Pulled Pork taco’s and smoked wings

[Michael Richards]

Thanks a lot, the pork was good, a bit drier than I thought they would be, I have been used to wrapping and using the cooler for hours. This time no wrap, I did put it in a tin foil pan and cover it and put it in the cooler still while the wings cooked. Bark still held up good. When wrapping closer to the 160 there is a lot more fat that stays with the meat, you can use some in the meat and the pork is much more moist. I kind of liked it a bit drier because the bark was outstanding, usually its soft, very soft.....
The wings were good too but the taco's were the star of the show, 2 fresh salsa and the mango's you can see in the pics is really what tied it all together. Corn, beans, onions and tomatoes.....I had to make a second pico with jalapeno and cilantro, this was for me and had all the flavour, my guest don't eat hot things.....it really wasn't that hot.

The left overs was used for nachos last night......this was just as good, chips, pork and cheese to melt in the oven then all the fresh toppings on top with some jar salsa and sour creme.......the MRS's favourite.....
And Pork again for lunch here at work lol, just pork and bbq sauce in a bowl with the rest of the left over salsa's
might freeze the rest, there is still an easy couple of pounds left. Nice to have ready to go you have some buns and just need an easy meal during the week......

So I never liked to wrap, but my family do not like the thick hard bark so I started to really try to figure out how I liked to wrap. I like to let it get almost through the stale, this helps render the fat in my experience, but wrapping at just under 170 helps keep it supper juicy but softens up the bark for my family's liking, but the bark is still intact. I feel like I am getting the routine of how to turn out a good pork shoulder for my family move often then not. I know that most people who wrap do it before the stale, I like to give it my time and really test the bark before I go for it.
I still can not get that color on a WSM that you do on the kettle.

 

[Bruno]

Sounds good too but that Oakridge stuff is pretty expensive, I used a bunch of rub on that butt, and if it was Oakridge it would of been about $8.00 worth. Not the end of the world I guess but I find all of them to be a pretty " intense " rub.....they seem overly powerful, which might be a really good thing. I caked the shoulder to take as much gringo as it could handle and it was just right. The Oakridge for the wings is more of a sprinkle. I am like Michael in the sense I have a hard time not going traditional, it really is a good way to make it......I just went this way this time due to the meal being taco's and the gringo being a straight up mexican seasoning.

I have a BUNCH of Oakridge rubs, when I’m working a bunch of OT I just order **** like crazy!

 

[Darryl - swazies]

So I never liked to wrap, but my family do not like the thick hard bark so I started to really try to figure out how I liked to wrap. I like to let it get almost through the stale, this helps render the fat in my experience, but wrapping at just under 170 helps keep it supper juicy but softens up the bark for my family's liking, but the bark is still intact. I feel like I am getting the routine of how to turn out a good pork shoulder for my family move often then not. I know that most people who wrap do it before the stale, I like to give it my time and really test the bark before I go for it.
I still can not get that color on a WSM that you do on the kettle.

That bark is what I like most about it, friends and wives may not agree, but the shoulder is like 6 inches thick.....eat the middle I say!
If I was using a WSM I would guess that wrapping wouldn't be an option, but I don't have one so I really don't know. What I do not own but have sitting there ready for me at Christmas is a nice roll of what I hope to be 24" by 150' pink butcher paper. Now I have never used this but have been trying to get some for a while now.......But I do believe that this might be your best option and hopefully mine too. From what I understand is it can help push through the stall like foil but help retain that bark you worked all day for......I would like to think I know what I am talking about but time will only tell.........I have been saving my dinosaur beef ribs for some pink paper.....4 ribs, cut in half, 10lbs of meat and bone. I will be sure to share here just like when I get that tomahawk going, hopefully through the holidays.

 

[Darryl - swazies]

I have a BUNCH of Oakridge rubs, when I’m working a bunch of OT I just order **** like crazy!

I hear yah Bruno, I had hundreds of dollars in my Amazon cart and came across some meat church rubs.....I just kept clicking add. Now I wish I didn't, I'm not a real big fan of those rubs but I sure as heck spent about $20 on each one and am now giving them away to my buddies who are " beginner smokers " and they seem to appreciate it. I know there are tons of rubs out there, ones I will never be able to find or buy but I am happy with my 2 favourites............Killer Hogs and Oakridge seem to do it for me. It seems to cover any piece of meat I have ready to cook.

 

[Bruno]

I want to try some killer hogs stuff soon!

 

[Michael Richards]

I know there are tons of rubs out there, ones I will never be able to find or buy but I am happy with my 2 favourites............Killer Hogs and Oakridge seem to do it for me. It seems to cover any piece of meat I have ready to cook.

Darryl,
I second that, I've tried a bunch of different high quality rubs, but it is Oakridge and Killer Hogs seem to be what I really like and the only rubs that have been repeat purchases.