What's your preferred bark builder for brisket and pork butts?

Leatherheadiowa · Jun 18, 2012

This weekend we cooked outside the box trying to build some better bark. We used some brown sugar along with Competition beef and pork from Oakridge BBQ. Things turned out well, 15/40 in pork & 12/40 in brisket but thought I would throw it out here for discussion.
Thanks!

southernstyle · Jun 18, 2012

competition brisket relly does not need bark. Just great one bit flavor and over the top moisture in conjunction with perfect tender ness. Pork needs some bark though. Its hard to get awesome bark when butts are foiled, but if you turn I sliced mm, sliced tubes, and pulled then sauce those pieces how much bark will actually get noticed. In competion I really don't worry about bark that much

Lake Dogs · Jun 18, 2012

Hickory on pork, hickory and oak on beef.

MilitantSquatter · Jun 18, 2012

Baking soda will be the new thing.... thanks to BoShizzle...

http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/showthread.php?t=136179&highlight=baking+Soda

thirdeye · Jun 18, 2012

southernstyle said:
competition brisket relly does not need bark. Just great one bit flavor and over the top moisture in conjunction with perfect tender ness. Pork needs some bark though. Its hard to get awesome bark when butts are foiled, but if you turn I sliced mm, sliced tubes, and pulled then sauce those pieces how much bark will actually get noticed. In competion I really don't worry about bark that much

Bark in the box is a good thing. Couldn't you cook one butt in foil, for the good bite.... and another butt without foil, for the good bark?

southernstyle · Jun 18, 2012

thirdeye said:
Bark in the box is a good thing. Couldn't you cook one butt in foil, for the good bite.... and another butt without foil, for the good bark?

One could absolutely do that. I use both butts I cook for mm and tubes so I would need a third butt and just don't have the room it. It is something to think about though

boogiesnap · Jun 18, 2012

thirdeye said:
Bark in the box is a good thing. Couldn't you cook one butt in foil, for the good bite.... and another butt without foil, for the good bark?

how would that work?

it's not like you can slice the bark off one butt and adhere it to another with the good bite.

not being a wiseass, i swear, just asking.

*edit*

i realized you may refer to a more pulled pork box. i get it.

didisea · Jun 18, 2012

boogiesnap said:
how would that work?

it's not like you can slice the bark off one butt and adhere it to another with the good bite.

not being a wiseass, i swear, just asking.

*edit*

i realized you may refer to a more pulled pork box. i get it.

You could if you were really good with meat glue!

esselle · Jun 19, 2012

Sorry to ask but what are tubes?

The_Kapn · Jun 19, 2012

BJ,
Are you defining "bark" as a hard crusty coating or a layer of surface flavor that is not necessarily hard and crusty??

The definition used affects the technique to get the desired results.

TIM

southernstyle · Jun 19, 2012

esselle said:
Sorry to ask but what are tubes?

The tubes are a pair of muscles about as big as your finger that run parallel to the money muscle. They are located just behind it and on the bottom. Very tender and tasety

Stoke&Smoke · Jun 19, 2012

turbinado sugar seems to help with a nice bark, and it doesn't burn as easily as white or brown

thirdeye · Jun 19, 2012

boogiesnap said:
how would that work?

it's not like you can slice the bark off one butt and adhere it to another with the good bite.

not being a wiseass, i swear, just asking.

*edit*

i realized you may refer to a more pulled pork box. i get it.

Yeah, I'm thinking the foiled butt could yield a mound (or other arrangement) of pulled or chopped pork... while the unfoiled butt could yield some chunks of meat with a nice bark.

Leatherheadiowa · Jun 19, 2012

Yes, I was referring to the crusty goodness on the outside. Sorry for the lack of clarity.

Bentley · Jun 19, 2012

Not really looking for bark on my brisket...I use mollases and gatorade powder for my butts.

Pitmaster T · Jun 19, 2012

"Wow.... one of the 15 comments above... well, at least one of you needs to step away from the smoker and go get fed some."

Some guy on the bag phone just called and told me to relay that. Not my words.

Pitmaster T · Jun 19, 2012

Actually, he called back and said it "was not Bently.... not the original poster, but someone else" so it's more like only one of 12 comments"

Pitmaster T · Jun 19, 2012

I just read on the beeper, he told me to add that "its not the post of the guy who has a name that has part of the name of a movie that had Marion Morrison in it. Nor is it the guy who probably has a poster of Clement Attlee." Not sure what he means by that... I am just relaying the info...

Pitmaster T · Jun 19, 2012

I have to say that He just called on the bagphone again to specify its "not the sweet tooth or the guy that makes a 24 inch brisket probe capable or reacking a brisket on the other side of the Brazos."

Pitmaster T · Jun 19, 2012

I will stop now before it becomes obvious who needs to stick with swine.

What's your preferred bark builder for brisket and pork butts?

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