Since we had the pulled beef thread I thought since it was nice out and in the seventies today i would do a little Indiana home grown raised pork shoulder on the smoker.
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some seasoning and brown sugar to carmalize.
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Decided to throw on some hot links for tomorrow night along with pork shoulder.
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Pulled and ready to fix a sandwich.
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And finale with cole slaw. YUM YUM!
Oh my goodness!
(I will be back in a little while as I am now off the the refrigerator :))
That looks better'n chicken. :)
We had poultry for dinner. :D
That looks super good. Makes me wanta.....
I don't know why I even get on the food sight anyway, it always makes me hungry again digin_2 food2
That really looks good. :) :) :)
I just got out of the paddock and sitting here on the verandah watching the kids, I can smell dinner cooking (sweet curried lamb chops) thinking I am hungry.....Read this and now I am starving,....got to stop reading this Food forum ;)....Sure glad Jeff never set up a beer forum.
That looks awesome!
Pulled pork with coleslaw. my fav
one of these days, i'll take a picture of something I cook, and you guys will lose your appetite.
It could be the FF diet plan, until I got bannished to the woodshed!
That's ok Dan, I'll post a few too, and I'll need some company in there ;)
That looks tasty. This food forum sure can make a guy hungry :)
You can say that again, ashes. As I have said before, I don't know why I come here. :) I leave with my belly growling.
Ooo... someone knows how to properly smoke! Very nice indeed!
-lee
I have seen Okmulch pull pork a number of times ;D.
Not gonna go there, yep, not gonna. dadgum you, Charlie!
The PIG at the PIG Roast :).
Oh, right, that's what I was thinkin.
Everyone is a Pig at the Pig Roast. And then there are the Pullers, and they are Pigs too. food6
there really should be something we can do about these pictures of all this good looking eats. I mean this ain't right at all, just too much torture for me to bear. I love pulled pork and coleslaw, no lunch today and I am really hungry right about now. thanks for that picture, this is going to happen, how long did you cook the loin?
I found some pictures of food to practice posting pictures. It has been quite a while since I attempted to do so. The cooker is called Global Warming II.
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Quote from: Magicman on October 16, 2012, 08:36:26 AM
Everyone is a Pig at the Pig Roast. And then there are the Pullers, and they are Pigs too. food6
Most of the pullers I have seen there were pigs waaaay before they were pullin' pork :D
Weather has been really nice so to pay back a favor at our local ag supply company I made pulled pork for them.
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About killed me having to smell them cooking while working outside this morning!
Nice looking pork Norm.
Did you have your platesetter in there for indirect heat?
Jon
Looks delicious!
I don't have a platesetter for my XL Jon. I use a pizza stone on my spider instead. Doesn't work as well but I didn't want to spend the money on one.
Go with what works 8).
Looks good Norm, I bet the Agg guys were over the moon with that. But alas looking at this I'm hungry again. Lucky I will be tucking into roast leg of lamb, baked potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrot, onion, beans, pumpkin and homemade gravy in about 10 minutes :) :) :)
Geez Rob here it is early morning and you've got me starving!
We have not had food at an FFA banquet since May 2019. I'll be firing up Global Warming II for the first time (by me) in quite a while. Right before we got shut down for Covid in March of 2019, we added two more racks hoping to be able to load 100 slabs of ribs at one shot.
I'm out of practice and nearly forgot to load some cherry wood in my truck tonight, forgot to mix the rub today (I'll do it while the grill is heating).
Tomorrow morning I'll put two cases of butts on, cut up and season 70 lbs or red potatoes to go on around noon and heat up eight gallons of beans. We plan to eat at 6.
I've loaned the grill out to the Lion's Club a couple of times since I've used it. It could use a fresh coat of paint but that will be reserved for another day.
I'd imagine we may be able to smell it from here caveman! Good luck and have fun! It looks like there'll be some tasty stuff coming off.
Mmmmm. Melt in your mouth good ole Southern BBQ. With baked beans and potato salad digin1.
My wife has an old recipe for BBQ sauce from a friend that always makes a thin and runny sauce but when you pour it over pulled pork it works perfectly. i noticed pulled pork sandwiches always had coleslaw on them. I have never cared for anything with cabbage in it but I tried a PP sandwich with it once and I was hooked, so now the only thing I like with coleslaw is these. Somehow it just makes it taste better.
