Are you reminding Panhead John to put on his depends?
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Don’t need a reminder to put em on, only to change em. 🥸 -
Is that what Tyra Banks keeps coming over to do? Panhead John
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Sometimes yes, sometimes no. Depends on how much time I have, and if I want ultra bark or not.
Lately, I've been cutting them into chunks - about 8 chunks out of a typical 8-0+lb pork butt. Then smoke a few hours, when they're in the 165-165ish range, I put them all in a foil pan and cover with foil. Braise like this until 200-205.
Did two of these yesterday - some of the best damned pulled pork I've ever eaten, and I've done like... hundreds of these. Both wrapped and unwrapped foil boat and open, etc.
If leaving completely unwrapped, the end result isn't AS juicy - a lot of that juice drips out in the smoker. With this pan method, all that juice and fat stays in the pain and gets mixed back in. Yes, I sacrifice the crispy crunchy bark, but by doing them in chunks I get a lot more surface area, so I end up with 3-4x the bark I would otherwise, with a corresponding amount of rub, as well.
That s*** yesterday was just freaking incredible. Sadly, every once of it (except for the 'taste test parts') got packaged up and sold to friends. It paid for my other meat at Costco the other day. And I can always do more anytime. Cooking this way, they take about... oh, 8 hours or so all told.
$2.29 @ 15.5 lbs @Costco for a 2-pack of boneless pork butts - $35.50.
10 lbs of finished and packaged pulled pork @ $13/lb - $130.
I added 2 more pounds out of the freezer to fill my order.
So that pork butt cook paid for the 2 other whole pork bellies I bought that day. Sold 2 pieces of 1/3 belly smoked with just S&P, have the other 4 pieces curing right now into another 13 lbs or so of bacon. I think smoking pork belly is probably the only cut I can think of that is easier because the seasoning is cheaper and I don't have to shred it and bag it at the end, either.
I really oughtta be doing this full time.
Pulled pork - one of the absolute easiest and most forgiving cuts of BBQ, and I can sell it all damned day long. And mine is exponentially better than any pulled pork at any restaurant around here.Comment
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When I cater I go by the rule of 3x the price of the untrimmed packaged meat. -
Problem is, that would never work for brisket. I'd barely break even on the meat once I account for trim and cooking weight loss. Not even accounting for 11-14+ hours cooking, 10-15 hours resting, and the labor of the trim, slicing and packaging. I seldom do brisket, because it's not worth it to people to pay for it. At $22-25/lb, they just don't see the value. -
I’ve wrapped and not wrapped, and the differences in Bark comes down to a matter of taste and preference in my opinion. Depends on the eating audience. The technique you described here (cutting it into chunks as opposed to cutting it in half as I have done lately) is very interesting and I intend on trying it with my next butt. Thanks for sharing!
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I do, but after the stall (180ish) so the bark is built up nicely. Shaves off an avg of 4-6 hrs for me vs unwrapped.Comment
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It came out good and met the time goal today!
7:30 am 6.5# butt on smoker with Memphis rub, temp 250°
10:00 bumped temp to 275°
1:00 180° IT hit, double wrapped with light brown sugar and apple juice
2:00 IT 203° removed and into faux cambro, hit 206° IT
6:00 pulled with claws and mixed wrap juices in, IT 150°
6:30 served! 😛
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I like heavy bark, so not only do I not wrap, but sometimes I cut them in half for extra bark!Comment
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To actually answer the question, yes, I usually foil crutch my pork shouldersComment
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I wrap above 190d with butcher paper.Comment
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I never wrap a butt.Comment
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Realize I’m a bit late to the party for commenting, however, I have wrapped pork butts when I’m trying to save time. Usually run them naked, however, even though I always try to time for at least a two hour rest I have had a couple of occasions where the butts just weren’t getting to temp or hit what I determined to be “the eternal stall” for which I didn’t have time. Subsequently, I have wrapped to get them done and rested. Loved the pics!Comment
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I have done both but have moved more towards wrapping in foil when they hit about 180. Plenty of good bark by that point and the wrapping softens some of the crustier bits just enough to give a great texture.Comment
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I never wrap.
I always try to smoke the largest available, 7-9 pounds. I usually start around 10 pm then flip it over the next morning. I count on a 12 hour cook.
Take it off and let it rest at least 2.5 hours.Comment
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I try to avoid wrapping it until I have the color and bark that I like. Once I have what I like, then I wrap it in foil.Comment
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