Post by BBQ Butcher on Mar 30, 2008 7:02:09 GMT -5
12/22/07
The BBQ Butcher #21
It’s hard to believe, but New Years day 2008 is less than 10 days away!! Where did 2007 go? I had some new experiences, new acquaintances, renewed some long distance friendships, made some amends and probably peeved off a few while I was at it!!! All in all, another typical year
There are lots of traditions handed down over the years for celebrating the New Year and here in the South we like to have Black Eyed Peas and some kind of pork to help being luck and prosperity in the coming year. Below are a few recipes that I’d like to share with you.
First, a little about the pork.
Pork is not labeled any grade quality, but it is USDA inspected for wholesomeness. Tech-nically, for packers, not consumers, pork IS graded US1, US2, 3 and 4 and each is determined by the amount of back fat thickness over the last rib. Most pork processed in the United States today falls in US1 category. When buying, make sure the pork is grayish-pink in color, firm and has some degree of marbling.
Pork is fed and raised differently than in the past and the worries of trichinosis/salmonella are almost non-existent today. The National Pork Council has determined that pork cooked to 137° is free from any little critters that will make you sick. However, most people cook Loin chops and Loin roasts to an internal meat temperature of 150°, while the tougher Shoulder cuts need to be cooked to 185-200° to make them tender.
Avoid enhanced meats; they are injected with a saline solution that can
easily affect the tenderness of you final product, resulting in a mushy or
salty result.
The 'whole' pork shoulder (15-20 lbs) consists of the upper part (Boston Butt) and the lower part of the shoulder (the Picnic). You can purchase it whole, however most times it is found in the store separated into the two pieces mentioned above. The difference between Picnics and Boston Butts are the bone structure......the butt has a small shoulder blade bone and the picnic has the front leg bone and joint. The Picnic is normally sold with "skin on", whereas the Butt only has a small fat cap. Both make excellent bbq meat, but the Boston Butt has the better value.
Okay, let’s set up the grill for indirect cooking. Usually the fire is in an offset firebox or a heat deflector is in place between the meat and the heat. Backyard grills can be set up for this by setting the coals on one side and the meat on the other. On a gas grill, you
can turn only one burner on and set the meat over the other. One other method I have seen is to use a few firebricks (available for around $1 ea.). They are put in place, then a raised placed rack over them, then the meat. Pizza stones are often used as well.
Depending on what you are cooking, a lot of fat can be rendered, therefore
it is a good idea to use a drip pan under the meat. Not only does this keep
the grill from getting nasty, but it allows you to add moisture while
cooking. An inch or so of water in the pan will keep the meat from drying
out as it cooks.
Pulled Pork
This is the most widely known product from the Pork Shoulder Boston Butt (aka Shoulder Blade Roast), Pork Shoulder Picnic and, to a lesser extent, the Pork Collar (a meaty portion of the neck). This recipe is for a basic, all around low and slow cook.
1 7-9 lb Pork Shoulder Boston Butt
BBQ seasonings of your choice
Grill set up for indirect cooking at 225-250°
3-4 fist size chunks of hickory/cherry wood or a mix of both (optional)
A good six hours before cooking (I prefer over night), trim any excess fat from the meat, a ¼" fat covering is plenty. Now, liberally sprinkle your BBQ seasoning all over the meat and 'rub' it in. Wrap in plastic and set it in the refrigerator until it's time to cook.
Place the butt into your preheated cooker. Keeping the meat cold will help in the formation of the coveted 'smoke ring'. The average time to cook a Pork Butt is around 1½-2 hours a pound. However, almost every hunk of meat can be different due to variables, such as size, amount of fat, grill temperature, condition of the meat, etc. The best way to monitor the internal temperature of the meat you are cooking is by using a 'probe' type thermometer. This allows you to keep track without opening the lid on the cooker. As a general rule of thumb, meat will 'take on smoke' up to 140°, after that the chemical transformations between the meat and the heat will not allow any more 'smoke ring' to form. However, the outside of the meat will still allow some smoke flavor to adhere.
As mentioned earlier, the 'plateau' (the collagen in the meat breaking down) can occur any where from 150° to 170°, the average being around 160°, and the internal temperature may remain 'stuck' for up to 2 hours. Once the plateau is over with, the temperature will rise quite rapidly. The meat will be "pull able" once the internal temp gets past 190° and the ideal is as close to 200° as you can get.
When you get into the above range (+ or – 10°), I like to FTC the meat. What is FTC? 'Foil', 'Towel' and 'Cooler'. Pull the meat from your cooker, double wrap in heavy duty aluminum foil and then wrap in a regular bath towel. Now, place this bundle into a small, preheated cooler (just place a boiling cup of water in the cooler a few minutes before use) for about 1 hour. This allows the meat to rest, set up and lets the meat juices disperse throughout the meat.
You are now ready to "pull" or shred the meat. Enjoy!
Cuban Style ‘Mojo’ Pork
This is another popular recipe using the Pork Shoulder Butt, but with a Caribbean flair. I have tried to duplicate the flavor of the Cuban Mojo Pork Sandwich featured at Porky's Bayside in Marathon, Florida.
