need a little help

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cflatt

Sous Chef
Joined
Dec 6, 2005
Messages
792
Location
Franklin, TN
ok, the last 2 butt cooks have been average at best. no real flavor, no penetration from the rub, and no where near the smoke ring I am used to. No changes in the way I cook them other than sand in the pan instead of water, but thats just a heatsink and shouldnt affect it. No enhanced or injected meat this time....dunno, maybe its the meat, maybe its me..any thoughts ?
 
I have started injecting my butts in competition. I use apple juice, worshestershire sauce, and my rub. Give is a good juicy flavor. As far as the smoke ring is concerned, try soaking your wood chips before putting them on the fire.
 
cflatt said:
ok, the last 2 butt cooks have been average at best. no real flavor, no penetration from the rub, and no where near the smoke ring I am used to. No changes in the way I cook them other than sand in the pan instead of water, but thats just a heatsink and shouldnt affect it. No enhanced or injected meat this time....dunno, maybe its the meat, maybe its me..any thoughts ?

Curtis, how much rub and wood are you using? I put ALOT of rub on butts, brisket and ribs. I do one very heavy coat, and then another liberal coat right as it's going onto the smoker. This will create a real nice bark that's that's of flavor. I'll also sprinkle more rub over the pulled pork before serving.

If you want a better smoke ring, put the meat on the cooker straight out of the fridge while it's still quite cold. I also add the lit coals to the cooker after the meat is on to slowly bring it up to temperature. This does two things, 1. helps control you heat on the way up, no heat spikes, 2. keeps the meat below 140* longer which helps build a deeper smoke ring. If you are cooking on the WSM use about 5-6 good sized chunks of wood, that will give you all the smoke you need without giving too much. Hope this helps.
 
Thanks Larry and Bill. I've put quite a bit of rub on before I put it on as well as keeping it on the fridge right up until I put it on the wsm. I use about 5 fist size chunks of hickory . Odd thing is, its what I always do..but the last two cooks have been completely different than any other results I have had. just trying to figure it out
 
cflatt said:
Thanks Larry and Bill. I've put quite a bit of rub on before I put it on as well as keeping it on the fridge right up until I put it on the wsm. I use about 5 fist size chunks of hickory . Odd thing is, its what I always do..but the last two cooks have been completely different than any other results I have had. just trying to figure it out

Is the meat the same brand? Shoot, other than that I haven't a clue.
 
from the same store but they could've changed. it was all I could think as well but thought I would seek some expert advice. was hoping to take some fresh to Vegas for this trip. Thank God for the food saver, I'll just get some outa the deep freeze.
 
cflatt said:
Thanks Larry and Bill. I've put quite a bit of rub on before I put it on as well as keeping it on the fridge right up until I put it on the wsm. I use about 5 fist size chunks of hickory . Odd thing is, its what I always do..but the last two cooks have been completely different than any other results I have had. just trying to figure it out
I did the injection thing like Bill and I really liked the results. As far as the smoke ring, did you rub the butts and then refridge overnight. Were the Butts pretty wet when you put them on. I have a theory and again it comes from the smoking and curing of sausage that I do. Your intial start up is at a low temp to "dry" the sausage, you do this without any smoke. I tried to bypass this once and didn't get the color that I'm used to. I think that what might me going on is instead of the smoke being "depostied" on the meat right away, your losing smoke ring formation time by having to first "dry" the butt, once it dry's then you begin to form a smoke ring but you've wasted "x " amount of smoke ring formation time. I think we are all in agreement that the smoke ring stops forming at around 140* internal. I've noticed with my cooks that if I put a wet piece of meat on I don't get the same kind of a smoke ring as when the meat is dry. I've rubbed the night before and I have also just patted down with a paper towel whatever I'm cooking (IMO this also makes the rub stick better) and then rubbed and put on the smoker. I get alot nicer of a smoke ring doing it this way and a "thicker" bark. Again this is what works for me The next time I do butts I might do I each way to compare them. I'd hate to hijack this thread but I's like to know what anyone else things about this.
 
Maybe your hickory is past the expiration date :grin: , try some oak next time #-o Or perhaps your sand is sucking up all of the smoke ions 8-[ . I suppose in theory that if a guy applies enough rub to "seal" the butt, no smokes can find their way to the meat :^o .

When all fails, reinvent the wheel. Get a butt from a different butcher, buy some of Wolf's rub and use it like it's going out of style, rid yourself of the sand, get some fresher wood and see what happens.
DATsBBQ
 
I'd bet $ it's just the meat. I've pretty much done everything the same from cook to cook and have had different tastes and smoke rings on all of the cooks. I don't think a rub is going to add flavor deep into the meat, just the bark which you mix with all the meat after it's pulled. Injection should add flavor into the core of the meat. Just my $0.02!
 
Finney said:
wittdog said:
Finney said:
wittdog said:
Larry Wolfe said:
[quote="Finney":2c9zv0j2]Brine your butts. :!:
#-o
I agree with Larry #-o #-o
It'll get you flavor all the way through. 8-[
Butt at what cost? I don't like what a brine does to the texture of the meat.

So will doing it my mom's way in a Crockpot. :ack:
Have you brined a butt before?[/quote:2c9zv0j2]
Not a Butt but have done, Chicken, Turkey, Pork Loin, marinaded a Brisket over night......I just assumed that brining would give the same results to a butt as the rest of the things mentioned above.
 
Finney said:
wittdog said:
Finney said:
wittdog said:
Larry Wolfe said:
[quote="Finney":1061iuig]Brine your butts. :!:
#-o
I agree with Larry #-o #-o
It'll get you flavor all the way through. 8-[
Butt at what cost? I don't like what a brine does to the texture of the meat.

So will doing it my mom's way in a Crockpot. :ack:
Have you brined a butt before?[/quote:1061iuig]

I never have. Have you done it and how were the results? Do you do it all the time?
 
Nick Prochilo said:
Finney said:
Yes,good,no

How about the recipe for the brine you have used and the brine time. I'd like to try it for fathers day.
The two that I posted for Joker in the "Looking a Recipe" section are from Alton Brown's "I'm Just Here for the Food". I have used both of them. The times are listed in the directions.
 

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