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Hot and fast pulled pork advice

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    Hot and fast pulled pork advice

    I had pulled an 8 pound Boston butt out of the freezer on Thursday, thinking I would cook it over the weekend, but we were too busy. So I dry brined it overnight last night, and lit the fire in the SNS Kamado this morning, and currently have the butt on there with the cooker running at 300F, thinking I will do this bad boy hot and fast, so that it is done before 5pm today.

    I usually NEVER wrap butts when cooking them at 225 to 275. If I let it sit at 300 or so, do I need to consider wrapping it at some point, say 170, or should I just let it roll until it is reaches its done temperature?

    I usually don't do hot and fast like this, and all the online recipes around the Interwebs talk about wrapping the butt when it hits 165 or so, and having it done in 5-6 hours.

    So far the meat has been on about an hour, having dropped it on once the SNSK hit about 175F on its climb to 300F, but the meat probe still says 29.5F an hour later, about 30 minutes after hitting 300F at the grate. I might need to check that probe later to be sure I didn't insert it so far that it is touching the bone...
    Last edited by jfmorris; November 8, 2021, 09:37 AM.

    #2
    Gee! Slow morning in the Pit! That butt is up to 70.5F now. Got a bit to go before I have to wrap or not wrap, depending on yall's advice for hot and fast butt.

    Comment


      #3
      I'd go by whether it actually stalls, i.e. stays at a temp, vs just hitting a temp. Of course, wrapping will speed the cook, so I'd also think about how the cook is going. It's (checks time) noon your time and the internal temp is only 70F? If it's not zooming by 2, I'd wrap. I'd also make alternate dinner plans, just in case

      Comment


      • jfmorris
        jfmorris commented
        Editing a comment
        Thanks. It is now 11:15AM my time, and temp is at 103.

      • rickgregory
        rickgregory commented
        Editing a comment
        Wait, you're central time? (googles). Am I right that the state is partly central and partly eastern???

      • jfmorris
        jfmorris commented
        Editing a comment
        Alabama is all in Central time zone. Tennessee north of us is split down the middle.

      #4
      Here are some cook times from my PBC topic on Cooking Times for various meats. They translate pretty well to my WSCGC, so maybe they will to the SnS Kamado as well:
      • 9.7 lb bone in, unwrapped. Ave PBC temp 250-270°F. 10.5 hours to internal temp 186°F (PBC coals died); in 350°F oven for 20 min. Final internal temp 195°F. Total cook time 10hrs 50 min. Ambient temp ~50°F.
      • 7.9 lb bone-in butt; ave PBC temp 280. wrapped at internal temp of 170 after 4.5 hours; in 1.75 hours more, removed at meat temp 203. Faux cambro for 1.25 hours.
      • 7.33lb at 295 down to 245 degF PBC temp; wrapped at internal temp 170 degF; took off pit at 203degF. Let rest 20 minutes. 7hrs 10min hours total cook time. (excluding rest)
      • 7lb boneless hung on a large PBC skewer; ave PBC temp: 272°F; wrapped at internal temp 160°F after 6 hours; removed at 203°F internal meat temp. No cambro. Total cook time: 8.5 hours.
      HTH,

      Kathryn

      Comment


      • jfmorris
        jfmorris commented
        Editing a comment
        Ok - this helps. I think this was right at the same as your second example, 7.9 pounds bone in. So if I wrap at 170F, it should be done in 6-7 hours total, meaning finishing 3-4pm, and it can sit in cambro for an hour or two before dinner.

      #5
      I'd wrap at 160-170* and let it go to finish temp. When it's about 10* from finish temp close SNSK vents and let the pork finish. Sometimes I just leave it on the cooker as it cools down to rest for 1-2 hours before pulling. I always wrap and am surprised how fast the temp goes up to finish temp.

      Comment


      • STEbbq
        STEbbq commented
        Editing a comment
        This is a really good idea. Thanks!

      • smokin fool
        smokin fool commented
        Editing a comment
        Agreed, typically smoke butts in the 280-320 range and wrap at 170.
        Works every time so far.

