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Pulled vs Chopped Barbecue

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Comments

  • Carolina Q
    Carolina Q Posts: 14,831
    edited June 2014
    Lit said:
    I realized whoever wrote it had no clue what they were talking about when they said pulled at 185. Ever tried to pull a shoulder at 185 degrees? Good luck. I never chop it not a fan at all. I do slice sometimes but I usually aim for 180-185 to slice and 195-200 to pull.
    I realized the author had no clue when I read the subtitle!  :D

    "My first trip through North Carolina."
    Personally, I prefer chopped. That said, in the Skylight Inn video I posted the other day, their whole hog looked pullable even though they chopped it. So I imagine it was cooked to 200-ish. They don't own a Thermapen though. 
    :D

    Anyway, I'm going to try the lower temp. It may or may not be great Q, but I know it won't be bad Q..

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

    Michael 
    Central Connecticut 

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  • tarheelmatt
    tarheelmatt Posts: 9,867
    A nice coarse chopped wins hands down over "pulled pork" anyday.  I never knew what "pulled pork" was until I was older.  

    Now, most people here think pulled pork, they think a boston butt, which can be mushy texture.  In Lexington, they cook shoulders, which is more lean.  

    In Lexington, you can get chopped, coarse, or sliced.  I do believe they pull at lower temps though, but not 100% sure on that.  

    Give me a coarse chopped plate, slaw, crinkle cut fries, and hushpuppies and I am good to go!  Bow down all you others....
    ------------------------------
    Thomasville, NC
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  • Carolina Q
    Carolina Q Posts: 14,831
    edited June 2014
    tarheelmatt said:
    In Lexington, you can get... 
    Well, you can TRY to get. I have never been to Honey Monk's, though I did try the last time I was down that way. I was on my way to Charlotte on I-85. Pulled off at one of these three exits (no idea which), stopped at a gas station and asked how to get to "Lexington Barbecue", the only name I had heard at the time. They had no idea what I was talking about. Didn't have time to keep looking so I just kept driving.

    Surprised they didn't know. Yeah, it's all the way across town... but it's a SMALL town! Oh well.

    image

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

    Michael 
    Central Connecticut 

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  • tarheelmatt
    tarheelmatt Posts: 9,867
    Next time you're down this way let me know. Would love to break bread with you! Honeymonk is off Bus 85. Them, Speedy's and BBQ Center are within 5 mins of each other.
    ------------------------------
    Thomasville, NC
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  • Carolina Q
    Carolina Q Posts: 14,831
    edited June 2014
    tarheelmatt said:
    Next time you're down this way let me know. Would love to break bread with you! Honeymonk is off Bus 85. Them, Speedy's and BBQ Center are within 5 mins of each other.
    Cool! You can cook up a batch of "pulled pork". If you have any problem, you can ask a Texan how to do it. =))  Just kidding, folks. Sorta. :)

    Seriously, thanks for the invite, but It may be a while. My in laws lived in Charlotte so I used to travel 85 fairly frequently. They both passed away in the last few years so I don't know when I'll be back that way. In fact, my ill-fated attempt to sample the Q at #1 was when I was on my way to my FIL's funeral. That's why I didn't spend any time looking. 

    Anyway, thanks. You never know. :)


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

    Michael 
    Central Connecticut 

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  • pasoegg
    pasoegg Posts: 449

    The big three in Lexington - Honey Monk / Speedy's / and BBQ Center.  If you don't get enough to eat, stop by the BBQ center and get the banana split.  Make sure you park in the handicapped spot cause your gonna need it when they roll you out after that bait of food.  I just made myself hungry so guess me and the misses is heading to Lexington tonite to splurge!

    "it is never too early to drink, but it may be too early to be seen drinking"

    Winston-Salem, NC

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  • Smokinpig
    Smokinpig Posts: 739
    Jealous @pasoegg‌ I miss those days of a quick run to Lexington. I will just dream about my last batch of chopped Q and slaw and look forward to next weeks batch for the 4th.

