pulled pork question
- Thread starter Shaun H
- Start date
Wolgast
TVWBB Olympian
Add peices of wood buried in the coals and then no need to add more during the cook.(that is if you do a MM start witch you should) How mutch?...Well depends on what wood you are using. For fruit(apple) i use about 4 fist sized chunks split in half mixed with the coals.(closer the the edge of the fire ring)
Dave Russell
TVWBB Honor Circle
I guess it's a matter of preference, and personally, I prefer a little more smoke than Wolgast for pork butts. However, I'm not worried about getting smoke the whole time or even into the stall. If I do, that's fine though. I'm more interested in getting smoke on at the first of the cook.
Regardless of preference though, wood species, moisture content, size of chunks, and even the size of the butts are things to consider. Not only will smaller butts take less time to smoke, but they have more surface area to smoke, so they don't need as much smoke.
I've been thinking lately that my pork butts just didn't have enough smoke flavor, and was seriously thinking about getting another stickburner. I think the thing is that if you go to bed and cook overnight, you just don't know how much smoke the butts actually got.
Well, this is what worked GREAT the other day. I smoked two big ones all day Saturday, one was 9.26lb, and the other was 9.12lb if I recall. I used four small chunks of green peach (just cut from the orchard) about 2X3" on top of the pile, and had three (or maybe four) little smaller than fist size chunks of seasoned nutwood down in the coals. Only one was hickory (dry and store-bought), but the other two or three were white oak chunks that still smelled good and weren't that old. Well, the butts were fantastic, and had a much deeper smoke flavor that was more like that off an offset. They might've been too smoky for some folks taste, but everyone 'round here seems to like some smoky pieces of bark mixed in to flavor the 'Q. I was able to monitor the smoke by cooking all day, and even though my peach chunks were small, I was able to keep up the smoke long enough by turning chunks a couple of times. You can always get a little more smoke out of them that way, and although it won't last as long, it's better smoke than what you get when you first add another chunk of wood. I will say that I don't like NEAR this much smoke for ribs, and even less on chicken.
To sum it up, trial and error, but find out what you like and don't be afraid to use enough wood. It's not like oversmoking your pork butt past your taste a little is gonna ruin it or anything. Just don't mix as much bark in if that happens. However, I don't think I've EVER "oversmoked" a pork butt on the
Regardless of preference though, wood species, moisture content, size of chunks, and even the size of the butts are things to consider. Not only will smaller butts take less time to smoke, but they have more surface area to smoke, so they don't need as much smoke.
I've been thinking lately that my pork butts just didn't have enough smoke flavor, and was seriously thinking about getting another stickburner. I think the thing is that if you go to bed and cook overnight, you just don't know how much smoke the butts actually got.
Well, this is what worked GREAT the other day. I smoked two big ones all day Saturday, one was 9.26lb, and the other was 9.12lb if I recall. I used four small chunks of green peach (just cut from the orchard) about 2X3" on top of the pile, and had three (or maybe four) little smaller than fist size chunks of seasoned nutwood down in the coals. Only one was hickory (dry and store-bought), but the other two or three were white oak chunks that still smelled good and weren't that old. Well, the butts were fantastic, and had a much deeper smoke flavor that was more like that off an offset. They might've been too smoky for some folks taste, but everyone 'round here seems to like some smoky pieces of bark mixed in to flavor the 'Q. I was able to monitor the smoke by cooking all day, and even though my peach chunks were small, I was able to keep up the smoke long enough by turning chunks a couple of times. You can always get a little more smoke out of them that way, and although it won't last as long, it's better smoke than what you get when you first add another chunk of wood. I will say that I don't like NEAR this much smoke for ribs, and even less on chicken.
To sum it up, trial and error, but find out what you like and don't be afraid to use enough wood. It's not like oversmoking your pork butt past your taste a little is gonna ruin it or anything. Just don't mix as much bark in if that happens. However, I don't think I've EVER "oversmoked" a pork butt on the
timothy
TVWBB 1-Star Olympian
Originally posted by Shaun H:
how long should I add smoke?
Like everyone else said I add my smoke-wood @ the get-go. You can for sure add more during your run if you like, but don't try to run your WSM with nothing but white smoke coming out the top vent for the whole cook.
Give your wood a chance to get out of the white and turn into that thin blue smoke that we all love
Tim
Jack Bordeaux
TVWBB Super Fan
The meat is only going to accept smoke until about 140*. After that, save your wood, unless you like the smell of it smoldering in the WSM.
Richard Diaz
TVWBB Pro
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Jack Bordeaux:
The meat is only going to accept smoke until about 140*. After that, save your wood, unless you like the smell of it smoldering in the WSM. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
I agree with Jack, once you get to 140 no more smoke.
The meat is only going to accept smoke until about 140*. After that, save your wood, unless you like the smell of it smoldering in the WSM. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
I agree with Jack, once you get to 140 no more smoke.
Bob Sample
TVWBB Diamond Member
Paul is correct. The way you get smokey tasting pulled pork is by mixing in the outer layer(bark) with the the inner part of the pork. If you add rub when you pull it try using smoked paprika or garlic in your rub, chipotle can also add smoke flavour.
If you foil then don't worry about smoke once it is in the foil.
If you foil then don't worry about smoke once it is in the foil.
Actually here is another question. This is the first cook that I am going to need to use my thermometer. I have the Maverick ET732. I have only used it once, when doing a fatty and I just plugged it in after 2 hours to see where it was, and it was finished.
But for the pork butt, how am I supposed to do this? Do I just plug it in the entire time? Where do I feed the wire through? The top vent or can I squeeze it under/through the lid?
Thanks for helping this rookie out!
But for the pork butt, how am I supposed to do this? Do I just plug it in the entire time? Where do I feed the wire through? The top vent or can I squeeze it under/through the lid?
Thanks for helping this rookie out!
Shaun, lots of possibilities. I've threaded it thru my top vent ,I've done under the lid, but eventually I installed these grommets that have holes in them. There is a whole thread on this in the mods section to tell you where to get them and how to install. First cook do it anyway you'd like. Put the temp probe into the middle of the butt but not touching the bone. Should be good to go. Hey, good luck.
Jack Bordeaux
TVWBB Super Fan
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by paul h:
Hate to disagree with you guys but meat will take smoke all the way through the cook. 140 temp max is for the formation of a smoke ring. Food doesn't necessarily absorb smoke. Smoke actually deposits in layers </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Yeah, I meant to say it about the smoke ring and after 140* it will stop forming...
Hate to disagree with you guys but meat will take smoke all the way through the cook. 140 temp max is for the formation of a smoke ring. Food doesn't necessarily absorb smoke. Smoke actually deposits in layers </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Yeah, I meant to say it about the smoke ring and after 140* it will stop forming...