Strange tasting Pork Butt.


 
JeffB

JeffB

TVWBB Pro
I smoked a couple of pork butts about 1-2 months ago and since I cooked them I've held the leftover meat frozen in ziploc bags in my freezer. I think the butts were a bit undercooked at the time I pulled them so I ended up chopping the meat. We have eaten it several times but we find there are pieces of un-rendered fat and an overall "funky" taste to the meat which I personally find a bit unappetizing. This week I pulled 2 quarts from the freezer, thawed them and made sandwiches for dinner but again, I found the meat to be just "okay" and it still had a sorta strange taste and texture.

Now I have 1.5 quarts of uneaten meat sitting in the refrigerator and likely headed for the trash can because I don't want to eat it. I'm also concerned about future cooks and that has me frustrated and down on my 'que at the moment.

Has anybody suffered strange tasting meat or meat with an offputting texture before? Could it be from undercooking?

I'm perplexed and frustrated with this one.
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Did you try to get most of the air out of the zip-loc bags before you froze em?
It could be freezer burn.

Tim
 
Tim, I think that's a good point but we ate some of the meat the day I cooked it and I felt it had a bit of a taste back then, so I'm not sure freezer burn would be the answer.

To be honest, I think these are the first pork butts that I used a mustard base on before I applied the seasoning. Perhaps I'm tasting something funny in the mustard...
 
It could be. I used the cheap yellow mustard before and mostly I think it's tastless, but it does help the rub to stick on a partially frozen butt
How was you're rub, have you used it before with good results?
I concocted one and added some dry onion soup mix into the rub.
That definitely had an off taste and texture to me and I wont do that again.

Tim
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">How was you're rub, have you used it before with good results? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Truth be told, the rub I used was new to me. A friend who competes in the BBQ circuit sent it to me. It's a commercial blend he buys in South Texas. It doesn't have any unusual ingredients that you wouldn't see in another recipe on the internet or a book.

I dunno. I think I'll go back to my first rub that I got from the internet--it was really good and I felt comfortable eating the meat.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Lew Newby:
Is it possible you used too much smoke wood? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Lew, I guess it's possible, but I generally use cherry wood chips mixed into to KB, and I try not to overdo them, so I'd guess no but then again..I don't have another answer.
 
I purchased an inexpensive foodsaver which vacuums the bag then heat seals it. One of the best investments I've ever made. Just the wife and I here. I did a butt at the 1st of November pulled it and sauced it. It tastes as good now as the day it was cooked. About $75 with bags. I think it may have already paid for itself with not throwing away food.

I am just now getting ready to do another butt.

Good Luck
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Jeff Bryson:
I smoked a couple of pork butts about 1-2 months ago and since I cooked them I've held the leftover meat frozen in ziploc bags in my freezer. I think the butts were a bit undercooked at the time I pulled them so I ended up chopping the meat. We have eaten it several times but we find there are pieces of un-rendered fat and an overall "funky" taste to the meat which I personally find a bit unappetizing. Could it be from undercooking?

I'm perplexed and frustrated with this one.
icon_frown.gif
</div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Jeff,

I tend to think you're right, the butt was undercooked to begin with and what you're tasting is the unrendered fat. I used to use mustard or oil before I applied the rub but bought a bag of TBBQ Rub (made in Texas) and the guy that sells it sends out e-mails with recipes and tips. One tip I like and have used is to wet the meat with plain ole Worchestershire Sauce then put enough rub on to make a paste. Makes excellent bark. Did a butt 2 weeks ago and still eating thawed out left overs. Tastes just as good as when first cooked.


http://www.texasbbqrub.com/index.html

Scotty W.
 
Describe the "funk". I've bought pork in the past that had a musky smell to it. I'm picky about what I buy now. I was told once that male hogs are supposed to be neutered and allowed to get that "musk" out of their system before butchering. Don't know if that's true. I have seen musk glands/patches cut off deer as soon as they're killed to prevent it from affecting the taste of the meat. I've also been told that if a deer or game isn't killed quickly and it's allowed to run, then adrenaline affects the meat.
 
I suspect it is simply undercooked meat. I had occasion to eat at a relative's house when he grill/smoked a rather large turkey. The outside skin was blackened with too much smoke and the bird was undercooked to the point that the meat was kind of slick and rubbery. It was barely edible.

On the other hand, when the left overs were further cooked in the oven, the meat became delicious.

Before I would throw that pork out, I would put the left overs in the oven and roast it until it is complelely cooked. You might get a pleasant surprise - if it doesn't improve THEN you can throw it out.

FWIW
Dale53
 
I like the idea about putting it in the oven and cooking it just to see if that changes anything. Do you remember smelling anything funky after you rinsed it and before you cooked it? If not I would chalk it up to just "one of those Things". You do this enough and you are bound to get a piece of meat that is a little off at some point.
 
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