    LBGE Atlanta, GA


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  • tarheelmatt
    tarheelmatt Posts: 9,867
    I am wanting some now!  We need to get up a local bunch to go eat at one of the big three.  I personally like Speedy's, but will eat at any one of them.  
    ------------------------------
    Thomasville, NC
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  • Eggcelsior
    Eggcelsior Posts: 14,414
    Ugh. I hate you Carolina Q. I'm headed to Myrtle Beach on Tuesday night and my wife is going to kill me when I make a huge detour. ;)
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  • tarheelmatt
    tarheelmatt Posts: 9,867
    I have in-laws in Mon-Thurs.  I would love to break bread with you too, @Eggcelsior.  
    ------------------------------
    Thomasville, NC
    My YouTube Channel - The Hungry Hussey
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  • tarheelmatt
    tarheelmatt Posts: 9,867
    @Eggcelsior, where is your detour going to make a stop at?  Honey Monk?  
    ------------------------------
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    My YouTube Channel - The Hungry Hussey
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  • Eggcelsior
    Eggcelsior Posts: 14,414
    Don't know yet. Depends on when we leave.
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  • tarheelmatt
    tarheelmatt Posts: 9,867
    I am tasting a chopped sandwich right now with a skin on it from Honey Monks... 
    ------------------------------
    Thomasville, NC
    My YouTube Channel - The Hungry Hussey
    Instagram
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  • golfandgrill
    golfandgrill Posts: 198
    Besides the obvious, what's the difference between pulled vs chopped? Only have ever had "pulled".

    Looks fricken good I must say
    Fighting Sioux Hockey
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  • Carolina Q
    Carolina Q Posts: 14,831
    edited June 2014
    Eggcelsior said:
    Ugh. I hate you Carolina Q. I'm headed to Myrtle Beach on Tuesday night and my wife is going to kill me when I make a huge detour. ;)
    Try Ralph's in Weldon. You'll get your fix and it's literally 1/2 mile off of I-95. Exit 173 to US Rte 158 at Roanoke Rapids. Third exit after you cross into NC. I've stopped there a number of times. Good stuff.

    image

    Or Parker's a but further south in Wilson. Never been there, but it's supposed to be good. Anything else I know of will be a bit of a detour. :) Have a great trip!!

    image


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

    Michael 
    Central Connecticut 

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  • Carolina Q
    Carolina Q Posts: 14,831
    Eggcelsior, BTW, I'm pretty sure Ralph's cooks their Q with gas or electric, not wood. I still like it (though it's been a few years). And it's convenient from 95... so your wife won't kill you. :)

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

    Michael 
    Central Connecticut 

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  • Smokinpig
    Smokinpig Posts: 739
    Take with a grain of salt....  The book Holy Smoke, "The Big book of North Carolina Barbecue"(page 97-98) recommends finishing at 170 degrees to 190 degrees for a boston butt, stating 180 is best in their opinion.

    LBGE Atlanta, GA


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  • Lit
    Lit Posts: 9,053
    I agree I like to slice at 180-185 depending on the toughness when I probe. I have never chopped one at the 180-185 range always at the same temp I would pull it. I may need to revisit and chop one around 180. Sounds like a good weekend to give it a try.
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  • Lit
    Lit Posts: 9,053
    So I did 2 boneless butts from costco yesterday to try chopped cooked to 180 degrees. I had chopped it before but I always cooked it to 200 like when I wanted to pull it and it came out mushy. I did them turbo which is great because I threw them on at 7am and at 2 they were right at 180 with a perfect bark so I foiled them and headed to the pool. Several friends came back with us from the pool and I chopped them and made sandwiches and I have to say chopped is much better when cooked to 180 it still has some texture that way. This is probably my new way to cook pork not because its better than pulled I think they are pretty much the same but it saved me an easy hour plus cooking to a lower temp and the bark was at the perfect point where the seasoning wasn't over cooked which it might have been with another hour or 2 at 350.
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  • Smokinpig
    Smokinpig Posts: 739
    I experimented a little over the weekend as well. I cooked a 9 pound bone in at 250 and pulled at 190 vs 195. Both my wife and mother in law found it to be much more moist after it was chopped, I could not tell a huge difference, perhaps I will go lower toward 180.

    LBGE Atlanta, GA


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