them.
I read somewhere that foiling butts at 170 and leaving them that way until 195 will improve tenderness and moisture. Do you agree with this technique? I have done it with ribs, but not butts. Any thoughts? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Well when you foil, you speed up the cooking process a great deal, and steam the meat somewhat, not sure if steam is the right word but that's what I'm using.
K Kruger
TVWBB 1-Star Olympian
Ditto to both B and B.
I like a foiling/braising component to ribs and brisket--but am not a fan of foiling butt during cooking (unless absolutely necessary--like the in-laws have just called and will be 'surprising' you two hours early).
My issue with foiling butt is less of a bark thing and more of what-it-can-do-to-the-rest-of-the-meat-thing: Imo, some somewhat substantial evaporation/dripping of internal moisture/rendered fat and tissue is necessary for the best texture at the finish. Foiling during cooking negates this. (Others opinions may vary, of course.) I prefer to add a vinegar-based finishing sauce--a splash at a time--during pulling, to tie in and add a bit of homogeneity to the finished pulled pork. Foiling during cooking (again, imo), can hold more moisture, but this seems to make the flavor of the finished product less distinctive--more 'watered down'.
With ribs, being thinner and nowhere near as fat-striated or connective tissue-loaded, foiling (imo, at the end--not in the middle--of the cook, for best results), can in fact retain key flavor variables as well as moisture and, if adding flavored liquids to the foil, can add flavor layers as well. This is not possible with butts due to their size--one is only trapping moisture, something that really isn't required because of the higher level of moisture (i.e., water, soft fat deposits, connective tissue) already present in butts.
If the finished results of butts are too dry or not tender enough then they are being overcooked or undercooked. Revamping the approach and the target finish will fix this. Foiling is unnecessary.
I like a foiling/braising component to ribs and brisket--but am not a fan of foiling butt during cooking (unless absolutely necessary--like the in-laws have just called and will be 'surprising' you two hours early).
My issue with foiling butt is less of a bark thing and more of what-it-can-do-to-the-rest-of-the-meat-thing: Imo, some somewhat substantial evaporation/dripping of internal moisture/rendered fat and tissue is necessary for the best texture at the finish. Foiling during cooking negates this. (Others opinions may vary, of course.) I prefer to add a vinegar-based finishing sauce--a splash at a time--during pulling, to tie in and add a bit of homogeneity to the finished pulled pork. Foiling during cooking (again, imo), can hold more moisture, but this seems to make the flavor of the finished product less distinctive--more 'watered down'.
With ribs, being thinner and nowhere near as fat-striated or connective tissue-loaded, foiling (imo, at the end--not in the middle--of the cook, for best results), can in fact retain key flavor variables as well as moisture and, if adding flavored liquids to the foil, can add flavor layers as well. This is not possible with butts due to their size--one is only trapping moisture, something that really isn't required because of the higher level of moisture (i.e., water, soft fat deposits, connective tissue) already present in butts.
If the finished results of butts are too dry or not tender enough then they are being overcooked or undercooked. Revamping the approach and the target finish will fix this. Foiling is unnecessary.
Michael G. (Canada Mike)
TVWBB All-Star
I foiled some ribs for quite a wile recently. My wife likes them truly FOTB, so i foiled one rack for 2 hours! talk about falling off the bone. The saving grace is leaving them back on the WSM for half an hour so they're not too drippy.
The boss loved 'em.
The boss loved 'em.
Disclaimer: Please take my following statements for what they are. Opinions from experience from my side of the fence (Memphis In May style of competition) as a participant and "judge").
The "typical" MIM style process consists of a smoking period, a wrapping period (or foil period) and then you mop. sop or baste the shoulders and put them back on the smoker to firm up the bark. Veteran competitors will deny that any foil ever touches their product; in 95% of the time they are lying through their teeth. For some reason it seems to be taboo in the circuit that anyone uses foil.
During the "foiled" or wrapped period is when the rendering process occurs, and yes the bark moistens up, hence the third period to firm the bark up again. Foiling as you refer to it keeps the moisture in, allows the butt, picnic or shoulder to marinate if you will in it's own juices (the collagen breaks down in to simple sugars which make for a wonderful flavoring and basting substance) and keeps the outer bark and smoke ring area from getting dried out too much.
We went on the premise that certain types of acidic values in the juices we used might not react to the foil too well and alter the taste; so we wrap our shoulders in a commercial grade Poly Vinyl wrap from Costco (Saran wrap) and then double foil them. No, the poly wrap doesn't melt (at least not at the under 250 degree temps we use).
My recommendation would be to pull the shoulders from the foil at around 190 degrees internal temp (they will climb another 10 degree or so) and then baste with your sauce and or rub and allow to cook un-wrapped another 60 minutes or so to get that bark just right.
My opinion to the answer to your question is YES, wrap your Butt, but not for the full period; and not just to do a "rush" job on your butt. I have never cooked a shoulder, butt, or picnic in a "rush" so you would have to follow some ones advise that is experienced in that. For MIM style of shoulders it just wouldn't work.
Good Luck!!!!!!
The "typical" MIM style process consists of a smoking period, a wrapping period (or foil period) and then you mop. sop or baste the shoulders and put them back on the smoker to firm up the bark. Veteran competitors will deny that any foil ever touches their product; in 95% of the time they are lying through their teeth. For some reason it seems to be taboo in the circuit that anyone uses foil.
During the "foiled" or wrapped period is when the rendering process occurs, and yes the bark moistens up, hence the third period to firm the bark up again. Foiling as you refer to it keeps the moisture in, allows the butt, picnic or shoulder to marinate if you will in it's own juices (the collagen breaks down in to simple sugars which make for a wonderful flavoring and basting substance) and keeps the outer bark and smoke ring area from getting dried out too much.
We went on the premise that certain types of acidic values in the juices we used might not react to the foil too well and alter the taste; so we wrap our shoulders in a commercial grade Poly Vinyl wrap from Costco (Saran wrap) and then double foil them. No, the poly wrap doesn't melt (at least not at the under 250 degree temps we use).
My recommendation would be to pull the shoulders from the foil at around 190 degrees internal temp (they will climb another 10 degree or so) and then baste with your sauce and or rub and allow to cook un-wrapped another 60 minutes or so to get that bark just right.
My opinion to the answer to your question is YES, wrap your Butt, but not for the full period; and not just to do a "rush" job on your butt. I have never cooked a shoulder, butt, or picnic in a "rush" so you would have to follow some ones advise that is experienced in that. For MIM style of shoulders it just wouldn't work.
Good Luck!!!!!!