A fun experiment in smoked pulled pork - Imu style

[aesthete]

We're having a luau Sunday to celebrate a friend's birthday, and originally I was going to try and cook pork via an Imu - the hawaiian "bury the pig" method, but for various reasons, and much to my dismay, the plan was abandoned.

So it's back to the trusty Hickory smoker for the pulled pork. I'm smoking three 8.5 lb butts, and each one is a bit different from the others.

#1 standard Carolina Style Butt

THis is what i'm good at, and it's a lock to be a winner, so I had to make at least one I knew would succeed. Dry Rubbed with Red Pepper, Black Pepper, and Salt. I'll accompany with my Apple Cider Vinegar sauce (i've posted it to the forums before) and some cole slaw.

#2 Faux Imu Island Style

THe second one I marinated in Matouk's Hot Pepper Sauce, a sweet but very hot island style sauce I picked up at the farmer's market. After Marinating, I coated with sauce and wrapped in Banana Leaves. I expect very little of the hickory flavor will penetrate the leaves, but some will, and it will come out close to an Imu style pig.

#3 Faux Imu American Style

The third butt I dry rubbed like a normal butt, but then wrapped in Banana Leaves with chopped Onions, Garlic, Red Peppers, and a mystery pepper from my sister's garden. (it looks like a banana pepper but is much hotter)

both of the Faux Imu butts are gambles, and I'll let you guys know how they turn out. (maybe with pics, if i have time)

 

[QSis]

Experimenting is a lot of fun, and I always do it for dinner parties. Most of the time, stuff comes out great, but if it doesn't, you can usually fix it.

Are mixing any sauces with the pork, once it's pulled, other than the vinegar sauce? Or serving on the side, to squeeze onto the pork?

Good luck, aesthete!

Lee

 

[Uncle Bob]

Sounds like a fun party...Some great creativity! I'm thinking pineapple in there somewhere....

Enjoy and have fun!

 

[love2"Q"]

sounds great .. i am really interested in how Imu island style
turns out ...

 

[Barb L.]

I would love to try all three ! Have a great Luau - sounds fun !

 

[aesthete]

Are mixing any sauces with the pork, once it's pulled, other than the vinegar sauce? Or serving on the side, to squeeze onto the pork?

I'm a carolina vinegar sauce man when it comes to my pork. I'm sure there are some fine tomato based sauces, but I don't ever make them. I'm considering making a south carolina mustard sauce as well, but i'll just be winging it from chats i've had with people who've made it before. Almost everyone who will be at the party has developed thier BBQ taste from me, so vinegar is likely to be preferred anyway.

Sounds like a fun party...Some great creativity! I'm thinking pineapple in there somewhere....

i thought long and hard about this - and considered making a pineapple mango salsa for people who like it - but there's a slight pineapple kick to the hot pepper sauce i marinated #2 with, and I think that's enough. I'm iffy on pineapple in my Q as it is.

I had a small setback this morning. apparantly, the fuel died (I'm using a propane smoker today) at some point shortly after I checked... so I had a drastic drop in tempature for awhile. I don't know the exact amount of time it dropped... but i'm now running behind after scheduling a 2 HR leeway.

I guess it's what I get for taking a nap. Hopefully, it wasn't a long enough break to cause any major problems.

 

[kitchenelf]

I'm all about a vinegar based sauce too - you can't beat it!!!! Also, Atlanta is only about 4 1/2 hours away - so..........is 6:30-ish too late to arrive???

I don't see how any of your experiments could possibly be bad. Please let us know how they turn out.

 

[DoomsDay]

Ya know, I live in north carolina and I prefer a sweeter tomato sauce to the vinegar based sauce. I grew up in West Virginia so I guess that part of me still rubs off when it comes to BBQ. First time I tried pulled pork when I moved down here I thought I was going to gag. I was shocked that it was vinegar based.

 

[aesthete]

ok, so after a near escape from disaster, i got back on track but was hours late. Luau started at 2, I arrived at 6:30. I only got to an internal temp of 185, but it was barely juicy enough to pull #1. the Two Faux Imu styles were absurdly juicy, fell apart well. I was very happy with all three.

People at the party preferred #1, and i'm confident if i'd have cooked for another hour or so, it would have been better, but the extra juiciness and tricks didn't make up for the fact that #1 had the most hickory flavor, and took sauce better.

I actually preferred #3... but only because it was new and original. the outside 2 inches or so were awesome, and the steamed veggies blended well into the flavor.

I made that mustard sauce, kind of on the fly, and it came out well, I think.

equal parts yellow mustard and apple cider vinegar.
black pepper
cayenne pepper
liquid hickory smoke
jamaican jerk spices (i did this because it was a luau. it came out fine, but in the future i'd just use onion powder and celery salt I think.)

I had a blast because there were a bunch of people who I knew that had never had my Q before, so they were fully impressed.
I didn't get my camera, but multiple people took pics with camera phones and have promised to email them to me.

 

[DoomsDay]

Here is a question for you. Since I am new to the whole BBQ thing, I have seen people do this and kinda wondered why, so I am hoping some folks can explain it to me. Why do you add liquid smoke to your sauce after you have smoked your meat? Is it because you didnt get enough smoke into the meat?

Thanks

 

[aesthete]

Here is a question for you. Since I am new to the whole BBQ thing, I have seen people do this and kinda wondered why, so I am hoping some folks can explain it to me. Why do you add liquid smoke to your sauce after you have smoked your meat? Is it because you didnt get enough smoke into the meat?

no, the reason is because I had no idea what i was doing with the mustard sauce, and was expirimenting. There is no liquid smoke in my carolina vinegar sauce (apple cider vinegar, white pepper, black pepper, cayenne pepper, salt) but with the mustard sauce, i was toying with flavor concepts.

i can tell you why i added it, and that was because i wanted a bit of a gravy effect - a taste that is connected with the meat.... without having to add pork grease to the sauce. i can't comment on my mustard sauce's authenticity... everything i know about south carolina mustard sauces is from taste memory only... but i did like it a lot.

i've seen people add LS to tomato based sauces, but frankly, i don't try them with pork anymore. I want spicy and sour, not sweet. I don't think i'd object to a tomato based sauce with smoke flavor added to ribs, though.