Pulled Pork Texas Crutch liquid additive. What's your favorite concoction to use?

[jbeck1986]

I'm getting ready to wrap a 10 lb pork butt that I cut in half. I have been using a 1/4 cup of apple juice and have been happy with the results. Just went to get everything ready for crunching them once they make it past the stall or get a good crust going. Come to find out my almost 4 year old daughter wiped out the apple juice today. So that's out of the question. I have been searching the forum for some good suggestions and haven't found any posts about this specifically.

Any other suggestions? I dry brined for 12 hours and used meatheads Memphis dust for a rub. I put on a thin coat of mustard before the rub. I could just skip the liquid or use water but I would prefer not to. I just don't know what other options people have been successful with. Any input or ideas would be appreciated

Thanks

[Nate]

Apple Cider Vinegar

or if I am using Chris Lilly's mop recipe then I pour a little of that in:

Vinegar Mop
1 3/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/8 cup cayenne pepper
1/2 tablespoon kosher salt
2 slices of lemon

I usually have plenty of that left and just pour approximately 1/4 cup in there.

[ribeyeguy]

Just me but I wouldn't add anything, the moisture will make for a soggy crust. If you have to add something try beer or maybe orange juice.

[ecowper]

A 1/4 cup beef broth and a tablespoon of Memphis Meat Dust, if you have some on hand. I don't normally crutch a pork butt, that's what I would put in the foil if I was going to crutch it.

[jbeck1986]

ecowper I'm gonna do what you recommended on one half and nothing on the other half like ribeyeguy suggested and see what the difference ends up being

thanks guys

[Jerod Broussard]

Not sure if I have ever added anything to pork shoulder crutches. I typically add water to brisket so they don't stick to the foil (I wrap fat cap down).

I would like to start spritzing pork shoulders. Just cause I like using the word "spritzing." Plus a little tangy vinegar like flavor couldn't hurt. Have to test that out on the family next cook.

[Nate]

+1 on fat cap down

[ecowper]

Be interested to know how they come out jbeck1986!

Jerod Broussard .... I've been thinking of cooking a couple pork butts Carolina style, with vinegar mops, etc. Just cause I want to see if I can replicate the pork I remember from the years I was stationed there

[Jerod Broussard]

Well then you probably need a case of whatever you drank back then in between smoker and table.

[ecowper]

Jerod Broussard I gave up drinking Black Label a LONG time ago.

[Huskee]

I wrap them dry, and when I unwrap to pull them, there's liquid in the foil. This tells me I don't need to add any liquid, because liquid comes out during the wrap. I add beer to my mouth quite often though, that's always good practice I think.

[Huskee]

Jerod Broussard None come to mind...but this should be be tested!
Actually I used to add liquid to foil when I wrapped, even my ribs. In fact my rib recipe was submitted to KCBS' recipe section few years ago, and there I say to wrap the ribs & add liquid. My how things change.

[Jerod Broussard]

Pretty sure Franklin wraps his ribs. I wrapped ribs once to do that Vermont Candy number.

[Huskee]

Jerod Broussard What does he know.. ha ha. If I did 300 racks a day to save & serve I would too. But 1-6, nah. But I used to. One of these days Imma do sloppy ribs, butter, brown sugar, wrapped, the whole nine sloppy yards. I know they'll be gooood.

[jbeck1986]

Yeah telling people you spritz definetly feels fancy. I feel like I should have one of those fancy chef hats when You tell people that. 😎

[CandySueQ]

Ginger ale, apple juice, nothing, Stubbs pork marinade (but sieve out the chunky stuff). Or mix ginger ale with filtered Stumps, that's very nice.

[PitmasterAg]

I've never added anything but I do spritz mine periodically with a mix of apple cider and plain apple juice.

[boftx]

I put some squeeze butter, molasses, and just a touch of maple or butter pecan syrup in the crutch when it's pork. I don't add vinegar to the mix until I make a sauce from the drippings.

[jbeck1986]

So I didn't even wrap the second half. It ended up not being as moist but was pretty decent still. It had some great bark on it tho. Since I mixed them both up together it was a pretty good balance. All in all it was a success

[fzxdoc]

That's a really good idea, jbeck1986 . Wrapping one half and not the other gives the best of both worlds. One half brings extra juice to the party and the other donates his delicious bark. Win-win. I may try that. Thanks

Kathryn

[jbeck1986]

So there's the end results. Been waiting to upload till I had wifi

[boftx]

Looking good!

[fuzzydaddy]

Great bark. Looks delicious.