4th of July planning

[Angryfish]

So I opened my big mouth and told my sister that I would cook pulled pork for the big family gathering of about 20 people on the 4th.
She lives about 45 minutes away which makes it just about perfect.
I don’t want to serve leftovers from a cook done the day before, and she doesn’t want me to cook all day at my house then bring it over late in the day and miss all the festivities..(she may be smarter than I think and on to my plan! 😉)
My solution would be to get up early and start the PBC, hang 2 Costco boneless butts and smoke them at about 250 deg until they hit the stall. Then wrap in foil place them in the faux cambro. Dump the hot coals in the kettle to snuff out for later use. Once the charcoal basket is cooled, pack everything up in the pickup truck, drive over to her place, start the fire again and bring the meat up to 202 deg with the Texas crutch for speed.
Other than opening my big mouth and volunteering, does anyone see any flaws in the plan?
Any other suggestions?
Thanks

Ken

[mrichie1229]

I like your plan. Just make sure you give the meat enough time to rest before pulling it. Good luck!

[Attjack]

It's probably irresponsible but I could imagine you rolling up with the PBC smoking away in the back of the truck.

[Attjack]

I was hoping you would make the YouTube "Win" compilation video.

[jfmorris]

Yeah - I bet you could get a good draft driving down the road, and have the fire really blazing! If only those pesky rebar don't slide out and dump the meat in the fire...

[Donw]

Duct tape will hold the rebar in place jfmorris It is hard to see a downside of Attjack ‘s idea. Well, other than pesky law enforcement and firefighters.🙂

[Draznnl]

I don’t think you need to refire the coals at your sister’s. At that point, given that the meat is wrapped, it isn’t going to be getting any more smoke. So it may as well just go in the oven at that point.

Otherwise, I think your plan is good.

[Angryfish]

No smoke is getting into the foil anyway.
I may consider that, but her kitchen is limited and other things will be heating up.
I’ll bring it up to her.

[rickgregory]

If the oven isn't an option and she has a gasser just use that as the oven. Indirect heat etc of course.

[BKYDBBQ]

Angryfish Since the butts will be wrapped when you get to your sisters, why not just take your kettle fire it up and use that to finish them. This way you don't have to empty the coals from your PBC and then wait for it to cool. Or if she has a grill that could be used to finish the cook on that might work.

[HawkerXP]

+1

[jfmorris]

What time is the get-together? What about starting the PBC right before bed, and just packing the meat into cambro first thing in the morning?

[Angryfish]

Unattended, I think the butt would pull off the hook and fall into the fire once tender enough.

[jfmorris]

Angryfish double hook, or just use the grate...

[LA Pork Butt]

jfmorris suggestion is my suggestion I cook on a BGE overnight all the time to serve for noon. I plan on a 2-4 hour hold in an ice chest. I think the PBC cooks at close to 300 so you will need to adjust your cook time accordingly. Maybe 9 hours.

[HawkerXP]

There is only one thing I can add..








PBC, PBC, PBC!

[jfmorris]

Better tag her right then! fzxdoc Queen Kathryn to the rescue please!

[Angryfish]

How does one do that?
Tag, I mean?

[HawkerXP]

Put the @ just in front of the name as in Angryfish

[Bad Hat BBQ]

Load everything in your truck the night before, leave early and cook at your sister's house.

[fzxdoc]

If it were me, I'd haul the PBC to your sister's house and do the cook there. Take everything there the night before, then show up early on the 4th, load up the PBC, and make her fix you breakfast. An added benefit: it would entertain her guests, watching the PBC do its thing with you at the helm. Their tummies would be rumbling!

That said, your plan seems just fine. The added benefit to wrapping and finishing in the oven is that the ETA can be more predictably managed because temp control is at the turn of a dial. And as many have said, the meat doesn't care what its heat source is once it's wrapped. The oven is as good as a responsive kettle or PBC fire.

FWIW, when I smoke PBs on the PBC at 250ish they take around 4 hours (+/- 30min) to reach the stall at about 160°. The bark isn't set by then, though. I don't wrap pork butts, but if I did I'd still wait until the bark is set at 170°ish and then wrap. That's because my family really likes the pig candy that forms on the surface with a bark that's good and set. YMMV with your cook, especially when loading up the PBC with several butts. It's going to be a pretty moist environment. (Edited to add: I just checked and you said you're doing 2 butts. That shouldn't change things too much then.)

I'm guessing you'll be splitting each large (8 lb or more) butt in half to get more surface area for the flavor from the rub and smoke to deposit. Pork is a bland meat and really needs the rub and smoke to carry it through for a flavorful home run.

I'm not a huge fan of overnight cooks, but that's just me. Plenty of folks here do it all the time with great success. For me, an unattended fire in a cooker on our deck gives me the willies. For that reason, I can't address the benefits of smoking overnight and cambroing until the party.

This will be a fun cook for you. Not only do you get to be the BBQ Hero of the Day, but you get to learn even more about your PBC as you change up your normal PBC PB method.

Let us know how it turns out.

Kathryn

[Angryfish]

I may do the whole cook there. Did I mention that she lives 45 minutes away? That way we don’t get in each others way? If you know what I mean?

OK, my 92 yo mother just called while I was typing this. They will arrive the day before so that will keep the sister busy.
looks like I will try and do the whole cook there.
we will see.

[mww5440]

Best of luck with the cook -- love to hear the details post-4th!

[bbq_esq]

For what it’s worth, my best butts we’re done overnight, no wrap just plow through stall and then long cambro. I’d say do that, keep them whole and cambro until you want to serve. They should be plenty hot with two of them in a good cambro set up.

but cooking there would also be fun - nothing like the reveal of what’s been cooking all day!