What's your tips for putting pulled pork over the top?

[Sean "Puffy" Coals]

I just pile on as much of my Dynamite(tm) pork rub as I can and smoke for 6 hrs, then put in a pan and cover for the rest of the cook.



Yea, some of the bark gets a little mushy, but once you mix all the meat together it won't matter much. The caked on rub turns into a paste that gets mixed up with the meat and some reserved drippings.

[Taylormade]

Finishing sauce is the single biggest difference I've found. Mine's pretty much the same as linked above but without the ketchup and subbing Tony's for white pepper.

1 Cup Cider Vinegar
2 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
1 Teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes
1 Teaspoon Tony Chachere's Cajun Seasoning
1 Teaspoon Coarse Black Pepper

[ShadowDriver]

I keep it simple up front by just hitting the shoulder / butts with a healthy coating of SPOG + some extra salt to work on the base of flavor. Some times, I do this a la John (Sir Porkalot)'s NC BBQ tutorial that's about as close to Lexington BBQ as I can come (Oh, how I miss Honeymonk's)!.

I cook the butts until about 150/160F, then I pan them separately and wrap them. This catch the juices and fats for future use.

Once the bone (in each) wiggles, I pull the butt / shoulder and rest it in the oven for about... an hour or two (or as time allows).

When ready to chop, I pull the bone(s), and chop the 'cue in a box / on a big-arsed cutting board... adding rub, apple cider vinegar, and a touch of hot sauce (as needed), tasting as I go until I'm happy with the results. Need more moisture? I add the de-fatted juices from the butts/shoulder(s) back to the meat here. Save what you don't use!

It's a little labor-intensive, especially towards the end, but Lord, it sure produces good results.

All above just for your consideration and discussion.

Hope that gives you some thoughts and ideas.

Kind regards and thin blue.

[Westx]

I do wrap but don’t inject. When I wrap I use White Grape juice. I know of several teams that also inject with the grape juice.

[Hoss]

Cook a whole shoulder.It will take 24 hours or so at 250 f.If you cannot find that,cook a butt and a picnic and add them together,same thing.Just keep it simple,salt,pepper,garlic,,whatever rub you like.They are very forgiving.Good Luck.

[Dweverett]

I've injected sometimes, mostly these days I don't. I do think wrapping is important though -- I definitely want to collect those juices. I separate the fat and add the rest back. Depending on volume, I'll save it for later as well. A couple tablespoons of the "jello" does wonders when reheating.

[TonyT]

Originally Posted by sudsandswine

Usually something along the lines of the "Chris Lilly" injection. I like those sort of injections because they seem more natural to me and complement the meat well.

Chris Lilly was a PP game changer for me. Makes everything slightly sweet, a little acidic and tiny kick from the cayenne that even people that don't like spicy foods can enjoy. It's very well rounded.

[jermoQ]

I like all of the ideas with using a finishing sauce. However, for me, it is very simple. I pour in 1/4 cup to 3/4 of vinegar after I pull it, and the liquid from the foil after it has been resting. That is it. Any good finishing sauce is a great idea.

[Leftwngr]

I find that injecting with a concoction that I learned from Harry Soo makes a huge difference. Basically a mix of apple juice, vinegar, sugar, liquid smoke, and hot sauce. It tastes a bit nasty, but when it cooks up, it really brings out the flavors.

[SmokinAussie]

Drown the buggers in VEGEMITE!!!!

[Rusty Kettle]

Recently, I have started after cooking and pulling adding additional rub to mix in with the pork. It adds a heck of alot of flavor. It adds a nice touch. No idea if anyone else does this but it kicks it up a notch imo.

[ebijack]

I agree with Rusty, add your/more rub when pulling. Adds much more flavor to that thick hunk of meat.
I also have been slicing around each muscle so I can rub in/around/on my home made apple sauce/chipotle (sweet heat) around each muscle and add my rub before cooking.
I catch the drippings and add some when pulling.

[wire-it-up]

Back when I had Facebook, my sister-in-law posted a pulled pork recipe on my page. It calls for the butt to be cooked in the oven, which I would NEVER do. However, I was interested in the recipe because it instructs the cook to brine the butt before cooking. I read through the brine ingredients and thought "I should try this. What's the harm in trying something new?" The guarantee was that the pork would be more tender and flavorful after brining than it is without brining.

I gave it a shot, and I wasn't disappointed. I have tried it a few times now, and I really think it took my pulled pork up a few notches. I also inject with Chris Lilly's injection recipe. As for the brine, I substituted store bought rub once or twice, and I think making rub from scratch is far better when it comes to flavor.

In case anyone is interested, here's the brine recipe...

https://www.kevinandamanda.com/pulled-pork-recipe/

[Lake Dogs]

Most competitors rub, inject, and foil. The reasons are to enhance the flavor of the meat without overpowering it, limit/govern the amount of smoke on the meat, and to help keep the meat as moist and tender as possible. So, even on personal smokes, I rub, inject, and foil. The rubs I like to keep simple and not too much salt or sugar (the salt can overpower and the sugar can possibly burn). Nearly everyone who has experimented with injections ends up back close to Chris Lily's, at least the apple juice, woosy sauce, and rub in it. It helps get those flavors down in the meat. Me, I dont water down the apple juice but I dont add in extra sugar either, but that's a personal flavor preference (more fruity and a little less sugary). Foiling time really depends on your, your smoker, how much wood/smoke flavor you prefer, etc. On my extremely clean burning Lang 84 using seasoned hickory splits I'd foil at 4.5 hours. I did this (4.5 hours) yesterday using my new Bubba Grills smoker and the smoke flavor was a tad more than I prefer. So, experiment, you'll find what you prefer.

The result is well seasoned pork that is moist and tender, and the bark isn't so crunchy...


Another tip isn't so much with the cooking but with the final preparation. I know; when we pull it, it can be hot as he**. Please, pull the pork by hand, and try to keep the pieces about the size of your thumb. The thicker the piece is pulled, the better it retains moisture and frankly the better it tastes. Also, most people really hate biting in to a piece of fat. Some (particularly some here) love it, but most don't. I suggest that by pulling the pork by hand it gives you the opportunity to really make sure no fat makes it into the plate of bbq love.

[SonnyE]

Originally Posted by ThePerfectBeard

What do you inject with? I love the idea of adding the reserve juices, but anytime I wrap, the bark kind of sucks.

Stages....
The wrap is to drive steam heat deep into the meat to cook to the bone.
After your wrap time, firm up the bark with an hour (or as long as you prefer) until the bark is to your liking.
Moist inside, tight on the outside.