Several years ago, Cook's Illustrated had a pulled pork recipe/cooking
method. I tried it, loved it, stuck with it... but over the years, I've
gotten a little lazy on a couple of steps and started completely
blowing off others. Now that I look back at the method, I'm wondering
which really add value and which are optional (if not silly). Figured
you guys were the best place to go for opinions.

Here's the general method, per CI:
1) Rub with spice rub, wrap very tightly in several layers of plastic
wrap, let sit in refrigerator for at least 24 hrs.
2) Next day, let sit on counter 1 hr before cooking
3) 2 hrs on smoker/grill
4) Put in ovenproof pot large enough to fit, seal tightly w/aluminum
foil
5) 2 1/2-3 more hrs in slow oven until done
6) Put pot in paper grocery bag, close the bag, let sit for 1 hr
7) Open back up and cool until it's pullable

As for the lazy part, sometimes I have cut #1 to a couple of hours, I
have failed to wrap in plastic wrap, I have fudged a little bit on #2,
I have sometimes done all cooking on the grill and sometimes all
cooking in the oven (sorry), and I have skipped the paper bag thing
more often than not. The only time I've ever ended up with bad pulled
pork was when I tried to use the wrong cut of meat. So did I just get
lucky, or are some of these steps completely unnecessary?

I will gladly take my whipping for not using a smoker (don't have one)
(yet). That plus any other opinions, advice, wisdom, etc. will be
appreciated.

Thanks,

Scooter

"Scooter" wrote in news:1158592724.911194.70440
@i3g2000cwc.googlegroups.com:


5) 2 1/2-3 more hrs in slow oven until done

Why? If you're starting the meat on a grill, why bother with the oven? Why
not finish on the grill? People have different opinions on using foil, but
whether you use foil or not, I can't think of any reason to use both the
grill and the oven (unless it starts to rain half way through cooking).



--
Ask Me Why I support Stem Cell Research
http://stemcells.nih.gov/info/faqs.asp

So did I just get
lucky, or are some of these steps completely unnecessary?


Shoulders and butts are pretty hard to mess up, other than severely
undercooking.



I will gladly take my whipping for not using a smoker (don't have one)
(yet). That plus any other opinions, advice, wisdom, etc. will be
appreciated.

Get a smoker. You'll love it. The cheap ones at Walmart ($40) can get
you started.

-John O

In alt.food.barbecue, Scooter wrote:
Several years ago, Cook's Illustrated had a pulled pork recipe/cooking
method. I tried it, loved it, stuck with it... but over the years, I've
gotten a little lazy on a couple of steps and started completely
blowing off others. Now that I look back at the method, I'm wondering
which really add value and which are optional (if not silly). Figured
you guys were the best place to go for opinions.

Here's the general method, per CI:
1) Rub with spice rub, wrap very tightly in several layers of plastic
wrap, let sit in refrigerator for at least 24 hrs.
2) Next day, let sit on counter 1 hr before cooking
3) 2 hrs on smoker/grill
4) Put in ovenproof pot large enough to fit, seal tightly w/aluminum
foil
5) 2 1/2-3 more hrs in slow oven until done
6) Put pot in paper grocery bag, close the bag, let sit for 1 hr
7) Open back up and cool until it's pullable

As for the lazy part, sometimes I have cut #1 to a couple of hours, I
have failed to wrap in plastic wrap, I have fudged a little bit on #2,
I have sometimes done all cooking on the grill and sometimes all
cooking in the oven (sorry), and I have skipped the paper bag thing
more often than not. The only time I've ever ended up with bad pulled
pork was when I tried to use the wrong cut of meat. So did I just get
lucky, or are some of these steps completely unnecessary?

I will gladly take my whipping for not using a smoker (don't have one)
(yet). That plus any other opinions, advice, wisdom, etc. will be
appreciated.

Thanks,

Scooter


--
A nation of sheep will beget a government of wolves.
--Edward R. Murrow

On Mon, 18 Sep 2006 16:47:33 +0000 (UTC), Barry Bean
wrote:

"Scooter" wrote in news:1158592724.911194.70440
:


5) 2 1/2-3 more hrs in slow oven until done

Why? If you're starting the meat on a grill, why bother with the oven? Why
not finish on the grill? People have different opinions on using foil, but
whether you use foil or not, I can't think of any reason to use both the
grill and the oven (unless it starts to rain half way through cooking).


