Pulled Pork Question...

PappaOscar · May 25, 2016

This is for your viewing pleasure before I get to my question... Cooking about 50lbs of PP for this weekend. I've never made it w/o covering it in foil when it hits 160 IT. If I do them naked, should I use water pan to keep moist? Mop? Spritz? I'm sure the bark will be awesome, more worried about keeping the rest of it moist when it gets to 200 IT.

dummy que · May 25, 2016

sprits or mop water pan not bad id looks like your little buddy would like some

Grimm5577 · May 25, 2016

I usually only mop once or twice, as the bark forms the juices get trapped inside for the most part.

landarc · May 25, 2016

I've completely abandoned mopping, never had dry pulled pork. It's just a really moist piece of meat

Ol'Joe · May 25, 2016

I'll inject with woost and apple juice (a lot), cook to 205 It, always seems juicy.

mjpmap · May 25, 2016

I don't mop or wrap during the cook. I think wrapping and giving it adequate time to rest after the cook has more effect on internal moisture.

jefferson10940 · May 25, 2016

I like to foil at 180. I have injected my last 2 batches with a mix of yes dear red sauce and yes dear yellow sauce. Came out great. Wrapping you def lose the bark's crunch but the cook time is sped up substantially making it worth it to me!

cpw · May 25, 2016

jefferson10940 said:
I like to foil at 180. I have injected my last 2 batches with a mix of yes dear red sauce and yes dear yellow sauce. Came out great. Wrapping you def lose the bark's crunch but the cook time is sped up substantially making it worth it to me!

Wait, you're injecting with the BBQ sauce? I've never even tried that. Seems like it could be interesting.

4ever3 · May 25, 2016

What Landarc said...

When I wrap I do so when it's got the color I want, I pay no attention to IT.

KevinJ · May 25, 2016

If I'm cooking at 275 or under I just put them on the smoker, no water, no mop and no spritz, let it go until it's ready to be pulled. If I'm cooking at 300+ I'll wrap at the 4hr mark with butcher paper just to help preserve the color until they are done. Not a fan of the self braising of meat foil creates, I only use it for holding after I've pulled my cuts if need be.

Amazingribs.com has a good article on myth busting Mops and Spritzing, I'd link it but the website is down right now.

Tom Sellecks Mustache · May 25, 2016

I cook it at 275 and let it go without wrapping or really anything. I sometimes inject, sometimes no but never wrap. Provided you let it rest for an hour or so after pulling it from the heat, it will be plenty moist.

Wampus · May 25, 2016

Moisture of pulled pork comes from the breaking down of collagen and connective tissue in the butt, not from anything that is introduced from the outside like water pans, mopping, spritzing or wrapping.

Wrapping, IMO, does nothing but speed things along, stop smoke introduction and saving drippings rather than them falling into the pit (which can then, of course, be used to redistribute into the meat after pulling if desired). Granted, I generally do wrap my butts in paper, but not to provide or retain moisture in the pork itself.

Moisture comes from properly cooking the butt.

bbqwizard · May 25, 2016

Back in the day i would spray with apple juice. Now I open the cooker as little as possible.

m-fine · May 25, 2016

mjpmap said:
I don't mop or wrap during the cook. I think wrapping and giving it adequate time to rest after the cook has more effect on internal moisture.

Ditto

Mopping slows the cook and actually increases your chances of drying out the meat if you are cooking to low and slow with a lot of air flow. Wrapping speeds up the cook, but is generally unnecessary with a pork butt. I rarely wrap mine before I pull them, but sometimes you have deadlines and having a little foil on hand can help you meet them.

SmokinCW · May 25, 2016

I don't wrap until the I pull the meat off of the smoker to rest. I do wrap in foil and towels for at least an hour in the faux cambro. I do not spritz or mop. The finished product always comes moist and tender.

cheez59 · May 25, 2016

If I'm going to take it somewhere I wrap in foil after it comes off the smoker but if it going to be eaten on site I just tent with foil for an hour or so and pull it. No mop, no spritz. I do use Yes Dear Red in small amounts after pulling as a finishing sauce. We like the dark heavy crispy bark. Even that will soften up some when mixed with the rest of the meat.

THoey1963 · May 25, 2016

I pan and wrap when it gets a nice mahogany color. I mainly do it to keep it from looking like a meteor and to save the juices which I mix back into the pulled meat.

PappaOscar · May 25, 2016

And thats why I ask the Brethren. I didn't want to turn the butts into, what someone said, a meteor! Think what I'll do is after they smoke for 5 hours put them in a pan to catch some of the juice and add it when I pull. Thanks for the advise guys.

krex1010 · May 25, 2016

I never wrap a butt except for when it's done early and resting, they stay moist, start checking for doneness around 195-200, unwrapped butts take a bit longer but with that extra time they can be done a couple degrees lower.

lankster35 · May 25, 2016

I do not wrap and if you keep a good fire there shouldn't be a Meteor. It can happen but shouldn't. I bought a huge roll of butcher paper and now really only use it to put on the counter when seasoning or maybe for a brisket wrap every once in a while.

Pulled Pork Question...

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