How to get good flavor in the middle of a pork butt?


 
Christopher H

Christopher H

TVWBB Fan
Hi guys,

I'm not sure if I am the only one that has this problem or not. When I smoke an 8lb pork butt I usually go for 10-12 hours and then wrap and let it rest in a cooler for an hour before pulling. When all is said and done the bone slides out completely clean, the meat is perfectly juicy and tender, a nice bark has formed but I've noticed the flavor seems to reside in the first inch or so in the meat. Don't get me wrong, it all gets eaten but is this normal? I dry rub the night before. I have tried injecting 30 minutes before the smoke, but I find the meat in the center to lack a smokey flavor or whatever I inject/rub the meat with.

I have resorted to sprinkling a little rub over the pulled meat to disperse the flavor.
 
With a smoked pork butt, I always shred the meat and mix it up thoroughly so that the flavor is evenly dispersed throughout the pork. The only flavoring agent I add is salt to the shredded pork when I pull it apart. I will also take some of the liquid drippings and spoon it over the shredded meat to add flavor and moisture.
 
you can definitely add some rub over whole thing or you can mix with a finishing sauce (butter, apple juice, rub for example) to give it more flavor/juiciness. Last you can try injecting deep into the butt prior to smoking.
 
James H said:
you can definitely add some rub over whole thing or you can mix with a finishing sauce (butter, apple juice, rub for example) to give it more flavor/juiciness. Last you can try injecting deep into the butt prior to smoking.
Click to expand...

Ditto what James said....
 
I love pulled pork, but I always eat it the next day or later after smoking. After smoking, cooler time and pulling, I divide the meat into separate containers for individual and family meals and put them all in the fridge. The smoke flavor is much more intense after the pulled pork has been sitting overnight. I simply take a container from fridge, bring to room temperature and re-heat at 175-200 degrees in a glass container for an hour or two (add a little apple juice or sweetened cider vinegar if needed). You can also add your favorite sauce or rub at this point, but I prefer to add my sauce/seasoning later (and let the guests make their own choices).

I then freeze and vacuum seal the rest of the meat.
 
I totally get what you're talking about. The last pulled pork I made I followed this process... http://tvwbb.com/showthread.php?51784-Smoked-and-Braised-Pulled-Pork and it will be the way I do it from now on. Cutting up the butt adds surface area = more bark = more flavor! Between the smaller pieces and braising; it cooked faster and was just as tender if not more vs. smoked whole and wrapped. I used apple cider instead of beer. When we were ready to eat I pulled and added some rub. It was so good, we kept eating more out of the pan. :)
 
I use a 1/2 cup of apple juice, 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar and a tbls of the rub I used on the pork butt and inject it an hour before smoking the butt. When I pull the pork I make sure I mix the bark very well with the center meat. It always comes out moist with great flavor.
 
If you foil your meat either to finish or rest, there should be some juice in the foil, put it into a bowl and set it in the fridge so it separates and the fat gets hard, pull off the layer of orange fat, warm the pork jelly that's left and mix it back in with some rub
 
When shredding I toss with equal parts butter, chicken stock and dust with rub while tossing = finishing sauce.
 
Seeing that it is pulled pork, Mark got it right. Just mix up the shredded pork to give a good balance between the 'outside' and 'inside' pieces. IIRC, Smoke will only permiate to about 1/4"-1/2" inch beneath the 'outside skin'. With pulled pork mixing the shredded pieces will help to even distribute the smoke flavored pieces. Somethinge else you can try, which I haven't, may be to add some liquid smoke to your injection. This may give the inside pieces some smoke but some people are against using liquid smoke or don't like the taste.

Dave
 
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