You will need a whole Boston Butt, de-boned and cut into six pieces.
2-3 garlic cloves, slivered (more if needed)
Kosher Salt
Black Pepper
Chili powder
Granulated Garlic
1 bottle commercial Mojo Criollo Marinade (or homemade)
Make small slits all over the meat and insert the garlic slivers. Now rub the meat with the dry spices. Place into a large plastic zip top food bag and add enough of the Mojo to cover the meat. Place in the refrigerator for at least six hours, but over night is preferred.
Preheat your grill to approximately 350° for a direct cook. Sear the marinated chunks of meat on all sides, remove from the grill. Lower the temperature on your grill to about 250° and set it up for an indirect cook. Place the meat back in the grill and slow cook to an internal temperature of 180-185°. Pull meat from the grill and let sit at room temp for about 15-20 minutes, letting it cool slightly.
Now, 'chop' the meat, don't pull it. Sprinkle with some fresh (not used!) Mojo marinade, if desired. You are ready to make a sandwich! Take a large sandwich bun (hamburger roll) and spread it with a 50/50 mix of fresh Mojo and a Chipotle pepper flavored mayonnaise (there are several commercial varieties available), add some of the chopped meat, top with a slice of red onion, tomato and lettuce. Enjoy!
Pork Shoulder “Picnic”
The Pork Shoulder 'Picnic' is the other end of the Boston Butt and is cooked practically the same way with a couple of exceptions. Follow the same directions as Version 1 or 2.
1) Skin on or off? The picnic comes with about half of it covered with skin. You may cook it skin on, but keep in mind that the meat the skin is covering will NOT get any spices or smoke. I suggest removing the skin and then seasoning it the same way you would the Butt.
2) The Picnic has a 'shank' portion which is technically just part of the front leg. This may, or may not, take a little longer to cook, so keep taking temperature readings as you near the end of the cooking time.
The Picnic meat does not shred as easily as the Butt meat, but it still pulls apart easy and makes a wonderful sandwich. I also find that the meat may be a bit 'sweeter' than the Butt.
For some great Black Eye Pea recipes, please click the following link…..
Black Eye Peas
And no Pork and Black Eye Pea meal is complete without a good helping of Collard Greens (or spinach, turnip greens, etc)….
Collard Greens and More
I want to wish every one a Merry Christmas and a Happy, healthy and prosperous New Year. For the politically insensitive, have a Happy Holiday.
This will be the last Barbecue Butcher article of 2007 and I will be back the first weekend of the New Year.
Drive safely and responsibly.
The BBQ Butcher #21
It’s hard to believe, but New Years day 2008 is less than 10 days away!! Where did 2007 go? I had some new experiences, new acquaintances, renewed some long distance friendships, made some amends and probably peeved off a few while I was at it!!! All in all, another typical year
There are lots of traditions handed down over the years for celebrating the New Year and here in the South we like to have Black Eyed Peas and some kind of pork to help being luck and prosperity in the coming year. Below are a few recipes that I’d like to share with you.
First, a little about the pork.
Pork is not labeled any grade quality, but it is USDA inspected for wholesomeness. Tech-nically, for packers, not consumers, pork IS graded US1, US2, 3 and 4 and each is determined by the amount of back fat thickness over the last rib. Most pork processed in the United States today falls in US1 category. When buying, make sure the pork is grayish-pink in color, firm and has some degree of marbling.
Pork is fed and raised differently than in the past and the worries of trichinosis/salmonella are almost non-existent today. The National Pork Council has determined that pork cooked to 137° is free from any little critters that will make you sick. However, most people cook Loin chops and Loin roasts to an internal meat temperature of 150°, while the tougher Shoulder cuts need to be cooked to 185-200° to make them tender.
Avoid enhanced meats; they are injected with a saline solution that can
easily affect the tenderness of you final product, resulting in a mushy or
salty result.
The 'whole' pork shoulder (15-20 lbs) consists of the upper part (Boston Butt) and the lower part of the shoulder (the Picnic). You can purchase it whole, however most times it is found in the store separated into the two pieces mentioned above. The difference between Picnics and Boston Butts are the bone structure......the butt has a small shoulder blade bone and the picnic has the front leg bone and joint. The Picnic is normally sold with "skin on", whereas the Butt only has a small fat cap. Both make excellent bbq meat, but the Boston Butt has the better value.
Okay, let’s set up the grill for indirect cooking. Usually the fire is in an offset firebox or a heat deflector is in place between the meat and the heat. Backyard grills can be set up for this by setting the coals on one side and the meat on the other. On a gas grill, you
can turn only one burner on and set the meat over the other. One other method I have seen is to use a few firebricks (available for around $1 ea.). They are put in place, then a raised placed rack over them, then the meat. Pizza stones are often used as well.
Depending on what you are cooking, a lot of fat can be rendered, therefore
it is a good idea to use a drip pan under the meat. Not only does this keep
the grill from getting nasty, but it allows you to add moisture while
cooking. An inch or so of water in the pan will keep the meat from drying
out as it cooks.