I second these sentiments...

1) If it's on the grill, let it stay there. Use foil if you feel it
adds, but don't bother with the pot.

2) Get a smoker. As someone else mentioned, you can get an 'ECB' (El
Cheapo Brinkmann) from walmart or home depot for 30-40 bux and they
will do an amazingly good job for the price.

As most folks on this newsgroup will tell you (some impolitely)
nothing beats real smoked BBQ vs. faking it.

3) When you are cooking pulled pork, you gotta make sure you give it
time and get the temp right. You would be amazed at how much a
difference a few degreees of internal temperature make with a boston
butt. The difference between 185 and 194 is tremendous. I think the
most common 1st-timers mistake with barbecue is folks pulling the meat
off of the smoker (or grill or whatever) too damned soon.

Just my 2 cents...


-Chef Juke
"EVERYbody Eats When They Come To MY House!"

Chef Juke wrote:
You would be amazed at how much a difference a few degreees of internal temperature make with a boston butt. The difference between 185 and 194 is tremendous.

I have been shooting for 185. Are you saying 194 is better? If so, how
about 195? :-)

Thanks,

Scooter

In alt.food.barbecue, Scooter wrote:

Chef Juke wrote:
You would be amazed at how much a difference a few degreees of internal temperature make with a boston butt. The difference between 185 and 194 is tremendous.

I have been shooting for 185. Are you saying 194 is better? If so, how
about 195? :-)

Cook it until it is done. If you can pull the bone out with your bare
hand, it is done. If not, let it cook longer.

After that, you can use a thermometer if you are curious.

--
A nation of sheep will beget a government of wolves.
--Edward R. Murrow

Another question (and thanks for the responses so far!)...

The cheap smoker sounds like the way to go, at least initially.
Understanding that cheap is cheap, is there anything I need to know
before I buy? Any features that are absolute requirements? Any brands
that aren't worth buying at all?

Thanks again,

Scooter

wrote:
In alt.food.barbecue, Scooter wrote:

Chef Juke wrote:
You would be amazed at how much a difference a few degreees of internal temperature make with a boston butt. The difference between 185 and 194 is tremendous.

I have been shooting for 185. Are you saying 194 is better? If so, how
about 195? :-)

Cook it until it is done. If you can pull the bone out with your bare
hand, it is done. If not, let it cook longer.

After that, you can use a thermometer if you are curious.


That's what I've been doing so far...either the bone slides out or my
fork goes all the way through with no resistance (boneless hunks
o'meat).

Maybe I should start measuring the temps!

-John O

Scooter wrote:
Another question (and thanks for the responses so far!)...

The cheap smoker sounds like the way to go, at least initially.
Understanding that cheap is cheap, is there anything I need to know
before I buy? Any features that are absolute requirements? Any brands
that aren't worth buying at all?


If you can afford a Weber Smokey Mountain, go for it.

The cheap ones can do a fine job, but you have to modify them a bit to
optimize airflow, in order to keep the fire hot. Things like drill
holes and add a grate to get the coals off the bottom. Adding a
thermometer is another $10 mod. Now you're up to $50, where the
above-mentioned WSM costs about $175 and is ready to go when you get
it.

-John O

JohnO wrote:


If you can afford a Weber Smokey Mountain, go for it.

Now you're up to $50, where the
above-mentioned WSM costs about $175 and is ready to go when you get
it.


Not these days, the price has gone up significantly of late. A quick
found the typical price to be around $250, sorry to say.




Brian

--
If televison's a babysitter, the Internet is a drunk librarian who
won't shut up.
-- Dorothy Gambrell (http://catandgirl.com)

On 18-Sep-2006, "Scooter" wrote:

Several years ago, Cook's Illustrated had a pulled pork recipe/cooking
method. I tried it, loved it, stuck with it... but over the years, I've
gotten a little lazy on a couple of steps and started completely
blowing off others. Now that I look back at the method, I'm wondering
which really add value and which are optional (if not silly). Figured
you guys were the best place to go for opinions.

Pulled pork isn't Rocket Science. Generally speaking, pulled pork is
created from a whole pork shoulder, butt or picnic. Frankly speaking,
you could turn a couple of country ribs cut from a pork butt, into pulled
pork.

That complicated method advanced by CI reads like it was written by
someone that really likes theirself.

