Several butt firsts

qnbiker · 10-10-2012, 01:13 PM

Cooked a 10+lb butt for a gathering next weekend. It was a strange cook.

First, there was a 4 hour stall. Very unusual.

I cooked it at 250 and didn't foil. It was ready after 15 hrs, and when I grabbed it with my rubber gloves to take it off, liquid squirted out of it from several places. Never had that happen before.

As I pulled it, I noticed it was moister than any butt I've ever cooked. I also noticed that there was almost no fat left; there's usually a little. When I tasted it, it was OK, but I didn't have that, "Oh, yeah!" reaction I usually have.

Put it in the fridge late Monday and took it out this morning to freeze for the weekend. It was like someone had melted several pounds of pork fat and poured it over the meat. When it was in the freezer bags, the container I refrigerated it in was completely covered in grease.

I've cooked dozens of butts over the years and several have been this brand. I've never had a "greasy" butt before. It's OK, but the people who will be eating it this weekend always rave about my Q. I don't think they will be raving this time. I'm not looking forward to it. In fact, I'm thinking about smoking another butt Thursday.

Outnumbered · 10-10-2012, 01:15 PM

Can you describe the color of it before cooking? Was it whitish, really pink or somewhere in the middle?

qnbiker · 10-10-2012, 01:19 PM

I froze it right after I bought it. It was pink and had no odor when I put it on; looked just like it did when I bought it.

Wampus · 10-10-2012, 01:29 PM

My first thoughts are these:

The extra amount of grease is probably directly related to the lack of unrendered fat. In other words, that fat that you usually find may have cooked away, turning into liquid grease.

The 4 hour stall, although long, isn't necessarily unheard of.

As far as the taste.....is it the same recipe that you always use? Could there be some other variable that caused the lack of "wow"?

gtr · 10-10-2012, 01:34 PM

Could just be that particular piece of meat. How long did it rest before pulling?

qnbiker · 10-10-2012, 01:46 PM

Same recipe. I made a new batch of rub before I cooked the butt and used a coarser turbinado sugar than I usually do. I noticed when I rubbed the butt that some of the sugar didn't stick, so it's possible that the rub that did stick wasn't as sweet. I have since ground the whole batch of rub to fix that. I thought about the lack of non-rendered fat.

I have cooked enough butts that I know what to expect. Every cook is a little different, but this one was a lot different.

MisterChrister · 10-10-2012, 01:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by qnbiker

In fact, I'm thinking about smoking another butt Thursday.

Well if you're looking for moral support in going back to the cooker with another hunk of pork, you're in EXACTLY the right place! You could always use this one in enchiladas, burritos, soups etc.....

qnbiker · 10-10-2012, 01:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gtr

Could just be that particular piece of meat. How long did it rest before pulling?

I thought about that too. I usually double foil, wrap in towels, and put in a cooler for a couple of hours. It was after 11:00PM when I took it off so I double wrapped in foil only and let it rest for an hour on the counter. None of this explains the greasy feel of the meat.

qnbiker · 10-15-2012, 12:27 PM

Follow up: I didn't have time to cook another butt. My wife tasted the original and said it tasted fine. Everybody at the gathering raved about it, and I have to admit, it wasn't terrible frozen and warmed up. Maybe I'm just too picky.

10-10-2012, 01:13 PM	#1
qnbiker Take a breath! Join Date: 05-05-10 Location: Marietta, GA Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	Several butt firsts Cooked a 10+lb butt for a gathering next weekend. It was a strange cook. First, there was a 4 hour stall. Very unusual. I cooked it at 250 and didn't foil. It was ready after 15 hrs, and when I grabbed it with my rubber gloves to take it off, liquid squirted out of it from several places. Never had that happen before. As I pulled it, I noticed it was moister than any butt I've ever cooked. I also noticed that there was almost no fat left; there's usually a little. When I tasted it, it was OK, but I didn't have that, "Oh, yeah!" reaction I usually have. Put it in the fridge late Monday and took it out this morning to freeze for the weekend. It was like someone had melted several pounds of pork fat and poured it over the meat. When it was in the freezer bags, the container I refrigerated it in was completely covered in grease. I've cooked dozens of butts over the years and several have been this brand. I've never had a "greasy" butt before. It's OK, but the people who will be eating it this weekend always rave about my Q. I don't think they will be raving this time. I'm not looking forward to it. In fact, I'm thinking about smoking another butt Thursday. __________________ A bunch of Webers

10-10-2012, 01:15 PM	#2
Outnumbered is One Chatty Farker Join Date: 09-18-11 Location: Smithville, Missouri, United States Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	Can you describe the color of it before cooking? Was it whitish, really pink or somewhere in the middle? __________________ Greg Vincent When I die, my goal is to have a visible smoke ring when the coroner cuts me open for the autopsy.

10-10-2012, 01:19 PM	#3
qnbiker Take a breath! Join Date: 05-05-10 Location: Marietta, GA Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	I froze it right after I bought it. It was pink and had no odor when I put it on; looked just like it did when I bought it. __________________ A bunch of Webers Last edited by qnbiker; 10-10-2012 at 01:20 PM.. Reason: Correct grammer

10-10-2012, 01:29 PM	#4
Wampus somebody shut me the fark up. Join Date: 06-05-09 Location: Mooresville, IN Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	My first thoughts are these: The extra amount of grease is probably directly related to the lack of unrendered fat. In other words, that fat that you usually find may have cooked away, turning into liquid grease. The 4 hour stall, although long, isn't necessarily unheard of. As far as the taste.....is it the same recipe that you always use? Could there be some other variable that caused the lack of "wow"? __________________ Big JT's Smokin' BBQ Competition Team “If we could change ourselves, the tendencies in the world would also change. As a man changes his own nature, so does the attitude of the world change towards him. We need not wait to see what others do.” - Mahatma Gandhi

10-10-2012, 01:34 PM	#5
gtr Quintessential Chatty Farker Join Date: 10-16-10 Location: Culver City, CA Downloads: 2 Uploads: 0	Could just be that particular piece of meat. How long did it rest before pulling? __________________ 50" Klose BYC, Backwoods Chubby, UDS, 26" & 22.5" Weber Kettles, Jumbo Joe, WGA, WSJ/MUDS, Jumbo Old Smokey, Pig Hibachi, a piece of expanded metal I throw over the fire pit sometimes, Stealthy Black & Vol Orange Thermapens Displaced East Tennesseean Proud recipient of a Tick Former outlaw MOINK baller, now IMBAS Certified, but still lookin' over my shoulder. Golden Goose Egg - Got 2 in the nest baby! SPFP Mayzie's keeping an eye out for you! WTFWGALD?

10-10-2012, 01:46 PM	#6
qnbiker Take a breath! Join Date: 05-05-10 Location: Marietta, GA Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	Same recipe. I made a new batch of rub before I cooked the butt and used a coarser turbinado sugar than I usually do. I noticed when I rubbed the butt that some of the sugar didn't stick, so it's possible that the rub that did stick wasn't as sweet. I have since ground the whole batch of rub to fix that. I thought about the lack of non-rendered fat. I have cooked enough butts that I know what to expect. Every cook is a little different, but this one was a lot different. __________________ A bunch of Webers

10-15-2012, 12:27 PM	#9
qnbiker Take a breath! Join Date: 05-05-10 Location: Marietta, GA Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	Follow up: I didn't have time to cook another butt. My wife tasted the original and said it tasted fine. Everybody at the gathering raved about it, and I have to admit, it wasn't terrible frozen and warmed up. Maybe I'm just too picky. __________________ A bunch of Webers