My first pulled pork on Sunday, need some advice

[Lost in China]

I'm doing my first pulled pork cookout at a local bar on Sunday. (This is a different bar from my other reports.) The owner bought three Oregon pork butts from an importer (expensive!) and I'll be cooking them on my Weber 22" kettle with the Slow'n'Sear. This is my first time to do pulled pork and I have a few questions.

I used the forum's advanced search to try to find other people who were also doing their first pulled pork to see if I could benefit from their experience, but I just got "The following words are either very common, too long, or too short and were not included in your search: first" when I tried.

Problem #1: what kind of bread goes with pulled pork? Meathead's recipe just says, "Mound it high on a nice bun." What kind of bun? Kaiser roll? Brioche? There are three kinds of bread available here I can think of to use: regular white sandwich bread, it's not Wonder Bread but it's a reasonable facsimile of white bread. We can use Chinese "bao" steamed buns, the kind that usually get stuffed with pork. These are easily available but I'm worried people will get the wrong idea about my BBQ and just think it's some ordinary Chinese roast pork bun you can buy for 25 cents at a shop down the road. Putting cole slaw on it would be kind of weird for them too, since they wouldn't be expecting it. I know a single shop in town that sells sesame seed hamburger buns, so we can use those as a last resort.

Problem #2: how much Memphis Dust will I need for 3 butts? A double recipe? The ingredients are expensive so I don't want too much left over.

Problem #3: the cook will not be at my house, it will be at the bar since that's where everything is. I'm terrified of an 18-hour cook like I've read people report happening. If we need to be ready to eat at 9pm then there's no way I'm starting at 3am, that ain't happening. I've heard of cutting the pork butts in half to decrease cooking time and increase the bark area. It's also going to be crowded on my Weber 22", so maybe cutting them will let me cram them in with each other easier.

Problem #4: If I don't have enough grill surface area, can I use the Hovergrill? What are the implications?

Well, I'm certainly looking forward to it! But I'm quite anxious as I have a track record of weird, unpredictable things going wrong and screwing up my cookouts, especially the first time I do a new meat. I should really practice beforehand but pork butts are $9-10 a pound.

[Huskee]

1. Any bun will work- brioche, kaiser, or good ol hamburger buns. Whatever you can get your hands on. Toasting then buttering them, if possible, is an excellent thing to do to take them up a notch.

2. What's the total weight of the "3 butts"? I'd say a double batch should be more than enough, but it's hard to say since we don't know how much meat you have.

3. I'm a huge fan of cutting the butts down to the 3-5lb range each. You might not get a much quicker cook (maybe slightly), since cook time depends on thickness, but it definitely adds more bark and surface area for seasoning and smoke.

3b. If you wrap them once they're coming out of the stall, at say the 170-180 IT range you will speed up the remainder of the cook significantly, plus it reserves juices to add back to the pulled pork. When I cook 3-5lb butts, they usually get about 7 or 8 hrs unwrapped, then maybe another 2 wrapped, plus cambro time, for a total of no more than 12hrs in most cases. Unwrapped you could be looking at 14, 16, 18hrs.

4. Yes you can use the Hovergrill. Just know that using the SnS, the upper level can be 75degrees hotter, give or take. For pork butts this doesn't matter much (they can take it), but they'll cook quicker for sure.

[LA Pork Butt]

Problem # 1 - Any bread will do, but it is typically served with som type of bun. Will you sauce the pork. That would set it apart form the traditional pork and roll.

Problem # 2 - I put mine on as thick as the butt can hold. The rub creates the bark. It is a little salty, but a rub of equal parts of kosher salt, black pepper, parprika, and garlic powder may cut your cost.

Problem # 3 - Cooking it at 300 to an internal temp of 200 can cut the cook time. Consider wrapping when it hits the stall which should cut the stall time in half. If the butts touch it will lengthen your cooking time and decrease the area to catch the smoke. Remember if you cut the butts it is the thickness of the meat that determines cook time.

Problem #4 - Yes, you can use the Hovergrill. It will lengthen the cook time and you will need to rotate the butts a couple of time for even cooking.

i hope this helps.

[Danjohnston949]

LA Pork Butt, Lost in China, I used to Make a Rub Very Similar to What You are Suggesting before I read Meathead's and Dr. Blonders treatise on Dry Brinining and Leaving the Salt out of the Rub! I also throw some Cinnamon in Just For Kicks!
From a Backyard Cremator in Fargo ND, Dan

[Lost in China]

Yes, I neglected to mention that I will be using Lady Bird Johnson's BBQ sauce as well as the creamy coleslaw recipe from this site. Luckily, I have a local source for sour cream. It only comes in 1 kilogram tubs, though. Not a problem, the rest will go in my dry Hidden Valley Ranch packets and be served up with fresh vegetables. Mmm.

