Pork is in the tank

[BBQ_Mayor]

Brothers, I could use some advice or maybe just a (pork) shoulder to cry on.
Just finished the State Center contest with 17th overall. Got 14th in Brisket, 3rd in Ribs and 8th in chicken. Pork was dead last.
I am really frustrated with this cut of meat that is suppose to be so forgiving and the easiest to cook.
Apparently, I can't cook it. :sad:

Any advice for a struggling BBQ artist?
Thanks

[Papa Tom]

Tell us waht you are doing. Time on, temps? foiling? pull temp?

[BBQ_Mayor]

Tell us waht you are doing. Time on, temps? foiling? pull temp?

I'm using a backwoods gator (like the Fatboy). Running at a temp of 225-to 240 with the water pan full of water. Cook times have been around 10 hours.
I foil the butts at the internal temps of 170° and pull them off the cooker at internal temp of 195° to hold in a hot box until turn in. At turn in time, I pull the butts and place in box.
I would like to get slices but have never found a temp that provide me with a good slice. Meaning, it was either to dry or didn't have enough flavor.
I use Bad Byrons butt rub. Don't inject (cause I have never found one I liked) and don't have a sauce that I like to put on butts so I use what ever I think may give my product a boost.

Thanks for the help

[MilitantSquatter]

I use Bad Byrons butt rub. Don't inject (cause I have never found one I liked) and don't have a sauce that I like to put on butts so I use what ever I think may give my product a boost.

Thanks for the help

I think you're problem lies in the above (without seeing pictures for appearance).

I don't think Bad Byron's butt rub is all that complimentary to pork or much else (way to salty and peppery and that's about it. If you use it, I would suggest doctoring it up with some sugar etc. ). Injecting really might help keep your product moist... Any basic recipe might be better than nothing as long as the ingredients are not too eccentric...

Try a new rub, a new injection and a basic sauce or vinegar mop not too thick or too much.

[scottyd]

go back to your early days to what was working for you and do that. then make small changes in a direction you decide for your tastes. we don't know what you like! but small changes is way to go never change 2 things at once. and practice practice practice.

Good luck in Marshalltown

[Jeff_in_KC]

Ray, try pulling your butts out of the cooker at 185 and coolering if you want slices. That seems to work for us. Also, I agree with Vinny: you really should inject your pork. Take a look at page 40 of Doc's first book. that's what I use. I double it and use the double batch on 4 butts. I've never tried Byron's rub but if it's too salty, I would agree it wouldn't compliment pork real well. Can you get the Slab's pork rub up your way?

[SmokeMeTender]

Can you tell me what is the name of Doc's book? We are also looking for a new injection for pork. Our pork butt is also in the tank.
:roll:

[MilitantSquatter]

Can you tell me what is the name of Doc's book? We are also looking for a new injection for pork. Our pork butt is also in the tank.
:roll:

Dr. BBQ's Big Time Barbeque Cookbook... Here's a link to Amazon.. a great book at a great price
http://www.amazon.com/Dr-BBQs-Big-Time-Barbecue-Cookbook/dp/0312339798

[KC_Bobby]

I'm using a backwoods gator (like the Fatboy). Running at a temp of 225-to 240 with the water pan full of water. Cook times have been around 10 hours.
I foil the butts at the internal temps of 170° and pull them off the cooker at internal temp of 195° to hold in a hot box until turn in. At turn in time, I pull the butts and place in box.


I have a Party. I put two butts on my top rack at about midnight and do about the same as you have listed above but pull one butt out at 182 and the second at 188. This ends up being around 7/8 am, so they sit in the warmer quit awhile and continue to warm.

I make my own rub for pork and do inject and lightly sauce.

[BBQchef33]

your timings seem roughly ok.

Inject, and marinade(mean let them sit in the injectin juices too for a while.

i use boneless butts and REALLY use a heavy does of a sweet rub.. byrons is a salt and pepper rub.. not my favorite for pork.

boneless lets u get lots of rub inside the meat, then tie it up.

Inject with fruit juice based injection that compliments the rub you use.

choose carfully the pieces you are going to use in the box. i do NOT just mix the entire butt into a pile of pulled pork and then removed some for the judges. i pick the prime pieces from the butts, set them aside and season and sauce that small amount of the best stuff for the box. I use the aujus mostly, and sauce lightly if needed... but 9 out of 10 times, its only strained aujus.

The rest of the butt goes to the crowd, or friends.