Pulled Pork
This is the most widely known product from the Pork Shoulder Boston Butt (aka Shoulder Blade Roast), Pork Shoulder Picnic and, to a lesser extent, the Pork Collar (a meaty portion of the neck). This recipe is for a basic, all around low and slow cook.
1 7-9 lb Pork Shoulder Boston Butt
BBQ seasonings of your choice
Grill set up for indirect cooking at 225-250°
3-4 fist size chunks of hickory/cherry wood or a mix of both (optional)
A good six hours before cooking (I prefer over night), trim any excess fat from the meat, a ¼" fat covering is plenty. Now, liberally sprinkle your BBQ seasoning all over the meat and 'rub' it in. Wrap in plastic and set it in the refrigerator until it's time to cook.
Place the butt into your preheated cooker. Keeping the meat cold will help in the formation of the coveted 'smoke ring'. The average time to cook a Pork Butt is around 1½-2 hours a pound. However, almost every hunk of meat can be different due to variables, such as size, amount of fat, grill temperature, condition of the meat, etc. The best way to monitor the internal temperature of the meat you are cooking is by using a 'probe' type thermometer. This allows you to keep track without opening the lid on the cooker. As a general rule of thumb, meat will 'take on smoke' up to 140°, after that the chemical transformations between the meat and the heat will not allow any more 'smoke ring' to form. However, the outside of the meat will still allow some smoke flavor to adhere.
As mentioned earlier, the 'plateau' (the collagen in the meat breaking down) can occur any where from 150° to 170°, the average being around 160°, and the internal temperature may remain 'stuck' for up to 2 hours. Once the plateau is over with, the temperature will rise quite rapidly. The meat will be "pull able" once the internal temp gets past 190° and the ideal is as close to 200° as you can get.
When you get into the above range (+ or – 10°), I like to FTC the meat. What is FTC? 'Foil', 'Towel' and 'Cooler'. Pull the meat from your cooker, double wrap in heavy duty aluminum foil and then wrap in a regular bath towel. Now, place this bundle into a small, preheated cooler (just place a boiling cup of water in the cooler a few minutes before use) for about 1 hour. This allows the meat to rest, set up and lets the meat juices disperse throughout the meat.
You are now ready to "pull" or shred the meat. Enjoy!
Cuban Style ‘Mojo’ Pork
This is another popular recipe using the Pork Shoulder Butt, but with a Caribbean flair. I have tried to duplicate the flavor of the Cuban Mojo Pork Sandwich featured at Porky's Bayside in Marathon, Florida.
You will need a whole Boston Butt, de-boned and cut into six pieces.
2-3 garlic cloves, slivered (more if needed)
Kosher Salt
Black Pepper
Chili powder
Granulated Garlic
1 bottle commercial Mojo Criollo Marinade (or homemade)
Make small slits all over the meat and insert the garlic slivers. Now rub the meat with the dry spices. Place into a large plastic zip top food bag and add enough of the Mojo to cover the meat. Place in the refrigerator for at least six hours, but over night is preferred.
Preheat your grill to approximately 350° for a direct cook. Sear the marinated chunks of meat on all sides, remove from the grill. Lower the temperature on your grill to about 250° and set it up for an indirect cook. Place the meat back in the grill and slow cook to an internal temperature of 180-185°. Pull meat from the grill and let sit at room temp for about 15-20 minutes, letting it cool slightly.
Now, 'chop' the meat, don't pull it. Sprinkle with some fresh (not used!) Mojo marinade, if desired. You are ready to make a sandwich! Take a large sandwich bun (hamburger roll) and spread it with a 50/50 mix of fresh Mojo and a Chipotle pepper flavored mayonnaise (there are several commercial varieties available), add some of the chopped meat, top with a slice of red onion, tomato and lettuce. Enjoy!
Pork Shoulder “Picnic”
The Pork Shoulder 'Picnic' is the other end of the Boston Butt and is cooked practically the same way with a couple of exceptions. Follow the same directions as Version 1 or 2.
1) Skin on or off? The picnic comes with about half of it covered with skin. You may cook it skin on, but keep in mind that the meat the skin is covering will NOT get any spices or smoke. I suggest removing the skin and then seasoning it the same way you would the Butt.
2) The Picnic has a 'shank' portion which is technically just part of the front leg. This may, or may not, take a little longer to cook, so keep taking temperature readings as you near the end of the cooking time.
The Picnic meat does not shred as easily as the Butt meat, but it still pulls apart easy and makes a wonderful sandwich. I also find that the meat may be a bit 'sweeter' than the Butt.
For some great Black Eye Pea recipes, please click the following link…..
Black Eye Peas
And no Pork and Black Eye Pea meal is complete without a good helping of Collard Greens (or spinach, turnip greens, etc)….
Collard Greens and More
I want to wish every one a Merry Christmas and a Happy, healthy and prosperous New Year. For the politically insensitive, have a Happy Holiday.
This will be the last Barbecue Butcher article of 2007 and I will be back the first weekend of the New Year.
Drive safely and responsibly.