I smoked an 8# butt Wednesday in my large BGE. I used pecan chunks for smoke and Rockwood lump. Pulled at 200° 11 hours later. We like our pork pulled hard, or shredded lol!
As it left the Egg! No finished pic.(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/57231/Boston_Butt.jpg?easyrotate_cache=1652466720)
I watch Walmart for markdown pork butts or shoulders and rib tips. I freeze them until I have enough to cook then I dry rub using a recipe thats called "Jakes Dry Rub" which I mix myself from various spices (long list!). I thaw the meat, rub and plastic wrap then cook (I baste with same dry rub mixed with water) and bring inside to oven, wrap in alu foil, slow bake to finish and cool and pull. Pork once cooked will store much longer than raw pork.
We add our Daves BBQ sauce when we eat the stuff which we pull from a zip lock bag as needed for the meal. Works great for empty nesters as portions match our meals. Also is handy for various other cooked pork meals besides a BBQ sandwich.
Walmart's pork rib tips are great. Far meatier than the more popular menu item of baby backs or big hog ribs and only challenge is to not burn them on charcoal. We freeze them too then thaw for a meal-large or small. I like a meaty rib not a bone you try to find meat on it?
SC BBQ sauce is the runny stuff. It's OK but not my style. I often put a slab of Vidalia onion and cole slaw on a BBQ sandwich.
The larger question is does the cook know how to make good coleslaw, or not? :D
What I'm saying is that much you get in a restaurant is not good slaw. It's a delicate balance of sweetness, mayo, vinegar and cabbage plus sweet peppers. If your lucky you can doctor it at the table to make it palatable.
I do not have a Global Warming II cooker, but I do have a kettle grill. What works for me on a small scale is as follows:
1). Brine the pork shoulder (butt) over night for about 8 hours in the refrigerator using 1/4 cup of salt and 1/4 of sugar in a large plastic bowl with enough water to fully submerge the meat.
2). Remove from refrigerator and rinse the meat then pat dry with paper towels. Rub liberally with the rub of your choice.
3). Get a large double handful of charcoal briquets and pile them on one side of a Weber Kettle grill and get them lit and ready.
4). Take some chunks of pecan or cherry wood and add to the hot coals.
5). Place a foil pan or aluminum foil on the bottom of the grill to catch any drippings.
6). Place meat on opposite side from the coals and let smoke for 2 hours. Take care that there are not too many coals and not too much heat but lots of smoke. What you are doing here is smoking the meat, not really cooking it per se. Do not put the meat directly over the coals!! Do not burn the meat!!
7). After 2 hours smoking, remove the meat and place in a large crock pot. Do not add any liquid.
8. Put the crock pot on low and leave it alone for 8 hours.
9). After the time in the crock pot, the meat is fall apart tender, the bone will pull out easy and clean, and the pre-smoking has given the meat all the smoke flavor that it needs.
10. While still in the crock pot, take two large forks and vigorously shred the meat. I like mine really shredded well, not in big chunks. Do not remove any liquid in the crock pot. It keeps the meat so moist and delicious. Mix with sauce or not depending on what you like.
I start the grill in the evening so that I can smoke the meat and then put it in the crock pot overnight. You wake up in the morning and the whole house smells wonderful! It is easy once you pre-smoke the meat because the crock pot does the low and slow cooking for you as you dream about the results as you sleep.
Danny, it sounds like you have it figured out. I darn near had forgotten how to cook. I put the butts on a little before 8 a.m. and pulled them off around 3 p.m. They pulled easily. The potatoes were just right, and the green beans were good but really close to being overdone.
I'll have to get pictures of the pork when it was done from my daughter. I was too busy to take any pictures. (she sent them while I was typing this).
The banquet seemed to be enjoyed by the students and the guests. My youngest daughter and I sawed some low-quality logs last Saturday into some 1/2" thick boards that we used for a backdrop.
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Love that back drop. The pork looks delicious.
I use my bare hands to pull and cut the meat into chunks to shorten the fibers.
I'd find it tough to wear rubber gloves while pulling the pork!
If I had a better cooker, I'd avoid the inside oven use, but mine is tough to control the heat evenly over long periods.
Kudos for helping a great group of kids.
Ever seen the drill rig? Sort of like a paint stirrer but with 4 prongs pointing straight down.
Yes, I have one, but it has been so long since I've done a lot of pulled pork that I could not find it. It is probably in the blue milk crate that also has the eight, 14" long 1.5" PVC pipes that get the tables to a comfortable working height.