[Rookie'48]

Ray-
You can get Doc's books & Slabs rub (plus lots of other goodies) at Hawgeyes in Ankeny. Good meeting you & Scotty D this week. I'll do my first judging at Marshalltown, see ya there & good luck:!:
Dave

[tumpedover]

your timings seem roughly ok.

Inject, and marinade(mean let them sit in the injectin juices too for a while.

i use boneless butts and REALLY use a heavy does of a sweet rub.. byrons is a salt and pepper rub.. not my favorite for pork.

boneless lets u get lots of rub inside the meat, then tie it up.

Inject with fruit juice based injection that compliments the rub you use.

choose carfully the pieces you are going to use in the box. i do NOT just mix the entire butt into a pile of pulled pork and then removed some for the judges. i pick the prime pieces from the butts, set them aside and season and sauce that small amount of the best stuff for the box. I use the aujus mostly, and sauce lightly if needed... but 9 out of 10 times, its only strained aujus.

The rest of the butt goes to the crowd, or friends.


Good info here ...should bring good results!

[Plowboy]

Ditto what Phil said. Try Lynch BBQ's Sweet Rub. Stay away from Lynch BBQ's Butt Shaker, IMHO. TheSlabs.com Pork rub is really good, too.

[BBQ_Mayor]

go back to your early days to what was working for you and do that. then make small changes in a direction you decide for your tastes. we don't know what you like! but small changes is way to go never change 2 things at once. and practice practice practice.

Good luck in Marshalltown


Your right. And I had thought about that but heres the thing.

In my early days I was cooking butts on a WSM with no water pan. Now switching to a Backwoods last year, my butts have dropped and brisket has come up.
I think the water in the pan hurts the butts and helps the brisket. I guess I'm too subborn to go back to WSM when I bought the backwoods so I would'nt need to carry about so many WSM's.
I know it will do it, I'm just not finding the right way.

Thanks everybody for all your help.
I'll let you know what happens after this weekend.

[Mooner]

Your right. And I had thought about that but heres the thing.

In my early days I was cooking butts on a WSM with no water pan. Now switching to a Backwoods last year, my butts have dropped and brisket has come up.
I think the water in the pan hurts the butts and helps the brisket. I guess I'm too subborn to go back to WSM when I bought the backwoods so I would'nt need to carry about so many WSM's.
I know it will do it, I'm just not finding the right way.

Thanks everybody for all your help.
I'll let you know what happens after this weekend.

I would agree with some of the guys. The water pan in the WSM does nothing more than provide a heat shield for the bottom of your meat. Having water in the water pan absorbs energy from the fire thus keeping your tems stable at 225-235. Other than that it does nothing.

[Roo-B-Q'N]

Hey Ray I agree with ScottD, go back to what you know and start in small steps. I went against my better judgement with my ribs and rattled myself so bad I am going back to square one and rebuilding.
But also use an injection, they add flavor and moisture. Of course, don't look at my score in pork, I think I was only a few ahead of you :)

[ole'e]

Hey don't count the BWS out yet. I had the same problem when I went to the backwoods last year. I do not wrap the butts until I get the bark that I want. I imagine that at 170ish you are not seeing much bark. I sometimes will not wrap until late 180s or maybe not at all. With all the moisture the meat usually does not dry out.
Eric

[WalterSC]

I foil my water pan with heavy duty foil I get from Sams and inject butts and shoulders with plain ole apple juice comes out tender and juicy every time.

[BBQ_Mayor]

Heres a pic of my last place pork from State Center
8221

[bbqpigskin]

I use Bad Byron's cut with plain old sugar on butts, and love it. I agree that it is a bit salty, but the sugar seems to mellow out the saltiness.

[BBQ_Mayor]

Thanks to everybody that gave me advice on my pork problems.
Thanks to you all I pull out a 9th place pork out of 68 teams in Marshalltown yesterday. Only call I got for the day but finished 19th overall. That one call was well worth it. I feel like I took that monkey off my back and kicked it into next week. :-D

[HoDeDo]

Somehow I missed your pork thread -- but it was great seeing you this weekend... And congrats on the call!!!

Thanks to everybody that gave me advice on my pork problems.
Thanks to you all I pull out a 9th place pork out of 68 teams in Marshalltown yesterday. Only call I got for the day but finished 19th overall. That one call was well worth it. I feel like I took that monkey off my back and kicked it into next week. :-D