Another Bland, Tasteless Pork Butt :(

Unknown

Well, Gang,[p]Since the first butt I ever did (on a gas Weber!), all others have been the
same: Tasteless. The last 3 have been done on a Medium Kamado, no water
pan. The first was done indirect on a Genesis w/ water pan.[p]The first needed *No Seasoning*, delightful after being pulled, full of
flavor, nothing else needed.[p]The last ones *Had To* have salt/pepper and a finishing sauce, just to be
edible.[p]Everything is cooked at grill temp about 250 for minimum 1.5 hours/pound.
All were moist and not dried out.[p]So, my question to you all is:[p]Should Pulled Pork need any additional seasoning, or did I get incredibly
lucky with the piece of meat itself on the first one?[p]thx[p]bob
(who may go back and try gas next time)[p]

Mop

spongebob,I find that you can spice up the outside of the meat all you want and still end up with only SO much flavor.[p]DOn`t get me wrong, there is some great taste to 'rubbed only' butt......BUT!, if you want to spruce it up I feel it needs a little liquid help, in the form of a nice au jus or a wonderfull dipping sauce from Smoke & Spice like 'Memphis Magic or Vaunted Vinegar.....I don`t do pork butts without the addition of these anymore..[p]Mop
[/b]

Strmn2Smoke

spongebob,
I think you just got lucky the one time,I find few food items that always have the same qualities from time to time. I feel this depends on the way the product is raised or cultivated, with Mother Nature adding her two cents to the mix. This is probably the reason there is such a myriad of herbs, spices and adulterants available to us to bring the flavors to food we prefer.
Just remember those steaks you buy and how different the qualities are regardless of how they are cooked.//nde

Joel Ferman

Mop,
Try the drill-stuff method. Assuming my egg comes in today, and assuming it is is one piece, I'll try to thow up some pics by wed. morning.
-Joel

Wise One

spongebob, another factor might be smoke. It can depend on the type of lump used or if you add smoking wood it can depend on that. Despite the fact that smoke only penetrates the outer 1/2" or so of the meat, when it is all mixed up, the smoke can change the flavor.

Stogie

spongebob,[p]What exactly are you looking for in your pork butt? Pork is a fairly bland meat(as is chicken)..that is why it is such fun to cook....it offers the best "pallete" for experimenting.[p]You claim the first one was very tasty.....my view is that 90% of the pork butts we buy at the retail level are pretty much the same. There are no grading categories and most of the hogs these days are raised, fed and processed the same way(with only a handful of large processors doing it). So, your first one was probably close to the same as your last ones.[p]Now, if your first butt came fresh from a hog farmer, then that is the difference....and there is a difference![p]Also, every meat I cook needs some salt..especially large roasts, as your rubs will only penetrate to a depth of 5mm.[p]There are several ways to increase the flavor...serve with a sauce, as Mop stated. I personally serve 4 different sauces on the side...let your guests/family decide which they like.[p]You can also inject. This is very easy to do and any combination of spices can be injected...though try to keep the mixture as liquid as possible so it passes thru the needle. Many competition teams inject their butts for that added flavor.[p]When pulling, be sure to mix in the bark with the inside meat. Once all has been pulled, lightly sprinkle more of your rub into it....as I mentioned earlier, your surface rub will not reach your inside meat.[p]Hope this helps you out![p]Stogie

Gloria

spongebob,
We have had our Egg only for several months but have done three or four butts and they have all been the very best tasting pork we have ever done. We use a dry rub, the last one with The Naked Whiz's rub. I usually throw in whatever chips I have for a bit of extra seasoning, use a drip pan and have used a metal rack. The husband pulls it as soon as it can be handled and it is finger-lickin' good. The granddaughters stand around with their mouths open like baby birds while he does this. Don't give up. You may have just gotten hold of a butt that didn't have a good meat flavor. Sometimes that can happen with any meat that you buy.

Unknown

Stogie,[p]The first Butt tasted "seasoned" right after pulling it. I mean it didn't need anything and I'm a salt freak [p]Would not getting enough smoke cause a lack of flavor? The recent cooks haven't had much smoke action even though the lump was covered in chips. I had to keep the vents almost all the way closed to maintain 250 or less, so maybe the chips didn't get enough air to get smoking?[p]And maybe the first one was just an exceptional cut, even though they all have come from local supermarkets (not all from the same one)[p]Thx for the help,
bob

Unknown

Wise One,[p]You may have hit it! The first cook (Weber genesis) had tons of smoke (chips in foil on the burner)[p]Slow cooks on the Kamado have not yielded hardly any smoke, even when putting chips/chunks on the lump while starting. I have to run both vents almost closed to maintain 250 or less so maybe there is not enough air to get the chips going strong?[p]thx[p]bob

Bordello

spongebob,
I have a #1 K as well as eggs, I have only had it a short time but have no trouble getting smoke. I light all of my cookers the same way, dome up till the fire cube is out or if not using one till I see that the lump is glowing,close the dome and adjust to desired temp. For a long cook I use chunks rather then chips. One or two pieces on the lump, meat in and then have a brew a keep an eye the temp for a bit.[p]I ran 3 cookers (including the #1) the other day with just an onion and a little wood just to make the neighbors wonder, What is that cooking. I am one rotten neighbor.
HeeHeeHeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
New Bob

Stogie

spongebob,[p]Here is another possibility.....your first butt may have been injected. That is something I missed when I addressed your original post. But if you needed no salt, then that may be why.[p]Supermarkets have been carrying many products that are injected with a salt solution. Check the meat label...if they are injected, the label MUST state that.[p]Smoke will certainly add flavor, but again, not to the inside meat. [p]Keep on trying and experimenting. Maybe going back to the supermarket where you bought your first one is the answer.[p]Good Luck!![p]Stogie

Mikey

Are you sitting downwind of the cooker? A few hours of smoke will kill your smeller, and you can't taste what you've cooked.

Unknown

Joel Ferman,[p]"drill-stuff" method?[p]thx[p]bob

Freak

spongebob,[p]Try a picnc roast (shoulder cut) with the fat and skin still on. Cook it with the fat side up so it bastes itself. Smoke is great, but even if you did a low, slow cook, the meat will be falling apart and absolutely fantastic. I get my meat at Sam's Club or BJ's usually. The BGE can make a 69 cent/lb piece of meat taste like $12/lb! The last one was about 8-9lbs and took around 20 hours (at 225 +/- dome temp).

Sundown

spongebob,
Try a picnic shoulder. My family said there is a lot more flavor in the meat. I get a mild hammy kind of flavor from butt and shoulder. They swear there's a better flavor in the shoulder.

Unknown

Stogie,[p]The first one was from "Albertson's" a chain supermarket here in Ca. My wife had asked the butcher if they had pork butts and he went to look came back and asked if she wanted bone-in or boneless. She guessed and asked for bone-in. She thiks he went back and cut it for her. Since then, they have switched to pre-packaged pork so we haven't been able to at least retry from the same source.[p]thx[p]bob[p]

Unknown

mikey,[p]Upwind for me. Heck, there wasn't any smoke from the last cook. I need to improve my smokin' technique [p]bob

Mikey

try using chunks, bury 'em halfway in the charcoal. Chips may be just burning up.

Unknown

mikey,
will try that next time. Soaked or not?[p]bob