We needed to improve upon the last pork butt we practiced with. While the taste was there, the tenderness was not. So, more practice with a few butts this weekend...
First, we injected with a mix of hard apple cider, Worcestershire sauce, and soy sauce. We used the Jack's Hard Cider we purchased at Hauser Estate Winery in Gettysburg...
We made 4 cups of injection and split it evenly between 2, 7.5 pound bone in pork butts. Once injected, we wrapped with plastic wrap and placed in the refrigerator overnight...
The next morning, I got up, fired up the smoker, and pulled the pork butts out of the frig. Then, I rubbed each butt thoroughly with the Oakridge Secret Weapon Pork and Chicken rub. I did not cut the rub with any brown or turbinado sugar...
Note the ingredients...
After about an hour, the smoker was up to temperature, about 235 F. I added apple, hickory, and pecan to the ash pan for smoking wood and placed the butts on the top rack, fat cap up. When the butts hit 165 F internal, I placed them in foil pans and covered with foil. When the foiled butts hit 195 F, I placed the pans into a cooler lined with towels and allowed them to rest. So, for some ideas on time:
7 hours from room temp to 165 F.
2 hours from 165F to 195 F while foiled.
2 hours rest in the cooler.
After the rest, we brought the butts in to dissect. Here is the final product...
Money muscle...
Pulled with bark...
As is always the case, one money muscle was better than the other. One main reason we cook two butts. The pulled pork was moist and tender with a mellow smoke flavor. For the sauce, we mixed Blues Hog Regular with some Blues Hog Tennessee Red and some defatted pork juice from the pans. Perfect, sweet, but not too sweet. Spicy, but not over the top.
As for the Oakridge Secret Weapon Pork and Chicken rub, I can't say enough. It had the right amount of spice balanced with sweet. It complemented the sauce and injection perfectly.
Bottom line:
Did the Jack's Hard Cider add anything special? Probably not. But, it was a nice substitute for apple juice and I would use it without hesitation should we run out of AJ in the future.
Oakridge Secret Weapon Pork and Chicken Rub, 3.5 stars out of 4.
The pork butt was the best we have made. Moist, tender, not too much sauce, and the right amount of smoke. Will it will us a trophy? Who knows. But, it is worthy of a call for sure...
Thanks for stopping by...
Bill
First, we injected with a mix of hard apple cider, Worcestershire sauce, and soy sauce. We used the Jack's Hard Cider we purchased at Hauser Estate Winery in Gettysburg...
We made 4 cups of injection and split it evenly between 2, 7.5 pound bone in pork butts. Once injected, we wrapped with plastic wrap and placed in the refrigerator overnight...
The next morning, I got up, fired up the smoker, and pulled the pork butts out of the frig. Then, I rubbed each butt thoroughly with the Oakridge Secret Weapon Pork and Chicken rub. I did not cut the rub with any brown or turbinado sugar...
Note the ingredients...
After about an hour, the smoker was up to temperature, about 235 F. I added apple, hickory, and pecan to the ash pan for smoking wood and placed the butts on the top rack, fat cap up. When the butts hit 165 F internal, I placed them in foil pans and covered with foil. When the foiled butts hit 195 F, I placed the pans into a cooler lined with towels and allowed them to rest. So, for some ideas on time:
7 hours from room temp to 165 F.
2 hours from 165F to 195 F while foiled.
2 hours rest in the cooler.
After the rest, we brought the butts in to dissect. Here is the final product...
Money muscle...
Pulled with bark...
As is always the case, one money muscle was better than the other. One main reason we cook two butts. The pulled pork was moist and tender with a mellow smoke flavor. For the sauce, we mixed Blues Hog Regular with some Blues Hog Tennessee Red and some defatted pork juice from the pans. Perfect, sweet, but not too sweet. Spicy, but not over the top.
As for the Oakridge Secret Weapon Pork and Chicken rub, I can't say enough. It had the right amount of spice balanced with sweet. It complemented the sauce and injection perfectly.
Bottom line:
Did the Jack's Hard Cider add anything special? Probably not. But, it was a nice substitute for apple juice and I would use it without hesitation should we run out of AJ in the future.
Oakridge Secret Weapon Pork and Chicken Rub, 3.5 stars out of 4.
The pork butt was the best we have made. Moist, tender, not too much sauce, and the right amount of smoke. Will it will us a trophy? Who knows. But, it is worthy of a call for sure...
Thanks for stopping by...
Bill
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