#5 I read in Meathead's recipe not to put too much sauce. Maybe I shouldn't use any BBQ sauce at all? Is that a thing?

#6 The paprika I have is the stuff from the spice aisle at the grocery store and according to the recipe it's pretty flat and flavorless. Maybe just leave it out?

#7 If we eat at 9pm, when should I start cooking? I know about using the faux cambro to hold cooked food if it finishes too early.

#8 Thawing the pork butts? I saw from a search that it's recommended to thaw them in the fridge and that takes a couple of days. I told the bar owner guy to put them in the top shelf of his bar fridge but we'll see. It's already Thursday night and the cook starts Sunday morning or afternoon. I guess I can probe them with the Thermopop before cooking to see if they're still frozen and then do the buckets of water method. If we have any buckets. Ah well, it's always an adventure!

[Huskee]

5. IMHO proper BBQ doesn't need any sauce, but your guests may be wanting it. I'd suggest to offer it on the side so they can add it or not.

6. Yeah, good ol' "American" paprika, or grocery store paprika, if it's flat & flavorless is mostly a coloring agent. Hungarian is more spicy. But the regular bland stuff can be skipped if you want. I rarely ever use it, I don't see the point. It colors the rub, but you never notice it once the meat is cooked and barked up anyway.

7. For my personal methods (described above) I'd start cooking (meat on the smoker) by 8 or 9am. If you go unwrapped the whole cook you're going to want to start at 3-5am to be safe, IMO. In which case you can shred the butts after they've held at or near ~195F for a couple hrs.

8. Yeah, 2-3days is good. You can prep and salt par-frozen butts just fine though, I do it regularly. Shoot, you can even cook them if they're still par-frozen in the center, they may take an hour or two longer to cook though.

[DeusDingo]

#5 a lot of people, when they have good pulled pork, will eat it "dry." if you like your product enough the sauce distracts from the flavor you just worked 12 hours to produce.

#6 the paprika i have is fairly flat as well but it adds the color you think of when you think of pulled pork. try it and if it really is falvorless and you don't care about that orange bbq color then leave it out. personal preference as always

#7 always start earlier than you think. if you cook at 250 and wrap to get through the stall it might be done in 8 hours but i would still start expecting 12 hours or more. big chunks of meat hold their heat well and i would always rather be early than late for food (and i have a terrible habit of underestimating cook times)

#8 a lot of people here start smoking on straight-from-the-freezer butts. they don't have to thawed all the way and a few days will likely be enough to apply rub and get things started. if they are frozen in the middle maybe add an hour to your already generous cook time. i don't have experience in this myself so maybe somebody else can chime in on this.

[Bob Benhardt]

Will three butts fit on what you are using?

[Lost in China]

I really don't know! I have the hovergrill, which I hope might help. Or maybe I can use the area under the grill, even though it's filthy and crusted right now. Since I have the SnS it's an empty area and I've heard people using it to cook.

[Dr ROK]

I've never used the area under the grill, but if you are worried about the "filthy and crusted" aspect, just put that butt in an aluminum pan. You'll have the advantage of collecting the drippings from the two butts above it and those can be added to your finished product to add flavor and moisture.

[Lost in China]

The guests will be 95% Chinese so they come in with no preconceptions. The other 5% foreigners will either be non-Americans so they won't know either, or will be so pathetically grateful to get some real BBQ that they won't utter a word. I abuse this to get away with a lot of shenanigans that would never pass muster back home!

8 or 9am, even if the butt is halved? Yeesh I didn't think this through very well. I'm supposed to go out on Saturday night.

Have to pick up some "real" paprika when I'm in the States for Christmas, then. So many recipes on this site call for it. I suppose I might as well use my store-bought paprika, as there's not really any reason for it to sit on my spice rack otherwise.

I plan on dry brining as the recipe says to do it. Can I still do it if the butt is partially frozen? I'll have to do it Friday night as otherwise there won't be 24 hours between the brining and the cook start. Can't come in Saturday morning to do it, it's a bar, they're closed.

No sauce, eh? Well, I suppose I'll have to give it a try. Will be less work on my part. One thing though, it seems only good BBQ doesn't need sauce. I have no idea how this will turn out, maybe it'll need the sauce to cover up my screw-up.

Thanks for the assistance from the experts! I would be totally lost without your advice! I'll post photos and a cook report afterwards.