I think everyone had a good time at the banquet and appreciated being able to celebrate the students' accomplishments and eat. Last year we were not able to have a meal, but we were able to give out awards.
I would love to head south and try some of your cooking, don't much care for the pulled pork I have tried. I find it too sweet. Nobody here in the north seems to know how to make a good huevas rancheros, my favourite breakfast.
Quote from: K-Guy on May 13, 2022, 01:17:29 PM
My wife has an old recipe for BBQ sauce from a friend that always makes a thin and runny sauce but when you pour it over pulled pork it works perfectly. i noticed pulled pork sandwiches always had coleslaw on them. I have never cared for anything with cabbage in it but I tried a PP sandwich with it once and I was hooked, so now the only thing I like with coleslaw is these. Somehow it just makes it taste better.
Sounds like you are eating a slice of heaven, a NC BBQ sandwich. Now find a good recipe for a hushpuppy and you'll have a bit of NC there in ME.
Quote from: nativewolf on May 15, 2022, 03:51:07 PMNow find a good recipe for a hushpuppy and you'll have a bit of NC there in ME.
She makes good biscuits but I think you would find our sauce a little tame compared to what you're used to.
Welp, I'm about to try my hand at smoking a pork butt tomorrow (if things go to plan) and I have a question... I'm doing it in a barrel shaped steel charcoal grill that isn't pre-built for smoking, at least not in the configuration I have it in now. I think I know what I'm doing but need tips on the wood to use to do the smokey part. I was unable to easily find the wood for smoking, meaning I stopped one place that didn't have it, but I have some wild cherry I cut down a couple years ago. I know some folks use cherry for smoking but does any kind of cherry produce decent results or should I go on the hunt for hickory or apple or something better?
IMO Hickory is the king of woods with oak the queen.
I'd hesitate using cherry on pork myself.
2 weeks ago, 60 pounds of PP, used hickory.
Low and slow is the name of the game.
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I prefer cherry smoked pork but will use hickory next, oak third. If I were going to smoke a butt or two in a barrel, I'd build the fire in one end of the barrel and put the but in the other. Shallow cuts into the fat side of the butt making a square grid may allow more seasoning to enhance the flavor. Generally, I smoke the butt for 3-4 hours and then wrap with foil. A bit of apple juice or Italian dressing poured over the butt before wrapping will add some flavor and make it pull a little easier. Let it go for 3-4 more hours or until done. Often, I cut the butts in half for a little faster cooking. I don't do competitions, but I have cooked a few butts.
Raider Bill, If you need some hickory for smoking, let me know before September. It would mean a trip to Polk County for you. We cut down some big hickory trees a few weeks ago and the tops have a lot of cooking wood in them. Hopefully, we'll have time to cut a couple more in a few weeks.
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The BBQ competition started setup today in Galax. I enjoy looking at the rigs as much as anything.
Eastern hophornbeam is right up there for hickory type flavor and is a weed here.
Eastern Hop Hornbeam is also known as Ironwood, isn't it Don? If so I have some of that on my place, I may have to try some.
Not the smooth blue barked musclewood but the fine bronze bark when young to square loose cedarish bark when older. Little hop cones hanging ~ June.
Quote from: barbender on July 22, 2022, 06:56:35 PM
Eastern Hop Hornbeam is also known as Ironwood, isn't it Don?...
Barbender, if you go to Wikipedia and search "Ironwood" you will see the are a ton of woods that are called ironwood. I couldn't count them all but it's gotta be over 200 species.
Thanks caveman, I'm thinking we'll try some freshly chopped cherry if I can find it in the pile. (I think it'll be dry, it's been on the ground for a couple years now)
Did this one with Crabapple and Cherry chunks on the Webber for 6 1/2 hours. My wife likes the lighter flavor of that combo along with a batch of Calico Beans. food6
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Quote from: caveman on July 22, 2022, 06:40:01 PM
I prefer cherry smoked pork but will use hickory next, oak third. If I were going to smoke a butt or two in a barrel, I'd build the fire in one end of the barrel and put the but in the other. Shallow cuts into the fat side of the butt making a square grid may allow more seasoning to enhance the flavor. Generally, I smoke the butt for 3-4 hours and then wrap with foil. A bit of apple juice or Italian dressing poured over the butt before wrapping will add some flavor and make it pull a little easier. Let it go for 3-4 more hours or until done. Often, I cut the butts in half for a little faster cooking. I don't do competitions, but I have cooked a few butts.
