Pulled pork rub and advice

[Paulpj]

Hi all :) I am new to the Bradley smoker , I want to produce rubbed pork like I see on man vs food!! There's never enough info on it and I want to know what seasoning should I rub on the meat and also are there any good suppliers you may have tried .also advice for a sauce ideally ready made to start with . And if anyone has made pulled pork would be glad of advice I would like to cold smoke then oven cook for a long time . I have the Bradley 6 shelf digital smoker.thanks in advance.

[Ka Honu]

I'm on the run today but here's a quick answer until someone has time to expound:

Screw Man vs Food and make your own rub.  Jan's Rub (developed by forum member KyNola's wife) is excellent for pulled pork.  I also inject with Carolina Treet (when I have it - something else like apple juice when I don't) before putting on the rub.  No need to cold smoke.  Preheat your Bradley to 225^o, let the butt(s) run with four hours of smoke and then either leave in the smoker (which is now an oven) until you get the internal temperature to 200^o or move to the oven.  I do mine two at a time and finish one in the oven or the smoker to maintain the bark and the other in a crockpot to insure I get plenty of juice.  FTC the oven-finished one for a couple hours when done and then shred and combine the two.

We've got a family wedding here this week and I served pulled pork made as described for dinner the other night.  Most of the attendees were from California and really didn't know what pulled pork was all about.  They all took really small portions to be polite and then went back for huge helpings after tasting.  Twenty of them went through ten pounds of pulled pork like it was their last meal.

[Habanero Smoker]

Hi Paulpj;

Welcome to the forum.

There are many ways to prepare a rub for pulled pork. I don't watch many episodes of Man vs Food, so it is difficult to stir you to what he used. I prefer a rub called "The Renowned Mr. Brown" and a vaunted vinegar sauce. Both recipes can be located by clicking on the following link.
Pulled Pork and Sauce

If you don't want to make my rub or sauce for pulled pork. McCormick Grill Mates for pork works well. When I don't want to make a rub, I will often use Simply Marvelous Spicy Apple Rub, and apply it thick. For commercial sauce you can use any sauce you like. I prefer vinegar based sauces, but if you like tomato base use that, if you like a mustard base use that; or don't use any sauce and let you or your guest apply the sauce they want.

[mikecorn.1]

Looks like you got some great info already. So, welcome aboard.   


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[dirt1008]

I'm on the run today but here's a quick answer until someone has time to expound:

Screw Man vs Food and make your own rub.  Jan's Rub (developed by forum member KyNola's wife) is excellent for pulled pork.  I also inject with Carolina Treet (when I have it - something else like apple juice when I don't) before putting on the rub.  No need to cold smoke.  Preheat your Bradley to 225^o, let the butt(s) run with four hours of smoke and then either leave in the smoker (which is now an oven) until you get the internal temperature to 200^o or move to the oven.  I do mine two at a time and finish one in the oven or the smoker to maintain the bark and the other in a crockpot to insure I get plenty of juice.  FTC the oven-finished one for a couple hours when done and then shred and combine the two.

We've got a family wedding here this week and I served pulled pork made as described for dinner the other night.  Most of the attendees were from California and really didn't know what pulled pork was all about.  They all took really small portions to be polite and then went back for huge helpings after tasting.  Twenty of them went through ten pounds of pulled pork like it was their last meal.

If/when you move it to the oven to finish, do you wrap in foil, or leave naked?

[beefmann]

ka honu has gave you  some good information,

i have done pulled pork with good dusting of granulated garlic, black pepper, light dusting of paprika and a good dusting of ground mustard,,,, smoke for 4 hours at a box temp of 225 till an it of 195 to 200, after the smoke brush on 3 to 4 light coats of bulls eye bbq sauce last coat should be done near the  end

[dirt1008]

I'd like to just leave the pork in the smoker and finish out from there, but my problem is my thermometer hasn't showed up yet. I'm not concerned about speeding the process up with moving them to the oven, I just figured since the only meat thermometer I have will require me to open the door and check it that I should use the oven since it will recover faster. If I do use the oven though do you think I should wrap in foil? Should I add some kind of liquid? I'm worried that ill dry it out too much

[Caneyscud]

