Perfectly Prepared Pork has Profound effect on Participants

[marxbrew]

All I can really say is "wow, that's GOOD!"

Following the advice here on the forum, especially icerat's excellent "one post says it all" procedure quoted below, I, and some select friends, just had a transcendental experience with a couple of pork butts.

Well i happen to do 2 8 pounders often.And here is my way.Mustard up the pork with any king of yellow mustard.Put the rub on and then wrap in plastic then place in fridge.The next day 1-2 hours before you want to start the smoke take them out of the fridge and leave them sit.Start the smoker at 6-7 pm that same night.SMOKE them for 4-5 hours with alder or what ever wood ya like.Spray apple juice after the 3rd hour of the smoke and there after when you like.Before ya go to bed change the water out.AT about 7-8 the frist one should be done at temps of 195 .Then ftc the 1st one and move the second one down a rack lower.SPRAY apple juice again.A few hours later it should be done at internal temps of 195 remove the second one then ftc that one also.These butts in the ftc should be plenty hot even to pull at 5-6 pm that evening this ftc keep heat a very long time so dont worry about cold food.This is the best and easiest food to do in this bs machine.Make you look like a bbq champ

That's pretty much exactly what I did. Starting with 2 7 lb butts, I made a rub up of sugar, salt, paprika, onion powder, garlic and cayenne and poured it on after the mustard. Overnight in saran wrap, then more rub on top right before smoker entry at 5 pm Saturday. Gave it 4.5 hrs of hickory, then got the box stabilized at 210 (with the bisquette burner switched off) and went to bed. I did sneak out at about 3am just to check the temps, was holding right at 210. (early morning P run...)

8 am Sunday morning, internal temps of both butts were 165. Again, no panic, due to the understanding gleaned from you all here... I let it go on at 210, knowing that at 165 the magic is happening, must be patient.

Since I'm still using an instant read thermometer, not a Maverick (yet... I've now got one on order...) each time I opened the door to check temps, out came the apple juice sprayer.

Box temp started to rise as the butts passed the plateau, I let it get to 220 before starting to turn it down to maintain temp. The lower butt hit 190 at about noon, and was promptly FTC'd with lots of apple juice. Hmmm... looks like a meteorite, but is already trying to fall apart. Moved the upper butt to the lower rack, and it peaked at 3pm. FTC we go.

At 5, pulled the first butt and sliced off the bark and it literally pulled itself into a huge pile of the juiciest, most flavorful pork I've ever had the good luck to eat. I chopped up the bark and served it separate, to add to the meat based on each eater's preference. Man, good stuff!

After dinner, with many a good belch, I pulled the other one, which by now had spent 4+ hours in the cooler, and it was still too hot to handle. I feel confident that I can FTC for 6 hours or more and still have hot meat to serve. Bagged it up for another day.

Possibly the most successful BS adventure to date, I'm definitely getting a "rep" with my friends as a BBQ master. LOL!!

There's no doubt at all that none of that would have been possible without the great advice from the forum. Thanks, everyone!!

Next adventure: a smoked whole turkey for New Years... gotta go do some research!

[owrstrich]

you know marx...

i dont need any stinking photos of this pig arse expirmient because my gutt is a growling from your written recollection...

now im gonna have to drive an hour to taco johns and get a bag of bean buritos...

thanks allot... texas... only in texas i guess...

did i mention that ftc really freaks me out...

you gotta eat...

owrstrich

[Gizmo]

Welcom Marxbrew, sounds like you are going to need to stock up on the butts to keep up with the new demand you're creating.  Might want to have a few racks of ribs and briskets around just in case the cowboys get restless. ;D   

[marxbrew]

well.... after I smoke this yardbird, I guess doing a brisket is next. That's the main reason I wanted a smoker: to do brisket. Whooda thunk you could do fer petessake MEATLOAF in one? And have it be unbelievably yummy?

I'm beginning to get the idea that just about anything tastes better smoked! (I know, DUH!)  ;D

Hmmm... pictures! I did take a couple... Might have to post one just to stir up the juices a bit, owrstrich. LOL!

I know I've sure drooled over some of icerats pix!

[owrstrich]

i dont need any stinking pictures...

i just got back from the gas and go... they had fried gizzerds... i got a bucket full...

dang they were good... im thinking about going back for another bucket...

i tooted...

you gotta eat...

owrstrich

[Oldman]

I know you are going to be doing a whole but take a look at Bassman's Recipe! I have done this one and we really enjoyed it.

[marxbrew]

Thanks, oldman... that's on the list to try in the future, for sure! What I'm really dying to try are those rolled up chicken/cheese/ham/bacon dealies on your recipe site. (http://susan.rminor.com/forums/showthread.php?t=43) Man, those look really good! Your site is an awesom resource, BTW... thanks for creating and maintaining it!

The whole bird was another success story... that's 3 for 4 so far, pretty darn good results for a novice, and the first one really wasn't bad, just late.  :)

I did a 12 pounder, one of those "enhanced with a solution..." birds, so I didn't try to brine it. I used the rub from S&S, which was just salt, pepper, garlic and oil, ground to a paste. I rubbed it under and over the skin the night before.

Bird went into the smoker at 8am, after a preheat, on next to lowest rack. 3.5 hrs hickory and kept it at 220 with the vent wide open. Didn't turn it or mess with it at all. at 3:30, the thigh was at 165, so I pulled it and let it sit on the counter for about an hour with foil and a towel over it. It was not only beautiful in presentation, but perfectly done, the breast meat moist and the skin very edible. (I was going to crisp it in the oven, but it turned out I didn't need to.

It was very tasty, and matched my memory of what a smoked turkey should taste like. Had some new taste testers over, and they loved it!

I think I sold someone else on a BS, too! Hey, the more the merrier!

Happy New Year, Y'all!

[marxbrew]

I was looking at the pix from the pulled pork weekend, and this one was just too cute not to share. (lower right corner) :)

[owrstrich]

what the he11... you taxidermed your dog...

[Wildcat]

Very smart dog! ;)

[Gizmo]

Gotta watch out for those extra mouths to feed.  Had 2 new york strips, raw, preseasoned and ready to go on the grill disappear from the island counter.  I had them slid way back just to keep them out of paws reach.  Went to toss them on the grill and they were missing.  Found 1/2 of the second one in the jaw, caught in the act.  2 long smears across the cutting board and counter, then a drop zone spot on the tile floor.  Good thing I mellowed in my old age and all I could do was laugh and pull the 2 I had just thrown in the freezer back out. 

Thanks for sharing the pic, it brought back a funny memory.

[Consiglieri]

I tried this technique on a 9# pork leg cut to make some pulled pork for New Year's Eve.  Works great on that cut too, but took a bit longer with the bone in.  Bone pulled straight out; meat fell apart as soon as it was touched by the two forks.

No dog to test the cooking but plenty of other willing participants.  I love this machine.

[iceman]

Ya gotta love those furry "Kitchen Helpers"! I never realized how many different foods have legs and can still run and hide even after your sure it,s dead! :D :o ;D

[marxbrew]

He's usually real good about not messin' with stuff that's not his, but pulled pork makes me lose all inhibitions, so I guess it'd work that way for him, too?

He didn't starve... I gave him a big chunk of pork in his bowl along with his dinner of hard crunchy boring doggie food.  ;D