      • Sweaty Paul
        Sweaty Paul commented
        Editing a comment
        Great idea to just let it rest on the smoker!

      #6
      I am a 225 guy, but I did do one at 300. It came out a little dryer than one at 225, so I would wrap. Jim Minion contends that the meat quits taking on smoke at an internal temp of 140.

      Comment


      • jfmorris
        jfmorris commented
        Editing a comment
        I'm just doing this hot and fast experiment because I didn't light the kamado until 7:45am, versus 6am when I got up!

      • Troutman
        Troutman commented
        Editing a comment
        He's right, after about 140-150* the meat is taken on it's smoke. Wrap the thing and you could even finish it in your kitchen oven at 350* to speed it to a conclusion. I actually do that more often than not to save fuel outside.

      • jfmorris
        jfmorris commented
        Editing a comment
        Troutman good point, but since the kamado is already lit, I'll just keep on trucking out there for now. I'm leaving it unwrapped longer to build more bark. It's still less than I see with the SNS or the offset, doing it in kamado mode, but decent.

      #7
      Well, things are speeding along faster than expected, and in interest of NOT having the butt too soon before dinner, I've closed the vents down some, trying to drop the rest of the cook down to the 250 to 275 range. The butt was up to 167F at 1:15pm, with no sign of a stall in the 150's at all, solid ramp the whole way. Still debating a wrap at 170, which will be in just a few minutes based on the fact we went up a degree while typing this.

      Comment


        #8
        For what it's worth, I almost never wrap when smoking in my Kamado. If you still get a face full of steam when you open the cooker to take a peek, you are in no danger of the meat drying out.

        Comment


        • jfmorris
          jfmorris commented
          Editing a comment
          Jim I've not wrapped a butt in 15 years or so, but opted to just now when the butt hit 170F. The bark wasn't changing much the past hour or so, and I figure I'd give it a try. I've got my alarm set to 195F on the Smoke, and am going to check it with a probe, and if done, put another layer of foil over it to cover the holes I made, and shut the vents down as Skip suggested above, and let the kamado be my cambro for an hour or two at most.

        #9
        Meat is wrapped, temp of the cooker has been dropped to about 270F, and some Ranch Gordo piquintos are simmering in a dutch oven on the stove. Life is good when I can cook!

        Comment


        • bbqLuv
          bbqLuv commented
          Editing a comment
          Sounds like all you need is an adult beverage.

        • jfmorris
          jfmorris commented
          Editing a comment
          bbqLuv Yes indeed! I've got a cup of black coffee in hand as I work on BOM's (bill of material) documents and drawing packages at the computer, with the Smoke remote sitting on the corner of my desk.

          Maybe not the adult beverage you had in mind, but work still has to be accomplished, and I've got about 6 feet of brick wall to demo after dinner without hurting myself, and then 12 feet or so of sheetrock wall to tear down.
          Last edited by jfmorris; November 8, 2021, 02:23 PM.

        #10
        I never bother with alla th mess of wrappin, but do what thou wilt, Brother

        Happy Trails, no matter how ya git there, Morris!

        Comment


          #11
          Sorry that I'm late to the party. I do turbo butts on my LBGE at 300-325, straight through, no wrapping. At those temps it usually takes about 45 minutes/lb., so an 8 pounder runs about 6 hours to 195-200. Then faux-cambro for a couple of hours.
          Last edited by wrgilb; November 8, 2021, 03:02 PM.

          Comment


            #12
            Ok guys and gals, here are my thoughts after this experiment.

            First - this was one of the most tender and moist butts I've ever done. I attribute that to the wrap, and cambro, both of which I never do for butts. Usually I smoke all the way unwrapped, and leave it sitting on the counter just long enough to cool down for pulling without burning my hands. There was a ton of liquid in the foil, which I dumped out into the pan and mixed into the pulled pork. It's great to know I can crank out pulled pork in 6 hours if I run the cook that hot, and the results were VERY moist and juicy.

