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Worst pulled pork ever

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chrisc133
chrisc133 Posts: 501
in EggHead Forum
My coworker decided to purchase an electric smoker to try and replicate some of the food I've been bringing into the office. He fired it up this past weekend for the first time for a pork butt, ribs and sausage. I told him exactly what to do and gave him a list of good rubs---but instead he decided to do things his way. He brought some in Monday and it was terrible. 

His method: 
He rubbed the butt with creole butter and then injected it with his own creation of more creole butter, Dales marinade, a steak marinade , Apple cider and apple cider vinegar. He basted the butt with that concoction every hour and he took it off the smoker at 170 internal. 

He he was so excited for me to try it. Took a partial bite of the slice and had to spit it out. The rest went into a paper towel ...which I set on my desk to throw away when he wouldn't see me.  It bled it's disgusting juice into some of my work papers ...so now I'm constantly reminded of it. 

A lesson to the new guys...stick with what works. 
Augusta, GA
#BGETEAMGREEN member
MiniMax, Large, XL BGE
Featured on Man Fire Food Season 7
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  • SmokeyPitt
    SmokeyPitt Posts: 10,490
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    This sounds like a clear case of "less is more".  Dales is really strong, so I would think injecting it would overpower and ruin just about anything.    

    Which came first the chicken or the egg?  I egged the chicken and then I ate his leg. 

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  • johnkitchens
    johnkitchens Posts: 5,227
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    I can't imagine using Dale's on a pork butt. Your buddy needs to ditch the smoker and get an egg. He will be amazed at the results. 

    Louisville, GA - 2 Large BGE's
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  • Legume
    Legume Posts: 14,615
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    Wow, more things wrong than right.  Did you tell him or is he going to keep bringing this in for you?
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  • Dyal_SC
    Dyal_SC Posts: 6,052
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    Ewww... Sounds horrible!!  LOL  He's a newbie though, so maybe he will learn better for next time. ;)
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  • DoubleEgger
    DoubleEgger Posts: 17,171
    edited August 2015
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    Nasty


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  • tarheelmatt
    tarheelmatt Posts: 9,867
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    I've tasted good food from one of those.  You need to tell him "KISS".  
    ------------------------------
    Thomasville, NC
    My YouTube Channel - The Hungry Hussey
    Instagram
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  • Carolina Q
    Carolina Q Posts: 14,831
    edited August 2015
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    I don't know what creole butter is. Or Dale's. But I wouldn't butter a butt. And no need to inject one. Wonder why he didn't want to use a tried and true recipe.

    I will say this though... It wasn't the electric smoker's fault. I cooked a butt at Mom's house a few months ago. In her kitchen's electric oven. No smoke at all. Simple low and slow with my usual rub. It wasn't as good as one of my smoked butts... but it was close!

    I hate it when I go to the kitchen for food and all I find are ingredients!                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

    Michael 
    Central Connecticut 

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  • Mattman3969
    Mattman3969 Posts: 10,457
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    Was he a smoker before or was this his virgin voyage?  Sounds like he is ambitious to make good food but may not have the experience to go off making up concoctions yet. We've all been there with food that we thought was gonna be "off the hook" and when finished the fish wouldn't eat it off the hook.  

    -----------------------------------------

    analyze adapt overcome

    2008 -Large BGE. 2013- Small BGE and 2015 - Mini. Henderson, Ky.
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  • johnkitchens
    johnkitchens Posts: 5,227
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    Carolina Q said:
    I don't know what creole butter is. Or Dale's. But I wouldn't butter a butt. And no need to inject one. Wonder why he didn't want to use a tried and true recipe.

    I will say this though... It wasn't the electric smoker's fault. I cooked a butt at Mom's house a few months ago. In her kitchen's electric oven. No smoke at all. Simple low and slow with my usual rub. It wasn't as good as one of my smoked butts... but it was close!


    Some people love it. I hate it. 

    Louisville, GA - 2 Large BGE's
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  • DoubleEgger
    DoubleEgger Posts: 17,171
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    ^^^ straight sodium in a bottle
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  • johnkitchens
    johnkitchens Posts: 5,227
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    DoubleEgger said:
    ^^^ straight sodium in a bottle
    Yep. Liquid salt.

    Louisville, GA - 2 Large BGE's
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  • Dyal_SC
    Dyal_SC Posts: 6,052
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    I like the reduced sodium dale's on venison burgers.  If you use dales, you definitely don't wanna use much else... especially no additional salt.
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  • chrisc133
    chrisc133 Posts: 501
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    Mattman3969 said:
    Was he a smoker before or was this his virgin voyage?  Sounds like he is ambitious to make good food but may not have the experience to go off making up concoctions yet. We've all been there with food that we thought was gonna be "off the hook" and when finished the fish wouldn't eat it off the hook.  
    It was the virgin voyage.  As bad as the Dale's was...the creole butter was equally as bad. 

    Carolina Q said:
    I don't know what creole butter is. Or Dale's. But I wouldn't butter a butt. And no need to inject one. Wonder why he didn't want to use a tried and true recipe.

    I will say this though... It wasn't the electric smoker's fault. I cooked a butt at Mom's house a few months ago. In her kitchen's electric oven. No smoke at all. Simple low and slow with my usual rub. It wasn't as good as one of my smoked butts... but it was close!
    It definitely wasn't the smoker. I had a masterbuilt electric that I sold. It's very easy and can deliver some good results

    . Legume said:
    Wow, more things wrong than right.  Did you tell him or is he going to keep bringing this in for you?
    He could tell by my reaction I didn't like it. I think some other guys in the office told him he tried to do too much with it. He, of course, thought it was the best BBQ ever. It's just frustrating when you try and help someone and they just ignore all advice. 

