I smoked four pork butt Saturday. We vac seal and freeze it in one pound bags. Got 14 bags. It will be used for week night meals such as the sandwich we had this evening, or taco, or enchiladas, or nachos or whatever use we find.
My wife also takes it to her quilting retreats and the ladies in her quilting clatch love it. She says they request it.
But as for the cook. Its the only cook I do that I consider work. Its just a job. I start at 4 am and finish at 6 pm. Its a long hard day. Then we vac sealed yesterday. Lotsa meats I'd rather be grilling or smoking .
Cookers:
Large Big Green Egg with a Ceramic Grill Store rack system, and the SnS setup.
Weber Genesis SA-E-330 LP INDIGO with SS Grates, Weber Crafted frame kit, baking stone, griddle (2/3), all from Ace Hardware.
For the first time in a long time I have no kettles as I gave them all away.
Everything Else:
SnS #3 with certificate. I was their first customer.
Sous Vide equipment.
SnS and Thermoworks instant read and leave-in thermometers.
Grill Grates for BGE.
Kingsford Blue Bag, Weber lighter cubes, Weber charcoal chimneys.
Rubs with salt: Meat Church Holy Cow.
Rubs without salt: Home-mixed versions of previously sold SnS Grills Rocky's Rub and Not Just for Beef using their recipe. SPOG.
Spices: Lots of 'em.
LSG Adjustable Grill/Smoker, MAK Pellet Grill, Large BGE with Several Attachments from the Ceramic Grill Store, Weber Genesis E335 Gasser, Cast Iron Pans & Griddle, Grill Grates, Mostly Thermoworks Thermometers, Anova SV Stick, BBQ Guru Controller and Fan
I do 8-10 a year. Some is for us and some for Church or to give away. I still like doing them and I don't feel like we get foundered on pulled pork. A good versatile meat IMO and most people like it.
Lang 48 inch Deluxe Patio Model (burns hickory splits)
PK 360 (burns premium lump charcoal with wood chunks)
28 inch Blackstone Griddle (propane)
Rubs I love:
Yardbird by Plow Boys
Killer Hogs by Malcom Reed
AP Rub by Malcom Reed
Meat Church (any)
Three Little Pigs Memphis Style for ribs
Would love to try Meathead's commercial rub
Sauces I love:
Gates'
Joe's
Pa & Ma's
Killer Hogs Vinegar Sauce
Disposable Equipment I use:
Disposable cutting boards
Tumbleweed chimney starters
Aluminum foil
Aluminum pans (half and full)
Latex gloves
Diamond Kosher Salt
Vice-President of BBQ Security, Roy
He's a pure-bred North American Brown Dog
He loves rawhide chewies
My wife calls me "Teddy" and I call her "Princess" and that's where "mrteddyprincess" comes from.
I only do a few a year but I can never have enough in the freezer, pulled pork is so versatile. I do a savory, not sweet, rub so I can use it later for a larger variety of meals: carnitas, tacos, egg rolls, breakfast tacos, biscuits and debris, and did I mention tacos - of all kinds? Etc, Etc...
Brisket is what I've cut back on - they are so big for just me. I now do chuck roasts low and slow.
I can understand since cooking any large protein or making some soups can be time consuming, and I don’t like repeating the same things over and over, so when I cook I cook in large quantities and then store portions in the freezer. When I cook butts I usually do 4-6 at one time. briskets are several packers, Gumbo 10 gallons, soups at least 5 gallons, etc…. Doesn’t take that much longer to cook, and while the storing and packing time is longer, once done and cleaned up I don’t need to do it for ages.
So, pulled pork, brisket, Gumbo, Senate Bean soup etc.. is eaten when I feel a hankering, and since the effort in cooking, packaging and cleaning is in the past, I can just sit down and leisurely enjoy the food. With this rotation I just don’t get bored.
Scotch: Current favorite- The Arran (anything by them), Glenmorangie 12yr Lasanta, sherry cask finished. The Balvenie Double Wood, also like Oban 18yr, and The Glenlivet Nadurra (Oloroso sherry cask finished) among others. Neat please.
About meReal name: Aaron
Location: Farwell, Michigan - near Clare (dead center of lower peninsula).
Occupation:
Healthcare- Licensed & Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT) at MyMichigan Health, a University of Michigan Health System.
I'm with you. To me pulled pork is the most boring form of BBQ and it doesn't excite me any more for the last several years. What it has going for it is it's cheap and very easy to do, and those we cook for love it to pieces. Lately I'd rather my wife make pork pot roast with taters & carrots out of a cheap pork butt (YUM!).
