You wrote "We had some guess over for my wife's birthday dinner and I had each person to take a sample of each PB. I never told anyone which PB was wrapped. Here's the results. Out of 8 people 5 like the wrapped PB, 2 like the unwrapped better and 1 like both. The 5 that like the wrap PB said the unwrap had a stronger smoke flavor and was dryer."
I am thinking not wrapping would give the strong smoke flavor I like, and the injection would assure moisture. Are you recommending wrapping and skipping the injection, because you couldn't tell much difference in the smoke intensity between the two Butts even though your guests could?
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.
Are you recommending wrapping and skipping the injection
Here's a slightly hijacked reply from me, but I had pondered this same thought before and it was suggested to me long ago that not wrapping would sweat out what you're injecting, so the two methods may just cancel each other. Keep in mind wrapping will also help reserve some of the highly flavored juice to drizzle back over the meat later. Of course the only way to tell fact from theory is to do it!
Okay! I'll contemplate the experiment, but it will have to be for company. Two Boston Butts will be a little much for my wife and me - even freezing it.
Perhaps you could use a stronger flavored wood (or more of it) for your smoke? Hickory perhaps? That should give your bark ample smoke flavor and still allow a wrap after the stall to conserve moisture.
Point well made, HorseDoctor ...
Ya' give me yet more again to contemplate, many thanks, Sir!
I love options, variables, solutions, an' jus; learnin', every second...
Started Low-N-Slow BBQ in 2012. Obviously, it's taken hold (in chronological order:
1.) A pair of Weber Smokey Mountain 22.5's
2.) #LilTex, a 22" Expensive Offset Smoker (looks like a Yoder Witicha)
3.) #WhoDat1, a HUGE Gravity Fed Insulated Cabinet Smoker (cooking chamber 3'x2'x6')
4.) A Full Size Commercial Dryer/converted to Vertical Smoker.
5.) Jambo Backyard stickburner (my FAVORITE Pit so far)
6.) GrillMeister, a huge 24"x48" Adjustable, Charcoal Grill from Pitmaker.com
7.) 22" Weber Kettle with Slow-N-Sear
8.) Vault insulated reverse-flow cabinet smoker from Pitmaker
9.) BarbecueFiretruck...under development
10.) 26 foot BBQ Vending Trailer equipped with HUGE Myron Mixon 72xc smoker is HERE, Oct 2016!
11.) Opened www.PaulsRibShackBarbecue.com Food Trailer officially in March 2017
12.) Austin Smoke Works 500 Gallon Propane Tank Offset Smoker, named "Lucille" as travel pit for PaulsRibShack, Oct 2018.
12.) Opening Brick & Mortar location at 4800 Nelson Rd, Spring 2019. Had a pair of 1,000 Gallon Austin Smoke Works pits, both in RibShackRed for our new place!
Fabulous Backlit Thermapens, several Maverick Remote Thermometers (don't use any remotes anymore), Thermoworks Smoke, Other Thermoworks toys, Vacuum sealer, lots and lots of equipment...
I'm loving using BBQ to make friends and build connections.
I have #theRibList where I keep a list of new and old friends and whenever I'm cooking, I make 1 to 20 extra and share the joy.
The best one I have done so far was one of 2 that I cooked at different times on my Grilla Silverback pellet smoker. They were both injected with Butchers open pit injection and seasoned with MMD then frozen. I took both of them straight out of the freezer and put them on the grill at 225 degrees. That first one I did that way was by far the best, it took around 11 hours and turned out really juicy but with a mild smoke flavor. I did that same thing with the other one about a month later and it took about 14.5 hours and turned out dry with a bark that was like jerky even though everything was exactly the same, I referred to my notes on the first one when I cooked the second one so I know everything was the same except the piece of meat. I think the first one was either a fluke or maybe the BBQ gods were smiling on me that day. Thanks DW for taking the time to do this and post it, I think my next one will be wrapped at the stall. Did you put any liquid in the foil when you wrapped it or did you just put the meat in the foil or what ever you wrapped it in?
Doesn't seem too likely after only one-month frozen, but it could be freezer burn making the difference in cook time and dryness. Did you see a lot of clear ice in the bag on the second?
kmhfive no there was no freezer burn, both of the butts were vacuum sealed and were in the freezer for about the same amount of time which was around 2 weeks before they were cooked, to the best of my recollection.
Comment