Pigsket 2.0

[patcrail]

Porter Road sent me a replacement pork brisket for that underweight one, looks much better, though only 1.7 lbs. Matt at Gambling Stick was cool enough to send me up some of the no-salt rub he uses on these, so we’re gonna try it! The rub is very earthy, with nice, complex layered flavors. It’s not sweet, not spicy (at all), but it has an paprika-type umami, with hints of maybe garlic, onion, maybe a dash of cumin or annatto? Can’t tell, & he ain’t saying, but if it cooks up as good as it tastes, it’s gonna add a nice, unique, layered flavor to this cut! Dry brined this baby overnight, going on the cooker now.
Plan is to follow the same cook as before, low ‘n slow at 225, pecan smoke, catching drippings for a pan of beans I’m gonna put under it about 2 hours out... might pull a little earlier this time, although it was great at 190, just have to see..stay tuned, we’ll see if this tops the first one.

[patcrail]

Little bit of the trimmed fat over the coals for some burnt offerin’s... now we drink beer and wait

[patcrail]

2-1/2 hours in @ 225, IT at 145, just put the “coffee beans“ underneath (with onions, pork back bacon, & a drizzle of coffee bbq sauce)... right on track for a 6 hour cook with no wrap....

[patcrail]

3-1/2 hours in, bark is really starting to form, in the stall at 156, smelling incredible.... 4 beers in, thinking I might need to increase the beer consumption rate?? 😎

[ofelles]

Uping the beer rate WILL not speed up the cooking rate even though it may seem so. And be careful the illusion can turn and bite you.!

[patcrail]

About 5 hours in, still well into the stall at 160, but based on last time, it’ll come through soon & climb up to 190 pretty quick

[patcrail]

Need advice: I ain’t at all worried about the time, and it’s out of the stall, about 172, but the instant-read probe falls right through! Is it ever gonna get more tender than that?

[patcrail]

Thinking hard about pulling it now, screw the temp!

[smokin fool]

Give it a go if it needs more back on the cooker

[patcrail]

Bam! It was AMAZING at probe-tender! I took the first one to 190, and it was moist and tender, but really not all that! BUT now I see why this is such a huge hit for Gambling Stick down in Nashville!
Matt wouldn’t share any temps or times with me., and I don’t blame him a bit for that! But this time, I noticed that, after it came out of the stall and hit 171-172, my probe fell through the vast majority of the meat! I toyed with taking it higher, being a newbie, but finally realized it will never get more tender than that! Pulled it, and OMG! It literally melts in your mouth! If you take this cut to 190, it’s overcooked! I couldn’t see the big deal on the first one, but I took it to 190— at 170, it is an unbelievably awesome piece of pork!

[RichardCullip]

You are getting good at cooking this special cut of pork. Thanks for being a pathfinder. I'll be following your lead when I get around to cooking my first one.