Pelkster
Full Fledged Farker
- Joined
- Feb 9, 2011
- Location
- Boston, NY
Greeting everyone!
So I'm stuck and in a rut. For some reason I have lost the ability to cook a proper pork butt for competitions. Either they are coming out really tough and difficult to get any usable pieces or they are overcooked and it's difficult to get any usable pieces. Since last year I've been pulling the money muscle off when it hits about 160-170 and then wrapping the rest to finish. I'm using the same flavor profile that I've used since I started (when I had much better success). This past weekend we cooked them until the money muscle was done, and then wrapped them up to finish. They never hit about 185 but when we went for turn ins they crumbled and were very mushy.
I've thought about changing the flavor profile altogether but if I'm not cooking it right then it doesn't matter what I'm using for a rub and injection. UGH! I just don't know what to do at this point. I'm frustrated by it. Two years bad pork cost the team two or three GC's. Now I'm at the point where I don't want to compete anymore because I can't seem to get this area of my cook down and I'm tired of having a bad cook pull me down.
Any advice or pointers would be appreciated. Thank you.
So I'm stuck and in a rut. For some reason I have lost the ability to cook a proper pork butt for competitions. Either they are coming out really tough and difficult to get any usable pieces or they are overcooked and it's difficult to get any usable pieces. Since last year I've been pulling the money muscle off when it hits about 160-170 and then wrapping the rest to finish. I'm using the same flavor profile that I've used since I started (when I had much better success). This past weekend we cooked them until the money muscle was done, and then wrapped them up to finish. They never hit about 185 but when we went for turn ins they crumbled and were very mushy.
I've thought about changing the flavor profile altogether but if I'm not cooking it right then it doesn't matter what I'm using for a rub and injection. UGH! I just don't know what to do at this point. I'm frustrated by it. Two years bad pork cost the team two or three GC's. Now I'm at the point where I don't want to compete anymore because I can't seem to get this area of my cook down and I'm tired of having a bad cook pull me down.
Any advice or pointers would be appreciated. Thank you.