Making Pulled Pork

[daryljobe777]

Since last week I made boneless ribs on a stick (not really ribs, but shoulder cushion meat on a skewer) and they turned out fantastic, I now have the craving for some pulled pork.

I haven't made any since last year (I've always used boston butt), and then it was in an oven. This time around I want to try it on my grill with some hickory or mesquite chips. While I wish I had a smoker, all I have is a Weber kettle, so I am planning on indirect heat with about 12 coals per side, adding a few every 45 mins or so.

Is 4-5 hours sufficient for a ~4 lb roast? The web surfing I have done shows 8 hours for 7-8 lb picnics/larger butts reccomended, so I am not sure on time.

Any other hints or suggestions?

[smokingrobot]

i hope you get some replies because i am very interested on how to do this.

[djoyce003]

I'd use coals on one side, meat on the other.

I know a 5 or 6 lb brisket takes about 5 or 6 hours at around 200-250 degrees....so if your kettle is around that temp i'd think 4-6 hours. It might be a little hotter than 200 though. I'd do one with a bone in it and when the meat starts pulling away noticeably it's done. You also might want to wrap it in foil after 2-3 hours. Another trick if the kettle gets to hot is to smoke it on the pit for 2-3 hours, then wrap in foil, toss it in the oven at the extreme lowest setting for another hour or 2.

[Mars357]

DO NOT LET THE TEMP RISE ABOVE 250 (keep it at 225 if possible).

at that temp, smoke it for at least 1 hour per pound. Check the internal temp and pull it off when it reaches around 185 (make sure your probe isn't touching any bones)

The Weber Smokey Mountain bullet smoker runs about $199 and turns out some world class BBQ. I've done ribs, brisket, and butt on mine....works like a charm.

Mars

[BruinEric]

The old usenet barbecue FAQ is the place to go for these answers. Most of the information dates from the mid 1990s, but somehow I doubt the art of barbecuing has changed dramatically in the last decade.

http://www.eaglequest.com/~bbq/faq/toc.html

[slamdunkpro]

[ QUOTE ]
I haven't made any since last year (I've always used boston butt), and then it was in an oven. This time around I want to try it on my grill with some hickory or mesquite chips. While I wish I had a smoker, all I have is a Weber kettle, so I am planning on indirect heat with about 12 coals per side, adding a few every 45 mins or so.

Is 4-5 hours sufficient for a ~4 lb roast? The web surfing I have done shows 8 hours for 7-8 lb picnics/larger butts recommended, so I am not sure on time

Any other hints or suggestions? .

[/ QUOTE ]

Sorry, you can’t do good pulled pork on a grill, it will burn. You need a smoker, a good dial oven thermometer, and a good digital meat thermometer with probe (not an instant read one) (Taylor makes a great one - $15 at Target).. If you have a little space, go to K-Mart or Wal-Mart or some other discount store and look for a Webber or Brinkman water smoker. They aren’t very big and most places are clearing out their seasonal merchandise so you should be able to get one for under $50. (That’s how I got my first one)

Butts should be rubbed with spice (Bad Byron's Butt Rub is a good one) and for the absolute best, injected (see below) , then refrigerated overnight. Get some good lump charcoal and some hickory chunks – Don’t use mesquite it gets bitter over a long smoke. Soak the Hickory chunks in water overnight. Build a small hot fire and let the temperature in your smoker come to 220-230 degrees. Put some wood chunks on the coals and let them catch good. Take your butt and place it on the rack fat side up. Insert the meat thermometer into the butt and close the lid. Keep adding a little charcoal and wood to keep the fire steady. Once the temperature in your butt hits about 160 degrees you can stop putting wood chunks on the fire as the meat won’t take any more smoke. (This next step is optional) wrap your butt in aluminum foil, put it back on the rack and keep the fire going with charcoal. Keep it at 220-230 until the internal temperature hits 195 degrees. Pull the butt off the smoker and if not already wrap it in foil. Put it in a cooler and let it rest for an hour or so. Then pull with a couple of forks. The consistency of the butt should be almost like jello when you take it off the rack so it may fall apart in your hands – this is good.

You can cheat and do OK butt on your Webber and your oven. Get the Webber up to 220-230 (indirect coals on one side only. Take a small foil pan and fill it halfway with apple juice and put it next to the coals then put the butt as far away from the heat as possible. Put some hickory chunks on the coals and rotate the butt 90 degrees about every hour or every time you add fuel or wood chunks. When it hits 155 warm your oven up to 225 degrees. When the butt hits 160, pull it off the grill and place it in a roasting rack in a pan and put it in the oven until the internal hits 195.

All this takes time. When I do butts in my smoker they take between 16 and 22 hours to cook. You need this time for the connective tissue to break down.

Best of luck!

Injection:

3/4 cup apple juice, 1/2 cup water, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/8 cup salt, 2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce. Inject it about 5 cc’s per pound all through the butt.

[Diplomat]

[ QUOTE ]

Injection:

3/4 cup apple juice, 1/2 cup water, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/8 cup salt, 2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce. Inject it about 5 cc’s per pound all through the butt.

[/ QUOTE ]

No matter how good this advice is, this is all that OOT will remember.

-Diplomat

[HtotheNootch]

While it won't match a smoker, a Webber will turn out some excellent pulled pork. I use coals on 2 sides with a drip pan in the center. To make life easier look into the replacement grill for the Webber, that has the sides that lift up. Hickory is generally the wood of choice, but I have had some good results this summer with Plum (but that was because I had to prune a plum tree and decided to experiment).

I have never used an injection, but have had good results with brining.

You absolutely cannot skip the rub. Either find a commercial one of make one of your own. I actually posted one on here not too long ago. It was pretty basic, but more than serviceable.

Also don't forget a mop sauce. This is usually a thin sauce that you brush on every half-hour or so. I usually start with a mixture of vinegar and beer (Yuengling Black & Tan works well).

Finally, if you don't already own at least one, check out Steven Raichlen's books. They are to grilling and home barbeque, what SSHE is to low stakes Holdem.

[slamdunkpro]

I like injecting pork butts because it’s faster than brining. I rub them and refrigerate them overnight. Then I inject them when I pull them out of the fridge to let them warm up. I do prefer to brine poultry.

I’m not a huge mop fan, particularly if you’re are using a kettle grill,; You lose too much heat every time you pull the lid off. Plus most people mop too early, the meat needs time to form a crust on the outside – usually about 3 hours. Mop before that and you’re just washing off the rub.

[ QUOTE ]
Finally, if you don't already own at least one, check out Steven Raichlen's books.

[/ QUOTE ]

The first one “The Barbecue! Bible” is the best of the lot, but in my opinion it’s more of a grilling book. My big issue with Raichlen is that a lot of his recipes are hard to duplicate because of hard to find ingredients. His books also tend to lean toward an Asian flavor. (I have 3 of his books)

A truly great barbecue book is “Legends of Texas Barbecue Cookbook: Recipes and Recollections from the Pit Bosses” by Robb Walsh. This will really bring your “Q” up several notches.

[HtotheNootch]

slamdunk, I would agree that Raichlen's books are geared more towards grilling, but they give good basics, and let people approximate more complex barbeque with a basic home setup.

As for me personally, the next time I have a quality MTT, I'm buying myself a good welder. Between my vintage Jeeps and my dream smokers, I think I'll be busy...