Raider Bill, If you need some hickory for smoking, let me know before September. It would mean a trip to Polk County for you. We cut down some big hickory trees a few weeks ago and the tops have a lot of cooking wood in them. Hopefully, we'll have time to cut a couple more in a few weeks.
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Might just have to take you up on that.
Greenhorn, yep I've heard of the many ironwoods, that's why I was trying to "triangulate" if it was a tree that was known by both terms😊
I have the small barrel shaped charcoal grill I got for free. I use it now over my Brinkman electric smoker. With careful attendance to my meat it is useful to smoke and color up the meat. I do that, being careful to turn it often and when it "looks great" I take it in the house where it's slow cooked to finish up and safely get the temps needed. I pull far more than we can eat at one time as pork keeps far longer after cooking and allows easy meals when we like. Pulled pork and pork ribs we freeze them both. Just did a brisket that way on friday. It was placed in a glass baking dish and finished at 250 deg in the oven with sauteed apples slices and onions on top. When its, fork tender it's done. We cooled and sliced it, then layered on wax paper with enough on each layer for a sandwich apiece then bagged it for freezer. I use a homemade dry rub , done overnite, wrapped in plastic in the fridge. I think I posted that recipe.
That's very hard to achieve in my outdoor cooker over a long slow cook using charcoal. One son has a Green Egg cooker which allows far greater heat control than my little cooker with a chimney stack.
I use Hickory or WO and make little difference in them or mesquite or apple which I've used.
Pulled pork doesn't have to be sweet? IMO, you either like that meat or you don't. The condiments can be sweet or not. BBQ sauces are somewhat of a regional thing with several types and can be added at the table. Sonny's BBQ chain has as good of meats as any I've seen-done right there. Each table has a lineup of sauces for your choice-lots of BBQ places do that.
I've tried Memphis BBQ several places and see it as no better than Sonny's and same for the several famous KC, MO places. I do like the meats and menu at Bandana's BBQ in MO.
I ordered a BBQ plate in Montana and they went out and killed the wrong critter :o
I ended up getting cherry pellets at the store as I was behind on the clock. So far it looks like it's going alright other than attempting to keep the temperature right. I also started a day later than planned.
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Looks good!!
Well, I finally got done at around 1230a last night/this morning. It was a hot day full of babysitting the grill and while I think it went alright I'm not positive of the results. I had a few bites of the pulled pork (I forgot to take a picture after it was done) as I forked it apart last night and it seems like maybe I screwed up my marinade, it's a bit heavy flavored on something tangy or maybe vinegar. I also just guessed at a recipe after glancing at several. Everything in my world currently smells like the smoking grill.
I can't yet say whether I'll try this experiment again. Starting on a Saturday morning sounds better than starting too late on a workday eve.
The secret's in the sauce :).
It has determined the outcome of elections. I prefer a hot pepper vinegar splash over the thick sweet sauces, and there is every variation. I was having a tolerable BBQ sammich at table by a trailer in a parking lot here and before it was over, I was in conversation with the woman beside me, who I had just met, over the merits of the BBQ at 2 restaurants 400 miles away.
And then there's the slaw ;D
I get it that we don't all like BBQ meat or sauces, or slaw all the same but I rarely get slaw that's done right in a restaurant!
My pulled pork sandwich gets either a layer of slaw or a slab of Vidalia onion on it, not both. When we grab some frozen pulled pork from bag we saute it in a bit of sauce, not much. It has zero BBQ sauce as it comes from the bag but had a dry rub when cooked.
My Wife and my Mom had it "done right". The balance of sugar and vinegar is important along with all the right ingredients as well.
My ex-DIL had her wedding meal done at a venue in SC where they thought BBQ sauce was a sort of reddish vinegar, very liquid fluid. I actually love vinegar in cooking but can do without it being the main ingredient of a sauce.
Pulled pork is best eaten on a plain white bun. Slaw is a side dish, not a condiment for BBQ pork.
Like a good steak, the BBQ pork should stand on it's own.
I'm of the opinion that BBQ sauce is a cover up just like steak sauce😊 Some of the best pulled pork I've had, had a slight vinegar and more savory flavor than typical BBQ fare. I realize some folks love the sauce, that's just not where my tastes run to🤷♂️
I was worried that I'd end up with a belly ache and/or the pulled pork wouldn't be tasty. I had some for dinner last night and I'm happy to report it was pretty delicious and not at all too tangy or too vinegary like I thought it would be. My hope was that it would end up being at least as good as the bucket of pulled pork I get from the grocery and it was.