    BTW..this was his practice run for his big Gameday BBQ next weekend...round 2 is coming up. 
    Augusta, GA
    #BGETEAMGREEN member
    MiniMax, Large, XL BGE
    Featured on Man Fire Food Season 7
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  • johnkitchens
    johnkitchens Posts: 5,227
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    It sounds like he had way too many different flavor profiles that don't mix well. I tend to keep it pretty simple with butts, and I haven't been disappointed with the flavor yet. 

    Louisville, GA - 2 Large BGE's
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  • GATraveller
    GATraveller Posts: 8,207
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    What a train wreck of a cook.  Can't fathom putting that much sh!t on/in a perfectly good piece of pork.  

    You can lead a horse to water......  

    Good luck with that.

    "Social media gives legions of idiots the right to speak when they once only spoke at a bar after a glass of wine, without harming the community [...] but now they have the same right to speak as a Nobel Prize winner. It's the invasion of the idiots."
                                                                                  -Umberto Eco

    2 Large
    Peachtree Corners, GA
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  • TheBrewerMoose
    TheBrewerMoose Posts: 94
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    I've had Dales on rib roasts as a marinade that friend does and it was fantastic, but that stuff is so salty I'd never inject it.  And IMO the vinegar clashes horribly with Dales also.  It has a soy/malty/salt flavor to it.

    Maybe use this as a teaching moment?  I started out on an electric smoker back 15 yrs ago, until I figured out that I wanted to do much more and upgraded.  At least he's trying...

    Strongsville, OH

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  • chrisc133
    chrisc133 Posts: 501
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    TheBrewerMoose said:
    I've had Dales on rib roasts as a marinade that friend does and it was fantastic, but that stuff is so salty I'd never inject it.  And IMO the vinegar clashes horribly with Dales also.  It has a soy/malty/salt flavor to it.

    Maybe use this as a teaching moment?  I started out on an electric smoker back 15 yrs ago, until I figured out that I wanted to do much more and upgraded.  At least he's trying...
    I tried to make it a teaching moment...but he's a lost cause. This morning he told me he's not going to change anything and is also going to marinate his ribs in his concoction prior to smoking. Oh well. At least I know what BBQ to avoid ar office functions. 
    Augusta, GA
    #BGETEAMGREEN member
    MiniMax, Large, XL BGE
    Featured on Man Fire Food Season 7
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  • SmokeyPitt
    SmokeyPitt Posts: 10,490
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    I personally don't care for creole butter either.  It may have been the brand, but I bought some once and tasted it and it reminded me of the nasty Papa Johns garlic dipping sauce so it went into the trash instead of into the meat :). 

    Which came first the chicken or the egg?  I egged the chicken and then I ate his leg. 

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  • GATraveller
    GATraveller Posts: 8,207
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    Your coworker reminds me of those people that show up to "American Idol" and sound like mating water buffalo then get mad at the judges when they tell them the truth about how bad they really are.  Some people are so stupid they think they're smart......they're the ones you have to watch out for!

    "Social media gives legions of idiots the right to speak when they once only spoke at a bar after a glass of wine, without harming the community [...] but now they have the same right to speak as a Nobel Prize winner. It's the invasion of the idiots."
                                                                                  -Umberto Eco

    2 Large
    Peachtree Corners, GA
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  • northGAcock
    northGAcock Posts: 15,164
    edited August 2015
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    DoubleEgger said:
    ^^^ straight sodium in a bottle
    Agree with this....was at an Alabama / SC football game in Tuscaloosa a few years back. I couple cooked two very thick T-Bones, and gave one of them to my buddy and I. I guess they felt sorry for us as we were eating some German country sausage and mustard. Back to the Dales......We absolutely could not eat it. It was sad to see someone screw up such a beautiful steak. 
    Ellijay GA with a Medium & MiniMax

    Well, I married me a wife, she's been trouble all my life,
    Run me out in the cold rain and snow
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  • Legume
    Legume Posts: 14,615
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    find out when his next pork butt cook is, buy him a butt and a bottle of rub and have him just put rub on and cook alongside his amazing recipe and then bring them in FTCd
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  • GATraveller
    GATraveller Posts: 8,207
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    Legume said:
    find out when his next pork butt cook is, buy him a butt and a bottle of rub and have him just put rub on and cook alongside his amazing recipe and then bring them in FTCd
    Or just cook one yourself and park it right next to his. 

    "Social media gives legions of idiots the right to speak when they once only spoke at a bar after a glass of wine, without harming the community [...] but now they have the same right to speak as a Nobel Prize winner. It's the invasion of the idiots."
                                                                                  -Umberto Eco

    2 Large
    Peachtree Corners, GA
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  • WeberWho
    WeberWho Posts: 11,026
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    170 internal? Ouch. Probably a little chewy. =) We all have to start somewhere. He'll get better with a little more practice. Hopefully he takes you up on some guidance 
    "The pig is an amazing animal. You feed a pig an apple and it makes bacon. Let's see Michael Phelps do that" - Jim Gaffigan

    Minnesota
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  • MelSharples
    MelSharples Posts: 260
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    Ooof, that sounds disgusting. That may haunt you for a few days...
    LBGE 2015 - Atlanta
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  • Ozzie_Isaac
    Ozzie_Isaac Posts: 19,043
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    If it is the best he has ever had then I would like to know what he has tried.

    Hey, if he is happy and excited then good for him.

    I remember my first trainwreck of a cook with a cheap offset.  Though, I knew it was bad and laughed with my family as we threw it all away.
    A bison’s level of aggressiveness, both physical and passive, is legendary. - NPS
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