A different method for pulled pork

[Yno]

I seem to recall America's Test Kitchen doing a pork butt like this, although they did it in the oven. I bought two butts, 9.75 pounds and 10.5 pounds, dry brined, and placed them in foil trays with about a three inch wall height. Smoked at 225 in the trays over night on the BGE XL. One was 203 and probe tender after twelve hours, and the other took about two hours more. There was a LOT of juice in the pans!

I pulled the meat out, wrapped in foil, and put them in a cooler for a couple of hours. I separated the fat (saved for later) and put the juice aside. The pork was the best I have made yet, nice and juicy, and I didn't have to add anything back in. I mixed some of the juice with tomatoes, a bit of barbecue sauce, and some brown sugar. I used this to make pulled pork enchiladas for a post Thanksgiving pot luck, and they were quite a hit.

The top of the butts had great bark. I am not a fan of 50% bark to 50% meat ratio, so this was just right for us.

Ynette used some more of the pork for pasta in a white sauce. Also had a pulled pork pizza. Both were excellent. Not sure what we might come up with for the rest (I love leftovers!). I will definitely try this method again, and without the holiday rush, I promise to take pictures.

[Mr. Bones]

I almost always smoke my pork butts in a (disposable aluminium) pan...
Way less mess, lotsa juice, plenty of bark still...
YMMV.

[Oakgrovebacon]

I do almost the same-I start mine on the rack for about 2 hours- then pan them. We like them that way - very juicy!

[kmhfive]

Sounds like you got some great dinners so far with more to come. Yes to pictures!

[RonB]

Good info.

[DWCowles]

Thanks for the info.

[Pirate Scott]

Great idea.

[gcdmd]

Thanks for sharing.

[Flat Rocker]

Would putting the pork in an aluminum pan work on a pellet smoker too? Obviously the air flow will be significantly affected, but the top part would still develop a nice bark ? I've debated using a pan, but having less of a mess and more juice as Mr. Bones mentioned does make me want to try it sometime.

[bten]

That is the way my brother in law cooks them on his pellet grill. It works great!

[Mr. Bones]

Would putting the pork in an aluminum pan work on a pellet smoker too?

I don't see any reason it wouldn't work th' same as any other cooker...

Please note: I do not have a pellet cooker...

[Mark E.]

Yup. Nice cook. I make my own BBQ sauce. I particularly like vinegar or mustard base.

[Dadof3Illinois]

So your cooking the butts in a pan with water? That sounds more like wet braising the meat too me. It makes awesome taco meat, instead of water we use a bottle of dark beer and a bottle of cola plus onions, peppers and seasoning.

[Dale Case]

I think he jus put em in a dry pan and when they were done there was a bunch of juice in the pans from the fat. Still would braise the bottoms like you said. Sounds like great thing to try !!

[Attjack]

Interesting.

[Yno]

No water in the pans. Just a lot of juice that would have ended up in the drip tray. Why waste it? I put it to good use.

[jfmorris]

I like the bark and smoke as much as I like the succulent pulled pork. I used to do things this way, but prefer keeping the bottom of the butt from braising in its own juices, and put the drip pan below the grate. I feel like the bottom portion of the butt ends up with a different consistency when you do it this way. Reminds me more of one of my wife's crock-pot butts she used to do when I was on a smoke break.

If I did this, I would do it when wrapping the pork when you hit the stall, and not for the entire cook. That way you get some smoke ring on the bottom of the butt, which you won't get if its in the pan the entire time. You will still end up with plenty of juice in the pan if you pan/wrap it when you hit 160 or so.

I don't wrap at all anymore these days, but used to. Last smoke I did for a fundraiser when one of my daughters was a high school cheerleader, and I was smoking 84 butts at once, on some borrowed trailer smokers. I wrapped when I hit the stall, which was fun with 84 Costco butts, let me tell you! I was at the school overnight, by myself with the dog - all the other cheerleading dads went home at 10pm. Cops came through to checkout the smoke around 3am, and asked if they could have a sample! ;-). By the time I got home, I was so encrusted in grease my hair was stiff with it, and I had to wash my hair several times. I didn't smoke a Boston butt for 5 years after that experience....

[DogFaced PonySoldier]

Holy SMOKES! That is one helluva cook! I bet you made some friends with those cops, though, huh? Everyone loves fresh pork right off the smoker, in my experience!