The butts weighed a little over 8 pounds each. The cook was done at about 350 degrees with a dry water pan using my foil sheets. I used the Chubby and had it loaded up with the Rancher charcoal and pecan chunks for the smoke.
I started this cook about 8:00am in the morning by getting the butts out of the fridge and then I fired up the cooker.
I made up my injection yesterday to save some time. I used the following recipe for the two butts.
1-1/2 cup apple juice
1 cup water
1 cup Splenda (we are low carbing)
1/4 cup salt
1/4 cup sugar free maple syrup
4 TBL Worcestershire sauce
4 TBL Smokin' Guns Hot rub
This was heated up in a pan to help dissolve but do not boil. Cool before injecting. You can replace the Splenda with brown sugar and use real maple syrup in your injection if you like.
After I injected the butts, I then applied the Smokin' Guns hot rub and placed one in a pan and the other one will be cooked directly on the grid. I then poured about 9 ozs of Stubb's pork marinade around the butt in the pan. I didn't pour it over the top of the butt as it would have washed some of the rub off the meat.
At 9:15am, the cooker was up to about 375 degrees so I loaded the butts into the cooker with the one in the pan over the one on the grid. The outside temp was 1 degree above zero.
For the most part, I kept the temp around 350 degrees.
At 12:15am (3 hours into the cook) I foiled the pan and then wrapped the other butt using the balance of the marinade which was 3 ozs. The internal of the butts at this time was about 155 degrees. I also had to add some charcoal as the 350 degree temp does use up the fuel.
The Butts were pulled off the cooker at 1:45pm (4-1/2 hours) and rested for one hour and then pulled. The internal when I pulled them was at 200 degrees. I also pulled the fire out of the cooker so I could get the cooker cleaned up quickly.
The butt that was cooked in the pan came out the best but both were very good.
By 4:00pm I had the cooker cleaned up and put away and the meat all bagged and in the freezer.
The total cooking time was 4-1/2 hours and then with getting the cooker out and fired up, the meat all prepped, the meat processed and then the cooker cleaned up and put up took a total of about 8 hours.
The butts came out plenty moist, pulled nicely, and tasted very good but with the high temp method, I think that the bark wasn't quite as good and I should have used more smoke wood with this short cooking time.
Old Dave,
ReplyDeleteI have a party smoker (don't compete). Was wondering what you mean by the bark wasn't quite as good with the high temp method? Was it too dry? I have been using the Party mainly with a wet pan and when I do my shoulders, I have been wondering if I am missing something. They come out moist etc. and I have wrapped them at the 155- 160 mark getting them out at the 205 mark for great pulled pork. However, I have been trying to figure out how to get some bark on the outside edge of the meat. I usually keep the temperature range at the 200-225 mark which I am thinking is too low. I am going to start trying some different temperatures, like 225-275...and I guess after you take them out of the foil you have to let them continue to cook for another hour for the bark?
Thanks and Keep Smokin'
Wood's Que
Mr Wood's Que,
ReplyDeleteWhat I meant is that the bark didn't set up like it does with a standard low and slow cook. It just didn't have enough time in the smoke and heat to get a little better bark in my opinion. It was still good.
For better bark with the method you are using with your Backwoods Party cooker. Just stay at the 225 temp using water and you will get a better cook. Instead of wrapping at 155 internal, wait until you have about 175 and I think you will see better results. If you are not happy with this result, just don't foil the butts and see how you like them.
Dave