Will I ever smoke anything ever again? I'm not sure. I'm not great at having to stick to a tight schedule and that seems like a prerequisite to smoking food. However, if I'm prepared for it it's not too bad to babysit a grill while I drink beers and bourbons. Now, after doing some learning with my first experience the next time should be more enjoyable.
I had no coleslaw.
Quote from: Old saw fixer on July 25, 2022, 11:06:25 AM
Pulled pork is best eaten on a plain white bun. Slaw is a side dish, not a condiment for BBQ pork.
Like a good steak, the BBQ pork should stand on it's own.
At the table you may use your own rules. ;) Just have some manners, please.
My rules apply to my mouth. 8) It's very common to put slaw on a BBQ sandwich & even more common as a side dish with BBQ.
White buns are a personal preference matter as well as BBQ sauce type or nothing.
I like a bit of sauce, hickory flavored is OK as is sweet and thick, just not too much as would cover up the meats flavor. We buy Sweet Baby Rays Original.
Too much smoke also covers meat flavors. Pulled or sliced is dictated by the cut of meat mostly. Large cuts like shoulder or sirloins get pulled.
We like Kroger's Sourdough buns but I've had better at times from a real bakery.
I'll add that a square of fresh jalapeno corn bread sliced is a great pulled pork sandwich. When we have a bit of leftover corn from a meal, we bag it for use in jalapeno cornbread along with peppers and onions. I love that stuff.
Right now as the big maters come in we eat lots of BLT's for supper. My version is a "BPT" which has no lettuce but rather I use a sliced, seeded, flattened banana pepper instead of lettuce. Adds flavor and some crunch.
@aigheadish (https://forestryforum.com/board/index.php?action=profile;u=53516)
I am not a fan of coleslaw at all but at a restaurant the pulled pork sandwiches came with it and I forgot to say leave it off, so I tried it and loved it. In the right proportions it adds to the flavor. As far as sauce goes I am not a tomato based bbq sauce fan. I like the vinegar based ones better, probably because I am so sweet already as many here can attest too!!! :D
Coleslaw. That's a deep topic. I can certainly appreciate the varied opinions on coleslaw and whether to put on a pulled pork samich. One big thing to know is that there's no standard for coleslaw, and restaurant or grocery store coleslaw can range from barely ok to completely inedible. Plus there's a wide range in the personal preferences - sorta like cornbread. If coleslaw is made at home from fresh cabbage from the garden, properly sliced from the head with a sharp knife, prepared and chilled for a couple hours it's a different thing entirely from the stuff done in bulk for institutional use. Not even in the same universe!
Whether you want on your sandwich or not is another thing, but you should try some good homemade coleslaw on your sandwich so you can make an informed decision. And like K-guy said, the right amount is important. Even marginal coleslaw that you'll get in most restaurants can be a good addition on the sandwich although it probably wouldn't stand on it's own as a side dish. Down here where pulled pork is almost a religion many of the bbq joints serve a decent coleslaw, but there's no way to make it in quantity that can compared to homemade using fresh cabbage.
It's tough to beat good pork done correctly with a good dry rub. Maybe a touch of the sauce of your choice, but don't let the sauce overwhelm the pork itself. That pork is just too DanG good!
Good job on your pork Aigheadish. I'm glad it was a success. After doing a few it'll be a lot easier to do without standing over the grill for eight or ten hours. Just a matter of controlling the temperature. In a pinch, cooking a Boston butt in a crockpot on low all day and the finishing on the grill for half an hour will get you some good pork also. (Just between you and me, you can even skip the finishing on the grill part of that.)
Man, I'm gettin' HUNGRY!!
Cole slaw...are we talking red or white? I'm from western NC; BBQ cole slaw is red. (Hope this doesn't get me put in the doghouse. In NC, BBQ discussions are considered politics. :D)
Thanks guys!
I like most coleslaws, just don't have any on hand. My mom makes a decent slaw that I've tended to favor over most but I've never asked how she makes it.
It reminds me... When I was just starting in the working world I was doing park and golf course maintenance. Mowing greens, setting cups, cleaning up after picnics, that kind of junk. Well, for some reason the shop had what I recall to be a 2 gallon or 5 pound tub (or something, it was a lot) of coleslaw, and the boss said that if I could eat that whole tub of slaw he'd take me Red Lobster. I got to eating, and eating, and eating. I made it a bit over 3/4 of the way through before I could do no more and gave up. I stopped eating coleslaw for a bit after that.