[Huskee]

Yes you can dry brine if they're par-frozen, salt just needs a tacky surface to hold onto while it's first added. If you want to eat at 9pm, I'd suggest allowing yourself 12hrs with wrapping in foil during or after the stall, this will include an hour or 3 of cambro time at the end. If you don't have or want to use a faux cambro, you can just lower your kettle temp to about 170 or 180 after the butts hit that magical 200-205 level. I call this the "power cambro" it eliminates the hassle of moving all of them into a cooler and allows you to use up the coals you have going, while holding the butts at a warm temp to help soften them.

[smokinfatties]

I think you will have an issue with grill space, I am yet to see 3 butts done on a 22" kettle with S 'n' S. As everyone else says, wrap those puppies in foil once the bark sets (scratch the rub and if it doesnt come off then it has set) with a little braising liquid and the cook will speed up. Also, once you get the 6-8 hours of smoke on them, they can be finished in the foil in the oven at 250 degrees, then what I do is cut an "X" in the top of the foil to let some of the air release (and prevent carryover cooking) and rest in a cambro.

Paprika is mostly for color, so you can probably leave out without compromising too much.

I always lightly sauce at the very end but I don't think it''s required

I would start cooking around 5-6am, generally 12 hours is enough with wrapping, but if you are loading 3 butts in a 22" Kettle, it's going to take a bit longer. 200 degree butts will stay plenty warm for 4 hours or so, so I wouldnt worry too much about the back end.

Let us know how it goes!

[Danjohnston949]

Lost in China, I enclosed some Pics of an 8-9 # Butt on My 22 1/2" Weber and S 'n S! I generally use a Weber Roast Rack for Convenience Purposes! I think You Will have Room for 3 Butts but I think You are Going to Have to Shift them several times during the Cook! I think I would start out at 250*-275* F for 2.5 Hrs then Up the Temp to 325*-375* F! You might get Lucky and Blow right through the Stahl! Pull the Butts and Wrap and Into theFaux CAMBRIO at 200*-205* They should Stay Hot for Up to 4-5 Hrs. You Will want to have full coverage drip pans under Your Butts or You will spend
the rest of the Winter Degreasing Your Weber! Good Cooking to You!
Eat Well and Prosper! From a Backyard Cremator in Fargo ND, Dan

[EdF]

Good ideas above on dealing with the timing issue. I realize this is your first pulled pork, but if you want to get creative the bao sounds cool. Otherwise, a lot of reco's are for the cheapest white bread style buns you can find. A trick that worked really nice for me once was to mix in some Mai Plong (sweet pepper) sauce into the pork once it's pulled. That's sort of in keeping with using bao. Not too much, mind you.

[Lost in China]

The problem is, I'm worried people will have a mental image of "oh this is just a roast pork bun, but it tastes wrong" instead of "yum wonderful foreign BBQ". I think we'll just go with the hamburger buns. But then they'll think "KFC hamburger". It's the Kobayashi Maru all over again.

[RonB]

It might be easier to fit the butts on the Weber if you can figure a way to stand them on edge. If you do that, I suggest flipping and rotating the butts.

[Lost in China]

I have a rib rack that I might be able to rip some of the racks out. We'll see...

[RonB]

Lost in China - maybe some bamboo skewers inserted in the butts near the top would would hold them upright and apart.

[Breadhead]

#1 Bread

Like everyone said... any bun will do.

However, if you go to low budget or middle priced BBQ restaurants here in the States you're probably going to get a store bought sesame seed bun. If you go to the fancier BBQ restaurants you will almost always get a beautiful Brioche bun with your pulled pork sandwich. There is a vast difference in taste and feel in your mouth when you eat a really good Brioche bun.

The Brioche bun recipe listed in the tested recipe channel is an excellent Brioche bun. Even Meathead says it's the best he's ever had. That recipe requires an overnight preferment of the dough and it is really, really worth planning ahead for that first but important step. If you use that recipe and bake your buns the day before, which is what I recommend, it's important to reheat them in a microwave for 20/25 seconds. There's so much butter in them that when they cool to room temperature for very long they will get stiff. The microwave will make them soft and fluffy again.

If you don't have time to do the preferment and you need a recipe that is really good make my faux Brioche recipe. They come out looking exactly the same. You can make them in 4/5 hours.

https://app.box.com/s/cl4dxtu33ys0msp7sdw9pwdvzk538lti

[EdF]

Listen to the bread man - he knows of what he speaks!

[Dr ROK]

Thanks for the tip on rewarming. Hadn't thought about that.

[Breadhead]

Dr ROK ... I regret not putting that suggestion in the recipe notes on the recipe. I'll let Meathead know that we should add that to the recipe posted.

