I’m smoking a pork butt today. I’ll be taking some of it to the girls in the infusion lab when I get an infusion tomorrow . I normally use MMD with no salt. I add the salt when I pull the pork. I’ve seen discussion on adding a little MMD into the mix when pulling the pork. Does it in your option add anything note worthy? Could it make a bit grainy. I wrap pork butts at around 185 F with foil to retain some juice to add back in when finished pulling. I end up with a good moist flavorful meat. I’m just looking to amp it up a bit more.
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I usually add rub when I pull the pork. I don’t notice it being grainy, just think it may provide a little extra zing. But…I don’t know if anyone really notices that because I don’t add much.
nice of you to take care of the infusion staff this way!-
Thank you. They are a great bunch of girls. They are all surgical nurses. Monday is the day they don’t do surgeries so they do infusions. I’m a big fan of smart girls they make life better. I took them short ribs and rig potatoes late last year. They loved them so I’ll see how this goes over.Last edited by Oak Smoke; February 2, 2025, 10:47 AM.
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A little MMD mixed into the finished product will definitely make it better. Just go easy on it. Less is more at that point.Comment
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I'm adding some rub tonight with butter, apple juice and honey when I wrap the butt I'm smoking now.Comment
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I don’t use that particular rub, but I do add some of the rub I use when I pull it.Comment
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I never seem to give my pork butts enough time to dry-brine, plus they are large pieces of meat, almost spheres. (Please insert the classic physics joke of imagine a spherical pig here.) The salt just doesn't get that far in.
I always sprinkle some rub in once I've pulled it. Even with the bark mixed in, it needs a little extra. I've found a rub with salt is even fine, perhaps even desirable.
Here's an interesting mix I've been doing. I will dry-brine my pork butt overnight in gochujang and then after I pull it, I'll sprinkle in some finishing salt (for that crunch) and then either some gochugaru or togarashi. Yum.
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RonB I have, but I never seem to do that. I think it is because I don't want to deal with one cooking faster than another (and one having the bone in it and another not), but you're right.....it would increase relative salt penetration. -
Michael_in_TX I just find adding the salt when I pull it to be easier and not take up fridge space for a dry brine.
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I have been getting the pork shoulder roasts (butts) from Costco, but in my area they are all boneless. As a result they are a bit of a floppy mess. I bought a buch of 4" bamboo cocktail spears and cut the butts into 2" "steaks" and pinned all the loose stuff with the bamboo spears. Use dry brine on the "steaks" and my choice of rubs. The result is more bark per pound and shorter cook times. With the "steaks" looking like porcupines, wrapping is really not an option. I guess you could pull out the spears, but I am way too lazy for that.Comment
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I usually just add the wrapping juice or a stick of butter back in.Comment
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I've been doing the thing lately where I cut the butts into smaller pieces and smoke to get more bark. Then I go to just after or at the tail end of the stall and put them in a pan and wrap. Much faster, keeps the juices and tons of bark - win/win!
I take the pan off the smoker when they probe tender and mostly are like 205-210, set the pan, still covered on the counter or somewhere to cool and rest a bit. When I go to pull them, I mostly just leave all the juice in the foil pan. It is incredibly juicy, although it depends when I panned and wrapped them. If I wrap them earlier in the stall, there may be even too much juice, if I wait until after the stall, there's a lot less.
When shredding, I do add back some MMD+ and some salt, and I've also begun adding in a little bit of white grape juice. Maybe 1/4 cup or so per butt. In the pic below, about 1/2 cup, as it was 2 butts. Maybe even less. But I've tried apple juice, orange juice and I keep coming back to the white grape. Something about it just seems to go well with this product, with my rub, our tastes, etc. The apple I think was too cloyingly sweet, or maybe just the frank, forward apple flavor was too noticeable. The orange, obviously very citrus-forward. The white grape I've found is just a little sweet, just a hint, barest hint of flavor, and a little moisture. I think this is the best pulled pork I've ever done, and I've made it easy and imminently repeatable.
Here's the chunks - amazing amounts of bark, and still juicy 'af'.
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@DogFacedPonySoldier I'm intrigued by this method. You're starting with chunks, maybe the size of two fists? Do you trim most of the fat or leave about the same amount as you would if the butt was whole. I'm surprised it stalls with these small chunks. Can't wait to try this. The lack of bark and seasoning on much of the meat is one of the drawbacks with whole butts. -
Yes jerrybell they're anywhere from 1 to 2 fists in size. They stall some, not usually nearly as long as a full butt, of course.
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Great comments, I don’t add rub when pulling but I’ve often wondered if I should.
Anyway, two questions for you fine folks…if you don’t mind:- I don’t add salt to my homemade butt rub…should I consider adding some? (note: I always dry brine my roasts).
- If I cook an 8 lb butt, how much rub would you recommend add to the finished product?
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I usually add a can of hard cider when I pull. I used to add beer, but since the Celiac diagnosis that's off limits. Used a local rub (Jimmy P's...no paprika but lots of onion and garlic) with Original Sin Black Widow cider. Very tasty combo.Comment
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Hard cider you say?
I often use a touch of apple juice, but some Angry Orchard apple might be worth trying.
And, I almost always sprinkle in some Rub when shredding/pulling..Comment
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I use the liquid from the wrap and add a couple tablespoons of mmd no matter what rub I used during the cook. I have found that mmd works with any of the commercial rubs I use. And I taste and adjust the salt, but that is probably not optimal since it is to my taste come to think of it. I haven't had any complaints.
That's great that you provide the infusion nurses with food. I went to lots of infusion appointments with my mom the last couple of years before she passed. Wish I had thought of this.Comment
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It's not too late, klflowers. I bet you some of them would remember you (especially!) and if you took them food to this day just to let them know they are appreciated, they would love it!
Honestly, it would probably mean MORE to them to know that you are still thinking of them and still appreciating all they did even at this later date. We're used to the thanks in healthcare immediately afterwards - but to know that gratitude persists for the long term really would be special to them. Tr00f! -
klflowers They’re great people! They have no idea what a difference what they do makes in my life. I’ve gone from feeling like I had a stomach virus every day for 10 years to a completely normal digestive system. For that kind of relief I’ll fix them ribeyes if they want them.
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With full butts I heavily dry brine - it’s nearly impossible to add too much salt with a big hunk of meat like this. Same with rub before it hits the pit.
Butt is one of the few things I never wrap when smoking. Keeping a full water pan in the pit provides moisture - as does not trimming too much fat - and it comes out looking like a meteorite.
When I pull I add more rub (no-salt, modified MMD). The moisture and heat prevent any graininess. Adds a nice flavor pop to go with the smoke and bark.Comment
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