Regarding cabbage- fresh cabbage is the only kind that's edible other than if it's been processed or cooked somehow. We are hardcore, serious gardeners yet we raise zero cabbage as fresh cabbage is cheap and year round available. In KY it gets hot come spring and cabbage is easy to bolt and also gets wormy w/o lots of sprays. Areas like the highlands of the Blue ridge mtns are where much commercial cabbage has been grown in the past but more so up north in WI or NY or FL & CA where temps work OK.
We also don't make dozens of qts of sauerkraut as do many around us. It's a heritage thing here based on food preservation not a German?cultural food thing in KY. We like the grocery store cooler bag version fine for occasional eating.
Cabbage is a plant that lends itself to being stored for a long time in a cooler without deteriorating. Some cabbage varieties have a better flavor than others and as always fresh is best of all. Once it's made into slaw, many folks like it most the day its made as the water leaches from the cabbage over a short time.
I can make it as good as my wife but tend to use more sugar & vinegar than her. We like it best with diced cukes in it and a few carrots and peppers. Great on a ritz cracker!
Whoever decided that ketchup is the route to coleslaw is off the mark for my tastebuds but to be fair I've had next to zero red coleslaw. Maybe I'd like it? probably not. I'm OK with German hot slaw but not a preference for sure.
I agree there's a difference in food processor slaw vs cut with a knife. Which processor matters as we have an old one my Mom had which slices the cabbage and slaw is OK from it.
Ketchup in coleslaw?
I though red slaw was made with red cabbage.
IMHO some of the best BBQ pork is in Middle TN, there are some great little roadside shacks. if there isn't a pile of wood next to it keep going.
I am a bit biased on how to cook it, I've had my Big Green Egg for a very long time and barely tend it once I have it started.
I like to start with a pork shoulder (Boston Butt),
Put a heavy coating of dry rub on all sides. I tend to use commercial rubs, but have made my own, and like to add some cayenne pepper to the commercial rubs.
put it in the fridge uncovered for at least 12hrs, 24hrs is preferable, this allows the salt in the rub to pull the other spices into the meat, and dries some of the moisture out
then I smoke it at 200-225 for a good long time, 5-8hrs. I use lump charcoal and various chunks of wood I have collected.
After 5-7hrs I wrap it in pink butchers paper and put it back on and raise the temp to 250-300 degrees for about 2-3 hrs. Sometimes I will put a piece of foil underneath the meat to slow down the cooking on the bottom.
When I take it off I like to let it rest for a while, this allows the juices to soak back in, and the meat to cool down before i pull it.
I have a set of "bear claws" I use to shred the meat.
Sauces are served on the side, I don't like the very sweet sauces but some are too vinegery.
I tend to like the Texas sauces more than the KC or Carolina, I do not care for the Alabama white sauce.
I can't get my preferred slaw, vinegar based with caraway seeds.
Smoking wood depends on what I am smoking, some have distinct flavors others just smokey.
I like Cherry for poultry, hickory for pork, any smoke for beef
Quote from: Raider Bill on July 28, 2022, 10:52:22 AM
Ketchup in coleslaw?
I though red slaw was made with red cabbage.
Nope. Ketchup in the slaw and in the dip (i.e. sauce)--
west of about Raleigh somewhere, especially around Lexington.
Never heard of it.
Guess I'm going in a search.
Machinebuilder- how do you keep the temps up for that long? Don't you have to add charcoal? Does the BGE have a hatch for adding more? I felt like I had to open my grill more frequently than I'd liked to see if the temps were working out.
I know it's insulting to the purists but as btulloh said throw a Boston Butt into the crock pot and hit start. I shred it after about 6-8 hours, sprinkle a little extra dry rub and let it simmer some more. May not win the cookoff but as good or better than most roadside stands.
Aigheadish, it really comes down to the charcoal......and the control of the egg, I have control at the bottom and the top, a thermometer in the lid lets me know where I am.
The BGE is so well insulated it doesn't take much fire. a good side effect is you don't get too much smoke in the meat.
Some charcoal burns fast and hot, some burns slow and not so hot.
For long cooks I keep a bag of a mesquite lump from Gordon Food Service, some of the lumps are huge.
