Pulled pork a little dry

[GreggP]

I smoked a couple of butts the other day and froze one. When I tried the first, the flavor was great but the meat was a touch too dry for my tastes. Is there anything I can add/do to moisten it up, or better luck next time?

 

[Randy P.]

Apple Juice works for me. When I re-heat pork I will add a small amount of apple juice and that helps.

Randy

 

[GreggP]

Neat idea. How much do you add?

 

[Doug D]

Apple juice or broth or vinegar sauce-- a couple tablespoons per serving.

 

[Randy P.]

Hmmmm, depends on how much meat I have and how dry it looks. Start with maybe 2 or 3 Tablespoons up to 1/8 cup or so. It's not a set amount. Just what looks good.

Are you wrapping them in foil after cooking and let rest in a cooler for a few hours before pulling/slicing? That helps get the moisture back in the meat.

Randy

 

[GreggP]

I actually smoked for 9 hours and then foiled and finished in the oven. Pulled them out of the oven at 205 (a little too high) and set them in a cooler for 1.5 hours. There was a lot of liquid in the foil, so I poured it into a gravy separator and poured the liquid back over the pork and discarded the fat.

 

[K Kruger]

Another thought: In a blender mix well 6 parts liquid (apple juice, as Randy suggests, alone or it mixed with some vinegar and/or chicken stock or saved meat juuices, e.g.) and 1 part oil. If you're not averse to mustard add a dollop of that (about a T per cup--I prefer Dijon but use whatever you wish), then blend well. An addition of 1-3 T per cup or large handful of pork should do it. Reheat, stir well, serve.

The oil helps to restore some of the mouthfeel lost when meat over-renders. The mustard helps the oil emulsify, and the tiny droplets of emulsified oil will cling to the meat better and carry between them the liquid component, thus spreading the liquid (and its flavor) better.

 

[Keri C]

To Kevin's general combination I also add a tablespoon of whatever rub I used on the butt to begin with, to help spread that flavor throughout the meat. You can also add a bit of your regular sauce to the liquid component as well. I'm going to try out your oil/mustard component, Kevin - I like the sound of that. Here's an old post of mine where I went into the injection and "butt moisturizer" solutions that I used at the time.

Keri C, still smokin' on Tulsa Time
Hot Wire BBQ