Optimal BBQ bun?

[snowangel]

For the Q I've ordered 15Kg of pork shoulder and also beef brisket, which I shall smoke cook for 18 hours or so at about 225F, aiming for about 175F. Plain salt and pepper rub; no mopping. Brine or not?

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Brine the pork but not the brisket.

[jsolomon]

q is a real mindboggle on potato bread or rolls.

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I wholly agree. Either an egg-bread or a potato/squash bread, with plenty of buttermilk in the dough, are my favorites. They are soft, and not very crusty, but with enough flavor that they can simply be served on the side for purists.

[Milt]

After reading all of the above posts, and thinking about my own experiences and tastes - I think you are on the right track with the potato bread. Jason is absolutely correct in terms of what I most often find at businesses serving bbq. Some of that, I suspect, is serving what is cheap and plentiful. Remember, the south is not historically an affluent area. Slices of white Wonder bread is as basic as you can get. I am more pleased with a bun (less messy) when I am eating a sandwich.

My current favorite bbq source here in metro Atlanta (Sam & Dave's BBQ 1) serves Texas toast. Buttered and toasted on the grill, it serves well on sandwiches or as an accompaniment to a bbq plate. The bread doesn't disintegrate like slices of Wonder bread always do.

[jackal10]

Nice buns!

We made some 60g and some 100g dough weight (roughly 2oz and 3oz finished)

I think the bigger ones are going to be better

[scott123]

I eat my pulled pork on the same thing I eat my sausage w/ peppers and onions - portugese rolls. Straight out of the oven, fluffy, not too crusty, but still with a little more heft than a hamburger bun. I also prefer my pulled pork to be on the juicy side- the amount of liquid would definitely wreak havoc on sliced bread and might cause some issues with a flimsier bun.

But then again I am from New Jersey and know almost zilch about 'q.

[jackal10]

120 Finished sliced buns...

[Varmint]

Excellent. This type of project is perfect for the eGullet Society. Our members take something that is relatively ordinary and transform it into something utterly sublime. I can't wait to see the rolls in their appropriate context.

[jackal10]

Too late. They've been eaten. 40lbs of meat and 120 buns in less than an hour, not forgetting Abra's special sauce...see also the Turducken thread

Some BBQ style, others with apple sauce and sage and onion stuffing English stle...