For quicker hotter cooks Royal Oak lump works well, and is not too hard to find. mainly steaks, super hot and fast, cooked to RARE in a couple minutes.
I experiment with others, some I will never buy again because they burned too hot and fast.
I did experiment with making my own, I do have a pretty good size pile of slabs to use. It worked pretty good, it was just a mix of scrap wood I wanted to get rid of anyway.
I started making a new slaw using siracha Mayo, honey, red onion, and cabbage. It's outstanding!
Thanks Machinebuilder. I just started using lump charcoal rather than Kingsford chemical briquettes or whatever. I like the lump a lot better. What I've got so far is a decent mix of big chunks and small chunks. Mine would stay relatively hot but I didn't trust my thermometer on the lid and things looked like they were cooling down so I added more. It also sounds like I used much more cherry for smoking than maybe I should have. I tried to keep it smoking hard for the 5 or so hours it was cooking without being wrapped in foil. I don't really know what is advisable for the smoking amount.
I've cooked my pulled pork several times in the crockpot and I agree that it's easy and still pretty tasty.
I have a simple kettle grill so temp control is a challenge. I brine the pork butt the night before then apply the rub or if not brined, I rub it and leave in the fridge the night before like machinebuilder. I have a simple kettle grill so what I find that works extremely well is to put a modest amount of charcoal all on one side and add the smoking wood chunks of my choice (cherry, pecan, and white oak are my favorites) and let the butt smoke on the grill with low heat for 2 hours. The key here is low heat and lots of smoke. After 2 hours, the meat has all the smoke that it needs, and then I take the butt off and put it in the crock pot (similar to Stavebuyers approach) with NO added liquid and let it cook on low for 8 hours. After that it is so tender that I simple shred it in the crock pot with two forks. It has just the right amount of smoke flavor, the liquid in the crock pots gives the meat the perfect moistness, and I did not have to babysit a simple kettle grill for hours.
The key is to avoid using too much charcoal in the beginning and getting the grill too hot and to make sure that you have good smoke for the initial 2 hours on the grill. As long as there is good smoke and the temp is not over 300 degrees on the grill, you are good. The long slow low temp cook in the crock pot produces the perfect tenderness.
Quote from: stavebuyer on July 28, 2022, 02:58:01 PM
I know it's insulting to the purists but as btulloh said throw a Boston Butt into the crock pot and hit start. I shred it after about 6-8 hours, sprinkle a little extra dry rub and let it simmer some more. May not win the cookoff but as good or better than most roadside stands.
Thats sort of what I do. Last week, I started a brisket on my charcoal grill, tending it closely for an hour or so while marinating with water and my dry rub used overnight. Thats get my smoke job and also colors up the outside of the cut. With pulled pork it matters less but the smoke off wood and charcoal doesn't happen in a crockpot. I then brought in inside placed in a baking dish and slow cooked for several hours under highly controlled slow oven temps that are not possible to have on my small charcoal outfit.
The BGE's allow fine degree of control but also cost a bunch.
I bury my wet smoke wood chunk/s down inside the pile of charcoal formed in a pyramid to light.
Interesting notes, thanks fellas. I'll have to try again sometime with some of the lessons learned here. I've just learned of a fish market nearby that is supposed to have really good stuff. Maybe I'll try that next.
I often see comments about the BGE cost.
yes the are not inexpensive, BUT I've had mine for at least 20 years.
I know people that replace cheap gas grills every couple years.
so I think I paid about $1000 for my BGE and some accessories, that's about $50/ year.
If I didn't have the BGE I would use a Weber kettle grill or a PK Grill.
Aigheadish, be careful grilling fish, it will cook fast and dry out, to smoke it properly I think you need an electric smoker.
I had a bge years ago, it walked off while I was in tenn.
I liked it although there's is a learning curve.
I use my weber kettle for any grilling needing done.
Quote from: Machinebuilder on July 29, 2022, 12:12:27 PM
I often see comments about the BGE cost.
yes the are not inexpensive, BUT I've had mine for at least 20 years.
I know people that replace cheap gas grills every couple years.
so I think I paid about $1000 for my BGE and some accessories, that's about $50/ year.
If I didn't have the BGE I would use a Weber kettle grill or a PK Grill.
Aigheadish, be careful grilling fish, it will cook fast and dry out, to smoke it properly I think you need an electric smoker.
We visited an Alaskan Salmon Bake, located outside Junea, AK for supper on night. They cooked only salmon a wood fire pit as "Bakes" do.
