BBQ Pork Butt or Shoulder

[Candocook]

My g'ma gave me a pork butt a few days ago, along with a bunch of other things. I'm DEFINITELY going to smoke it, but it's probably going to be several months before I get around to doing that. Luckily, the pork is wrapped up really well and frozen.

Smoke it low and slow--250* --and you will have classic Carolina pork BBQ!!

 

[mbeveridge]

I just smoked 2 pork shoulders last Sun. Rub with salt and pepper only. Smoke at 250F until internal temp is at least 190F, usually 8 - 10 hours except during the winter when it can take longer. I used to smoke in an offset firebox barrel smoker using wood and/or charcoal. I liked lump charcoal but it burns faster and hotter than regular charcoal. Just don't use lighter fluid soaked charcoal. It imparts the taste to the meat. Last year my brother-in-law bought a Smokin' Tex electric smoker. After I finished laughing at this breach of purism, we tried it. Friends and neighbors I'm here to tell you that there is no difference. It's the rub and wood that makes the difference, not the heat source. I immediately sold my wood/charcoal smoker and bought an electric smoker. The beauty is that you load it up, set the temperature, insert an internal thermometer, close the door, and walk away!! I use wood pellets which work extremely well. I spray the meat with apple juice and a vinegar/V8 juice/red pepper flakes mixture several times during cooking. After several hours, I wrap the meat in foil to lock in the juices. Any PP which isn't eaten when cooked, is vacuum-sealed and put in the freezer. Freezing has no effect on the PP. Our friends actually ask for PP when we invite them over. Serve with your favorite BBQ sauce and cole slaw, either on the sandwhich or on the side.

 

[Andy M.]

Thanks for the review. Are electric smokers "set it and forget it?" or do they require adjusting during the 8-10 hours of smoking?

 

[mbeveridge]

They really are "set it and forget it". I don't add wood during the process. I only open the door to spray the meat or when I wrap it in foil. I realize it's not the BBQ purist's way to smoke, but it's so simple and frees me up to do other things while smoking. I do miss the actual fire a little, but not when I think about the time I have for other things.

 

[kitchenelf]

The only difference I saw with my electric smoker versus NOT electric was my electric smoker produced no smoke ring Do you find that true with your electric smoker?

 

[jminion]

If you add one charcoal briquet to the wood tray a long with the wood chunls or chips you can produce smokering.
Jim

 

[Andy M.]

I don't understand something. If the electric smoker has wood chunks or chips in it to smoke the meat, and the internal temperature of the smoker was in the right temp range, i would expect the results to be the same as if you were usning firewood or charcoal.

If there is smoke, there should be a smoke ring. Can anyone explain why ther wouldn't be one?

 

[jminion]

Nitrates and nitrites from the charcoal as it burns is needed to get the chemical reaction with the pigment in the meat to turn color.
Jim

 

[Hungry]

The "Rub" looks GREAT.
I prefer dry rubs t mopping liquids.

Why do you use:
2 tablespoons (30 ml) ground white pepper
2 tablespoons (30 ml) ground black pepper
1 tablespoon (15 ml) ground cayenne pepper

I know different peppers have different flavors but wouldn't these three used tgether counteract one another?

TIA

 

[Andy M.]

Nitrates and nitrites from the charcoal as it burns is needed to get the chemical reaction with the pigment in the meat to turn color.
Jim

Thanks for the info. The same chemicals must also be in wood, because you can get a smoke ring burning logs as well as with charcoal.

If that's the case, why don't you get the smoke ring from the chunks of wood you burn to get the smoke in the electric smoker? If you can get it from one piece of charcoal, you should be able to get it from the smoking wood chinks.

 

[Candocook]

I didn't think it all sounded right either when Kitchenelf posted it a while back and took a look. Seems to be true--for some chemical reason which doesn't really make much difference to me personally. ;o)

 

[jminion]

Andy
I'm not chemist but I know from years of cooking on all kinds of cookers that an electric cooker needs the charcoal with the wood chips or chunks to produce smokering.

 

[Andy M.]

I'm certainly not a scientist. I was just trying to reason it out in my own mind. Bottom line, I consider the smoke flavor a lot more important than the smoke ring.

Thanks for your help.

 

[Uncle Bob]

When a smoke ring develops in bbq meats it is not because smoke has penetrated and colored the meat(muscle)...rather it is because gases in the smoke interact with the pigment myoglobin. This is supported by the fact first: it is possible to have a smoke ring develop in a product that has not been "smoked". secondly is also possible to heavily smoke a product without the developement of a smoke ring. Basically it is a chemical reaction between the smoke and the meat.

As to the tip of 1 briquet mentioned above...I can testify that it does indeed work...Why? I dunno..maybe something in the compostion of the briquet produces more nitrates/nitrites? Again I dunno...but it works!

If you really want to have a great smoke ring in your meat..say a brisket..just cheat!! Coat your meat with Tender Quick and the resulting smoke ring will be beautiful..Your friends/neighbors will be duly impressed! This "trick" once prevalent in some circles has resulted in smoke rings no longer being a consideration in competitive bbq. cooking.

How do you think the TV chefs do it?? I'll give you three guesses!

 

[kitchenelf]

I do believe the charcoal must be the key. No, the ring doesn't matter in the taste at all. It only matters when a "friend" points out that - "oh, dear, there's no smoke ring in YOURS" - that's when I first noticed it. Then when I smoked the first butt in my other smoker - poof - smoke ring. So, for whatever reason, it is the charcoal or hardwood briquettes like I use, that causes the smoke ring.

The friend that pointed this out brought a smoked pork butt to the same function I did. Hers had a beautiful smoke ring. However, she doesn't smoke with any hickory or any wood, only charcoal. I'd rather have no smoke ring and good flavor

And, if you ask any hardcore smoker the smoke ring is kind of like a badge of honor - and does make a difference to them.

 

[Sigma Man]

I smoke on a propane smoker using wood chips and water pan and I definitely get a good smoke ring in the meat.

Sigma Man

 

[mbeveridge]

I do remember getting a smoke ring when using my barrel smoker with lump charcoal/hickory wood. I must admit I don't remember with my electric smoker. I'll make it a point to check on my next smoke. Either way it hasn't made any difference in how the meat tastes, which I feel is the ultimate goal of smoking. I'm planning on smoking a shoulder this weekend for the Super Bowl.

 

[jminion]

Smokering does have a sweet flavor it's just unless you cure the pork there is not enough flavor to stand out.
Jim

 

[carolelaine]

I just finished reading this post and the science behing the smoke ring was interesting. I have a question, when smoking a boston butt do you use the hickory chunks the entire time or for part of the process.

 

[T. James]

much depends upon the cooker you are using, one school of thought is that smoke penetration stops about two hours into the smoke and after that the meat has reached a high enough temp to close all pores and all further smoke only collects on the surface. If there's too much then the shoulder may taste bitter. Sooo.. a couple of hours of good smoke and you should be covered. )