You aren't kidding about everyone else loving it. I don't think I'm to your point yet of apathy more or less, but pulled pork is still one of my wife's favorites so.... the dude abides
For me, cooking with people is more fun than cooking for people.
I always do pork butts so that I can have individual servings frozen for a quick taco, stuffed baked potato, pork sandwich etc. A roasted butt on the rotisserie is a nice change. It is sliced and is just different enough served with different sides to prevent boredom. If I'm doing a butt for pulled pork, I try to smoke ribs, wings, meatloaf, lamb etc for lunch while the butt is still smoking for a late pulled pork dinner. I do change the pulled pork by use of a vinegar or tomato based sauce. Now that it is just me, I don't cook anything in volume like a lot of people do and I think that helps with not getting bored. I have not done fish or seafood on the grill or smoker yet. I would rather smoke beef ribs or a chuckie instead of a much larger and more time consuming brisket. Music, a good beverage or three, watching a game on tv while smoking also makes it an enjoyable event.
My toys:
Weber Summit Charcoal Grilling Center (WSCGC) aka Mr. Fancypants
Pit Barrel Cooker (which rocks), named Pretty Baby
Weber Summit S650 Gas Grill, named Hot 'n Fast (used mostly for searing and griddling)
Weber Kettle Premium 22" named Kettle Kid, eager to horn in with more cooks in the future
Camp Chef Somerset IV 4-burner outdoor gas range named AfterBurner due to its 30kBTU burners
Adrenaline BBQ Company Gear:
SnS Low Profile, DnG, and Large Charcoal Basket, for WSCGC
SnS Deluxe for 22" Kettle
Elevated SS Rack for WSCGC
SS Rack for DnG
Cast Iron Griddle
Grill Grate for SnS
Grill Grates: five 17.375 sections (retired to storage)
Grill Grates: six 19.25 panels for exact fit for Summit S650
gasser
Grill Grates for 22" Kettle
2 Grill Grate Griddles
Steelmade Griddle for Summit gas grill
Fireboard Gear:
Extreme BBQ Thermometer Package
Additional control unit
Additional probes: Competition Probes 1" (3) and 4" (1), 3 additional Ambient Probes. 1 additional Food Probe
2 Driver Cables
Pit Viper Fan (to pair with Fireboard Fan Driver Cable)
Pit Viper Fan new design (to pair with Fireboard Fan Driver Cable)
Thermoworks Gear:
Thermapen MK4 (pink)
Thermapen Classic (pink too)
Thermoworks MK4 orange
Temp Test 2 Smart Thermometer
Extra Big and Loud Timer
Timestick Trio
Maverick ET 73 a little workhorse with limited range
Maverick ET 733
Maverick (Ivation) ET 732
Grill Pinz
Vortex (two of them)
18" drip pan for WSCGC
Ceramic Spacers for WSCGC in Kamado Mode: 2 sets each 1/2", 1", 2". The 2" spacers work best with the 18" drip pan. The 1+1/2 inch spacers work best with the 14 inch cake pan.
Two Joule Sous Vide devices
3 Lipavi Sous Vide Tubs with Lids: 12, 18 and 26 quarts
Avid Armor Ultra Pro V32 Chamber Sealer
Instant Pot 6 Quart Electric Pressure Cooker
Instant Pot 10 Quart Electric Pressure Cooker
Charcoal Companion TurboQue
A-Maze-N tube 12 inch tube smoker accessory for use with pellets
BBQ Dragon and Dragon Chimney
Shun Classic Series:
8" Chef Knife
6" Chef's Knife
Gokujo Boning and Fillet Knife
3 1/2 inch Paring Knife
Me, I get nervous when there's no 1 lb bags of pulled pork lined up like little soldiers in my freezer. It's so versatile, especially for Mexican and TexMex dishes. Quick meals are no problem when I can pull out some pulled pork and work some quick cooking magic.
So for our family, pulled pork's a freezer staple, along with pulled beef and smoked chicken . The kids take bags of each home with them whenever they visit, along with anything else I have in the freezer that's been smoked (brisket, meatloaf, etc.)
And honestly, I enjoy smoking just for the fun of doing it, whatever the protein.
I'm with Kathryn in that I like having some PP around to utilize for whatever meal we need to throw together.
But I'm also with Jim, in that I am thoroughly BORED with it.
Don't get me wrong, I agree with essentially all the 'pro' sentiments here - being able to pull something out rapidly, ease of preparation, cooking economically for large numbers. I've done... I dunno 20 or so pork butts in the last couple of weeks.
But I'm bored.
I'd like to stretch my wings a bit. Unfortunately, between not having time - as I was roped into a theater production last week at the last minute - and being as broke as I was in college at the moment, there won't be any wing stretching going on for a while.
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