I have never had salmon I liked in a restaurant (fishy!) but that was an exception. Yes, I love most fish and salmon patties.
Honestly, it reminded me of a grilled pork chop. Definitely not dry as they marinated the fish.
You guys are putting me to shame.
I do mine in the slow cooker. Seasoned up as usual, with an onion / bbq / stock and then just leave it alone for 10 hours. Might be cheating, but it's easy, and it tastes GOOD. ;D
Obviously off the pulled pork topic but I got a couple swordfish steaks and a couple slabs of cod from the local "expensive" market, not the fish market I spoke of above. The swordfish was quite expensive at about 30 bucks a pound and I think the cod was like 16 bucks or so. I don't know prices on stuff like this and both claimed to be wild caught or some other PR lingo that I read as more expensive than normal.
I did some very simple garlic, butter, olive oil, dill or oregano marinades for a few hours. On the grill, they were both very tasty. Both cooked nicely but the swordfish really was like a steak, it held together nicely and grilled beautifully. The cod cooked a bit less nicely but I took it off the grill a bit on the rare side, to let it finish cooking off the heat. Quite good, now I'll have to look for swordfish more often.
I also just bought a vacuum sealer that is supposed to show up today, I'm really looking forward to that for sucking the marinades into the meats! Woop!
What type of sealer?
I bought a chamber sealer about a year ago. I like it for everything but liquids.
Kept wearing out the food saver types but still use one for the wet bags.
Looks to be some crap from China, low-end of the price range, company called Geryon. Looking at my tracking though it's gone from delivering today to delivering on the 12th, and upon going to the product page it's saying it's currently unavailable. I'm thinking maybe I should cancel it and get a different one. Now that you mention the liquid part maybe I need to refine my search anyway. I didn't think about or know the part where it may not be useful for the marinades I'd like to infuse in my foods... I'm not sure what type I want.
This one has a hose coming off it that you can attach to what I assume is a proprietary container, I don't know if that'd be useful.
Edit- Canceled the first one and got this one (https://a.co/d/fA4Yav1) instead. Similarly inexpensive and if I determine I need something better because I've used this one to pieces then I'll be ok with that. Supposed to show up tomorrow.
You will be able to do liquids with that. Just hold the bag lower than the machine.
Mine, the bag lays on it's side so much more that a few cups and it leaks.
This is the one I bought.
VEVOR Commercial Vacuum Sealer System Food Saver Sealing Machine Chamber Packing 7437136048898 | eBay (https://www.ebay.com/itm/393310504570?epid=22045801663&hash=item5b9322067a:g:IgIAAOSwHhNgwCpc)
It works great for dry bags.
I was hoping that just letting the bag hang off the counter would do that, thanks.
Your machine looks pretty fancy! After reading around a little it looked like the chamber ones were good for liquids... I guess I'm misunderstanding?
It works but the bag lays flat so you can only have about a inch of liquid before it leaks out.
I had to freeze som sauce so I took these pix to show how shallow my chamber vac pak is.
It draws solids down , tight and quick but I still have to use the food saver for large amount liquids.
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I got my sealer running yesterday. She blanched some corn on the cob and vacuumed it up to stick in the freezer. I didn't think, until right this second, that I should have experimented with a bag by tossing some butter in with it... The sealer seems to work pretty well but I'll need to mess with it a bunch more.
For the last couple weeks reading this has made me want to make pulled pork and this weekend I did. I bought a refurbished small smoker for $68 several years ago and this weekend it died, so on the grill it went. Not the best but good but now I have a good reason to get a new one.
I smoked a few (16) butts on Friday while 50 lbs of potatoes (I used less garlic salt than those I brought to the project), green beans and baked beans were on the grill. The picture of the butts was after about 4 1/2 hours and right before they were wrapped/panned. The bones fell out and they pulled just right. We had our annual FFA banquet Friday evening.
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We had a couple of pans of pork left over. We will feed the kids who passed industry certification tests one day next week.
Next Saturday I'll be cooking for my youngest daughter's graduation party. I'll probably do some ribs, butts and Baptist birds along with potatoes, beans and maybe squash.
Impressive grill, I like it. The food looks delicious.
Gotta ask what's a baptist bird?
Chicken. Baptists like to eat, and the ones I've been around like to eat chicken, especially if its fried.
Mine must be the devils spawn then as I don't know any Baptists around here!! smiley_jester