You have only a few criteria to meet to make decent pulled pork.
(Although this is a BBQ group, pulled pork is not necessarily BBQ)
a. cook low and slow until all of the collagin has broken down
b. Allow the meat to rest long enough for the juices to set in the
meat.
c. Shred with a couple of forks.
c. Voila! Pulled pork.


Here's the general method, per CI:
1) Rub with spice rub, wrap very tightly in several layers of plastic
wrap, let sit in refrigerator for at least 24 hrs.

There's a lot of mixed opinion about this. Some indorse it and some
don't. I've done it both ways, i.e., rub and wait or rub and cook.
I can't say that the results have been essentially different. I'm
thinking that a dry rub doesn't really penetrate that far into the meat.

2) Next day, let sit on counter 1 hr before cooking

It really does help to get the meat to room temp before starting the
cook. It really helps to get even heating thoughout the meat. One
hour is probably a good number.

3) 2 hrs on smoker/grill

Trying to get some smoke flavor here. Two hours would work pretty well.

4) Put in ovenproof pot large enough to fit, seal tightly w/aluminum
foil

5) 2 1/2-3 more hrs in slow oven until done

So why transfer from the smoker/grill at this point? Pure convenience?

6) Put pot in paper grocery bag, close the bag, let sit for 1 hr

At this point you have the meat taking a bath in it's own grease. Ugh.
Take the meat out of the pot and wrap it in foil then kitchen towells.
Place in an empty picnic cooler and let set for an hour or even over
night.

7) Open back up and cool until it's pullable

Now you don't have to wait, just pull it. (And eat it)


As for the lazy part, sometimes I have cut #1 to a couple of hours, I
have failed to wrap in plastic wrap, I have fudged a little bit on #2,
I have sometimes done all cooking on the grill and sometimes all
cooking in the oven (sorry), and I have skipped the paper bag thing
more often than not. The only time I've ever ended up with bad pulled
pork was when I tried to use the wrong cut of meat. So did I just get
lucky, or are some of these steps completely unnecessary?

I will gladly take my whipping for not using a smoker (don't have one)
(yet). That plus any other opinions, advice, wisdom, etc. will be
appreciated.

Thanks,

Scooter

I think you have pretty much answered your own question Scooter. In
reality, my closest BBQ friends have vastly different opinions then I do
for the proper preparation of food. Having said that, I like to eat at their
house and they like to eat at mine. Go figure.

Brick

wrote:


On 18-Sep-2006, "Scooter" wrote:

3) 2 hrs on smoker/grill

Trying to get some smoke flavor here. Two hours would work pretty
well.

4) Put in ovenproof pot large enough to fit, seal tightly w/aluminum
foil

5) 2 1/2-3 more hrs in slow oven until done

So why transfer from the smoker/grill at this point? Pure convenience?

If it's similar to the America's Test Kitchen recipe, then they're not
using a smoker but a kettle grill. Doing a butt on Weber kettle is
pretty easy to start out, but it gets a lot more difficult once that
initial batch of charcoal starts to get used up.

Obviously, an oven is a much easier cook than a grill. The kettle used
to be my rig before I got the WSM, and I've done butts from start to
finish, but it's not super easy.




Brian
--
If televison's a babysitter, the Internet is a drunk librarian who
won't shut up.
-- Dorothy Gambrell (http://catandgirl.com)

Default User" wrote in message
...
JohnO wrote:


If you can afford a Weber Smokey Mountain, go for it.

Now you're up to $50, where the
above-mentioned WSM costs about $175 and is ready to go when you get
it.


Not these days, the price has gone up significantly of late. A quick
found the typical price to be around $250, sorry to say.


.... and that's without a thermo...

- Bo "keeps a candy thermometer hanging in the vent hole" Hica

JohnO wrote:
If you can afford a Weber Smokey Mountain, go for it.

The cheap ones can do a fine job, but you have to modify them a bit to
optimize airflow, in order to keep the fire hot. Things like drill
holes and add a grate to get the coals off the bottom. Adding a
thermometer is another $10 mod. Now you're up to $50, where the
above-mentioned WSM costs about $175 and is ready to go when you get
it.


It's been a while since you bought your WSM. I haven't seen one for
less than $200, and most are more like $225.

Lots of people like the WSM, and many people have won contests with
'em. Still, I lean towards a side-firebox unit. The Char-Broil Silver
Smoker runs about $160 at Home Depot and it is also worth considering.

Mike