            I will say however that I was somewhat disappointed with the bark. I am a bark hound. The crunchy black stuff is what I go for. Same for my wife and kids when they are around. I've got a brother in law who HATES the bark and looks for just the pink interior meat. To each their own I suppose! So while the butt looked good on the cutting board, I believe that running the cook hot and fast led to less bark formation, and the lack of sugar in Hank's KC Royale versus my normal MMD was likely also a factor. The wrap at 170 for the rest of the cook, plus the 2 hours sitting in cambro, also softened what little bark there was.

            So will I do another hot and fast butt? I will if I want to eat at 5pm and am not lighting the fire before 8am the same morning. However, if I have time, I think I prefer the bark I get running the cook longer at a bit lower temperature. There were so many different factors at play here - kamado mode versus "Turbo Slow" SNS mode on the kamado, a sugar free rub versus the normal MMD I use, and the wrap in foil that I normally never do, and the cambro that I normally do not do either with butts. However, if you were after juicy tender fall apart pork, and are not after crunchy bark, this method certainly got there.

            I'll be eating this pork all week, so I'll have to learn to love it, haha!

            Click image for larger version  Name:	IMG_6986.jpeg Views:	0 Size:	3.97 MB ID:	1122864 Click image for larger version  Name:	IMG_6989.jpeg Views:	0 Size:	3.02 MB ID:	1122865 Click image for larger version  Name:	IMG_6992.jpeg Views:	0 Size:	3.38 MB ID:	1122866
            Last edited by jfmorris; November 9, 2021, 10:30 AM.

            Comment


            #13
            Yea the good bark is the trade off for wrapping butts. For myself and family we would rather have the moist meat instead of the crispy bark. If I'm making several big butts for an event I might cut one into several pieces and let it form a bunch of bark so when I pull the other butts I just chop that one up and I can get the best of both worlds...HA.

            I think that pork looks awesome....great job!!

            Comment


              #14
              I have been experimenting with pulled pork. I tried the 4-day cure like a ham (although I did not use curing salt) for New Year's Eve, and it was a hit. I only soaked in pure water for 5 minutes at the end and the flavor profile was great. Still experimenting with the alternatives to sodium nitrate though, and I do not have that down yet. I finished the pork the last 2 hours in a full-size pan covered in foil with dry white wine, a little apple cider, and apple juice. I know the standard wrap is tight in foil, but I went with the pan. The bark was softened, but also highly liked. Today, I have a potluck at work for lunch, and I did the cure again. I smoked to about 150 last night which ended about 9:15 pm. Instead of trying to push the hot and fast, I then put in the full-size pan in the oven at 180 with a little white wine and 16 oz of sprite. It was in the oven at 180 until 5:15am. Internal temp was 185 when I checked. I cranked it up to 280 for the last 50 minutes and the internal got to 199. It was falling apart, and bone pulled right out. I then wrapped in foil and towels to fit in my small cooler. Gonna hold for a few hours in the cooler until lunch. I was trying to extend the cook and rest to avoid reheating for potluck. Can't wait to try it. Side note, I had separated the about 10lb butt for put luck before cook because work did not need the entire butt, and wife wanted to have parents over. So, I took one half and vaccum sealed then ice bathed to put in the fridge cold. I will drop it in the sous vide container to heat up later before the family meal tonight.

              Comment


              • saneric38
                saneric38 commented
                Editing a comment
                I suppose it may be just an extended wet brine. Some sites show that you can use alternatives to sodium nitrate, so I have been trying to experiment with that. May just go back to just a dry salt brine as that is very good.

              • jfmorris
                jfmorris commented
                Editing a comment
                I would love to see what the results of this process looks like. Maybe you should start a new discussion topic at the level above this (Pork Discussion) and show us what it looks like. It doesn't really have anything to do with Hot & Fast, but I am very intrigued.

              • saneric38
                saneric38 commented
                Editing a comment
                Maybe so, I thought about creating a new topic, but figured it might fit. I did initially cook at 280+ in the smoker to get the bark set as quickly as possible in a hot and fast way. Then transition to the slow down to meet the timing. I have tried strictly hot and fast, and have not liked the results.

              #15
              JF, I will take more pictures the next time I do the process and start a new thread. Here's one from a few minutes ago.
              Attached Files

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