Pulled Pork troubleshooting

[paul o' vendange]

Hi all -

I have to admit it: I've never done a dry rub, outside of an achiote-based dusting on rack of lamb from one place I worked, over 20 years ago. I braise all the time, but am at a deficit with the technique for pulled pork, so would appreciate some thoughts.

Basically, a friend employs two pork butts, dry-rubbed, sets oven to 250F, probe to 170F. He's getting flavorful but dry meat (if it wasn't tender, I'd suggest taking it further to 180 or, simply falling off bone...but it's dry, not underdone). My thought is simply to at least tent the meat for a good part of the time, if not outright braise it - temp is low and slow, but I think he's simply losing too much moisture in the dry roast, over this long a time. I know, though, that plenty people who do this all the time simply dry rub roast, with good results.

Am I making a sophomoric space, and missing something obvious?

[Chris Hennes]

I'm actually very surprised by how low that temperature is: when I do pulled pork I cook it to 202°F, in an attempt to ensure complete breakdown of the collagen. I usually do it in a relatively humid smoker, though: if I transfer it to the oven I wrap it in foil before doing so. I would definitely never describe the result as "dry."

[sparrowgrass]

I never cover my butt--I mean, my pork butt.

The only thing that occurs to me is that he may be buying pork loin instead of butt.

[runwestierun]

170 degrees is too low, the collagen hasn't broken down yet. It has to go to at least 185. I think competition BBQers shoot for 188 on butts. I try to keep it between 185 and 195. I find that above 195 the meat gets a little mushy.

I dry rub the butts and put them in the fridge for 12-24 hours. Now I cook them in the Big Green Egg, which is a very moist environment. In the past, though, I would grill all six sides of the butt over a med high fire to sear and impart a little smokey flavor. Then I would put it in the crockpot and braise it on low with a cup of apple juice for 11-14 hours, depending on the butt. I like the taste of the meat cooked this way better than oven braising. It pulls apart beautifully and is very moist. It's flavor is somehow meatier than butts I finish in the oven.

About your friend's meat: Pork won't be undercooked at 170, it'll just be tough and dry, well-done. Think of a beef pot roast. Beef is delicious when it's medium rare, but then it cooks more and becomes nasty and tough and well done. But then you take it further and let all the connective tissue dissolve, and it becomes grandma's lovely pot roast. People forget there is that tough intermediate phase. You must go beyond that.

[janeer]

Similar to runwestierun, I dry-rub, refrigerate overnight, smoke in the Weber for about two hours, or until the charcoal dies (I can't be bothered tending fire), then transfer to the oven and cook at 250, completely wrapped in foil, for 6-8 hrs,internal temp 190. This is my preferred method. I have also done it completely in the oven, using a small amount of liquid smoke, following the method of my acquaintances Mindy Merrell and RB Quinn here in Nashville who wrote Cheater BBQ: dry rub, put in pan with 1/2 cup bottled smoke (I use 1/4 cup), cover with foil, roast at 300 F for 5-8 hrs to 190. For the slow cooker they recommend 5-6 hrs on high or 10-12 hrs on low, otherwise everything the same.

[kayb]

I do dry rubs and low-slow roasting (at 250 degrees, an hour per pound) to get pork butt to the proper "pulling" consistency. I find that if I add maybe a half-cup of liquid to the pan, in addition to the juices that cook out, it stays moist enough. I don't put mine on a rack, unless I'm actually grilling with coals on either side, as opposed to in the oven.

[paul o' vendange]

Thank you all. I hadn't tried the pork until tonight, only heard from him his trouble was "dryness" the last few outings, so I was a bit thrown. I also have to ascribe...gabapentin?...to the temp issue, which should have flagged me. I find it funny that in all the years, I've never gone by internal temp, but rather feel, more or less, when braising, so hadn't thought about the temp issue...though I did do a headslap that we are talking about a recipe calling for such a low internal temp with a "sept-heures" roasting period (and not a seared loin, say), supposedly, so I should have noted it as odd.

As it turns out, having tried it, it wasn't dry at all, and was actually very nice, if not fall-apart tender. Spot on in your prescription, a simple longer period and higher internal temp would have done the trick, and I advised him accordingly. Thanks.

Thanks, too, on the many ideas otherwise. It's a big hole in what I do that I've never done a dry-rub method...always some variation on mirepoix, herbs and braise...but now I'm very intrigued.

Edited October 18, 2010 by paul o' vendange (log)