[Lost in China]

Well! I went in to the bar tonight to check out the meat and do the dry brining. I got a couple of unwelcome surprises, as is pretty typical.

Surprise #1: Despite specifically saying the word "thaw", I went to the bar only to find the pork butt still wrapped in its travel thermal blanket, snuggling with all of the dry ice that it was shipped with. It was frozen solid, despite being put in the top level of the fridge like I asked. So much for dry brining for 24 hours before cooking. I unwrapped it and we threw the dry ice into the river to watch it bubble. Put it back into the fridge and we'll see if it's thawed tomorrow evening, I might get 12 hours of dry brining done.

Surprise #2: Despite specifically telling the bar boss to order three pork butts, I arrived and found only one. Whoopsy-doodle! It weighed out to just below 2kg, about 4.3 pounds. That ain't much, and for sure that ain't gonna feed 50. Now I'm faced with the emergency of coming up with another meat to serve that many people. Yay? I plan on 200g of pulled pork per serving, is that about right? I have a kitchen scale for portion control. With cooking weight loss that'll serve 20 plates of pulled pork?

Surprise #3: Despite specifically telling the bar boss to order sweet pickle relish from Taobao so that I could make the mayonnaise cole slaw for the pulled pork, he didn't do it. Whoopsy-doodle! We can still order it, but it'll arrive next week. Now I'm faced with either running around town to try to find sweet pickles and make my own relish (which I have no idea how to make and will quite likely present its own problems of unavailable ingredients), or just make sweet-sour cole slaw instead and hope nobody notices. Did I mention I'm out of celery seed?

Surprise #4: Now I have to come up with an extra meat to serve people, and it has to co-exist with the pork butt for the last hour or 2 of the cook. I guessed and chose boneless chicken thighs. Is this going to work, if we eat at 9 and I put the thighs on at 8, on the same grill? Plus after I pull the butt, I'll have to cook another round or 2 of thighs to fill everyone up.

Surprise #5: This was the biggest surprise of all, I forgot the bar serves hamburgers, and they actually have a quite nice bun! Of all the things! It's wider than a store-bought bun and looks brioche-y, although I don't know what kind of bread it is exactly. I asked the cook if he had 20 of them and the baffled look on his face said it all. So, we'll just order the ordinary hamburger buns from the special hard-to-find shop that I still get lost trying to find even though I've been there at least two dozen times.

Surprise #6: The bar boss said this isn't a free party, he's going to charge people to eat the BBQ. All the other parties I've done, bar or home or otherwise, were free, just for fun and maybe to sell some extra drinks. He tells me I have to set the price per plate. Now I have to guess what everything costs and come up with a cost for either a plate of pulled pork + bun + cole slaw, or a plate of chicken thigh + cole slaw + toasted bread. I don't even know what half the food costs as I didn't order it. When I do BBQ for my friends I do it for 10 people and it comes out to about $4.50 per person. But that's not just the food, it's charcoal, snacks, soft drinks, beer, everything all together. Sigh. I guessed and told him to charge ¥50 per plate ($7.40), which is what his hamburger and most of the rest of the food on his menu costs. We'll see if we get any takers at this price, or we have a ton of uneaten leftovers. He might not make a profit, at which point it will be MY fault.

So anyway, I'm doing a single butt, which I will likely cut in half. Lengthwise or crosswise? It's a rectangle, boneless. Made in Iowa, even. I have no choice but to throw the chicken thighs on with it, I only have one grill.

Once again, a thousand thanks to the Council of Masters for advising me. I would be totally lost without your expert opinions and guidance.

[Dr ROK]

[QUOTE=Lost in China;n236790]Well! I went in to the bar tonight to check out the meat and do the dry brining. I got a couple of unwelcome surprises, as is pretty typical.

Surprise #1: It was frozen solid, - This shouldn't make much of a difference. Just dry brine as soon as the top inch or so have thawed.

Surprise #2: I plan on 200g of pulled pork per serving, is that about right? I calculate 1/2 lb of uncooked meat per serving and I end up very close to 1/4 lb serving of the final product. This makes a nice sandwich.

Surprise #3: This is a very good coleslaw recipe that doesn't use relish - http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2...cole-slaw.html

Surprise #4: If you do skin on thighs, the skin will be pretty rubbery doing low and slow. Maybe consider skinless?

Surprise #5: Can't help you here.

Surprise #6: He might not make a profit, at which point it will be MY fault. - Maybe charge a dollar under his menu price to ensure folks are interested?

I'm doing a single butt, which I will likely cut in half. Lengthwise or crosswise? Cut it crosswise, and you may want to tie it up a bit to get a uniform shape.