Dirt, I wouldn't worry quite so much about heat recovery during the last part of the smoke.  The Bradley has no inherent heat mass to store heat.  When you put in a cold piece of meat - that piece of meat is acting as the heat mass.  Early on - that heat mass is cold and is affecting the CT.  Toward the end of the cook - that heat mass (meat) is hot and affect the CT in a positive way.  When you open the door, you will lose the heated air, but you will not change the temp of the meat.  When you close the door, that piece of hot meat will help warm the air up much more quickly than at the first of the smoke.  Even though I have had butts get done in 1 hour per pound or less - it is rare - usually in the 1.5 hours per pound range.  I don't even check anymore until it gets in the 1 hour per pound time.  By that time the meat is heated and the recovery is minimal unless you stand there 30 minutes with the door open. 

If you do the oven thing - just know your oven.  Most people are surprised to know that kitchen ovens are not all that accurate and are often subject to temp swings - plus you have a tendency for more radiant heat effects.  In all told, I usually put in a foil pan with a loose foil covering - if you are not smoking, why take the risk of drying out the surface?  Personally, I don't add liquid - that butt will have plenty of liquid by itself.  If you seal the foil and add liquid, then you are changing to another cooking technique - braising.  I prefer not to braise my bbq, but it works.  Just watch your temps more often- the braising doesn't take as long to raise the temps as the dry air smoking process.   ITs physics my dear Mr. Watson!  - its physics!

[dirt1008]

Dirt, I wouldn't worry quite so much about heat recovery during the last part of the smoke.  The Bradley has no inherent heat mass to store heat.  When you put in a cold piece of meat - that piece of meat is acting as the heat mass.  Early on - that heat mass is cold and is affecting the CT.  Toward the end of the cook - that heat mass (meat) is hot and affect the CT in a positive way.  When you open the door, you will lose the heated air, but you will not change the temp of the meat.  When you close the door, that piece of hot meat will help warm the air up much more quickly than at the first of the smoke.  Even though I have had butts get done in 1 hour per pound or less - it is rare - usually in the 1.5 hours per pound range.  I don't even check anymore until it gets in the 1 hour per pound time.  By that time the meat is heated and the recovery is minimal unless you stand there 30 minutes with the door open. 

If you do the oven thing - just know your oven.  Most people are surprised to know that kitchen ovens are not all that accurate and are often subject to temp swings - plus you have a tendency for more radiant heat effects.  In all told, I usually put in a foil pan with a loose foil covering - if you are not smoking, why take the risk of drying out the surface?  Personally, I don't add liquid - that butt will have plenty of liquid by itself.  If you seal the foil and add liquid, then you are changing to another cooking technique - braising.  I prefer not to braise my bbq, but it works.  Just watch your temps more often- the braising doesn't take as long to raise the temps as the dry air smoking process.   ITs physics my dear Mr. Watson!  - its physics!

Very helpful, I really appreciate it. Now I'm curious, as you have sold me on the leave it in the smoker debate, what to set my smoker at. I have the original with the slide adjustment at the bottom and my dual probe isn't here yet. Guess I will get it preheated to around 215, then just leave it there till I'm done

[Ka Honu]

When I finish in the oven I rack it naked over a drip pan with some liquid in it. It's easier for me to do that way - I can clean up the smoker and do whatever else I have to do while the butt is still cooking and since I'm mixing it with the one I finished in the crockpot juice is not an issue.

[Caneyscud]

I have a DBS so other may chime in - but I'd set on as high as it would go during the preheat.  Wait until it gets to as high as it will go then put in the meat.  Then set it back to 225 - 235.  A couple of foil covered bricks on the bottom rack wouldn't hurt with the heat mass.  Also it will be faster pre-heat if the water you put in the bowl is already hot/warm.

[NePaSmoKer]

Triple B and PYM is way better than the Mr Brown rub

[Habanero Smoker]

Hi Dirt1008;

To help the Bradley recover many of us place a brick or two inside the smoker. Preheat the smoker higher then what you will be cooking at. For example, if you plan on cooking at 215°F, preheat to 240 - 250°F.

Here are some more tips that may be helpful:
Bradley FAQ's

[dirt1008]

Thanks guys. Do you think that 225 is too high to cook at? How long would you guess ill be on a 5lb butt?

[KyNola]

225 is just fine.  I won't estimate the time as each pig is different and you really want to be cooking by internal temperature of the pork.