Welcome to the EGGhead Forum - a great place to visit and packed with tips and EGGspert advice! You can also join the conversation and get more information and amazing kamado recipes by following Big Green Egg to Experience our World of Flavor™ at:
Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Instagram  |  Pinterest  |  Youtube  |  Vimeo
Share your photos by tagging us and using the hashtag #BigGreenEgg.

Want to see how the EGG is made? Click to Watch

Pulled Pork Flavor lacking

rabeb25
rabeb25 Posts: 28
edited November -0001 in EggHead Forum
So I smoked a 10lb pork butt last night, it was kind of an impromptu cook. Tried some new things, with this cook also. Tried cherry wood for the first time, and it was the first time I just did a rub, and did not marinade over night. Pulled it this morning, and I thought the flavor was lacking from my previous cooks, don't get me wrong it doesn't have a bad flavor or anything. Its in the fridge now and will be re-heated tomorrow for a little gathering. I was thinking that I could try and add some more flavor (smoke, rub, BBQ sauce) when I do this. I was thinking of doing a bit of seasoning, then heating it back up in the egg with some beef broth, and smoke wood. Or should I just toss it in the crock pot with some BBQ and call it a day? This is the first butt (out of 5) that I feel I need to add something too, the rest it would have been a disgrace to add a thing.

Thanks
Bryan
· Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Comments

  • RRP
    RRP Posts: 26,453
    Occasionally I'll experience the same thing that the internal meat is rather bland so I always try to thoroughly mix in as much bark as I can. I truly believe it is the nature of that butt! OTOH since I most always serve sauces on the side no one seems to notice the blandness and I've learned to keep my opinion to myself. It must work as I keep getting requests for more pulled pork!
    Re-gasketing the USA one yard at a time 
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Big'un
    Big'un Posts: 5,909
    What were you marinating the other pork butts in? I'm trying to discern the amount of flavor you might've had originally.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • thirdeye
    thirdeye Posts: 7,428
    I was thinking that I could try and add some more flavor (smoke, rub, BBQ sauce) when I do this. I was thinking of doing a bit of seasoning, then heating it back up in the egg with some beef broth, and smoke wood. Or should I just toss it in the crock pot with some BBQ and call it a day?

    Bryan,

    You bet you can....adding some rub or reheating liquids can jazz up pulled meats. I often add more of the same rub I used. I've never done a second smoke when reheating cold pulled pork,but I have done it following pulling. Here is a snip from my cookin' site:

    FLAVOR STEP - If you still have a low fire in the cooker when you are ready to pull the pork, add just a few wood chips. Put the pulled pork in a disposable aluminum pan and when the smoke settles down, put the pan in the cooker for a few minutes. Sample often and be careful not to dry it out. Sauce can be added for this step too.

    BTW, I also have a whole list of popular reheating liquids, look under RUBS, MOPS, BASTES...
    Happy Trails
    ~thirdeye~

    Barbecue is not rocket surgery
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • rabeb25
    rabeb25 Posts: 28
    I use Famous Daves Pork marinade, 24hrs in the fridge. Take out pour it over the butt, then put the rub on top of it. Usually use hickory, and about 220 pit temp.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Lionel
    Lionel Posts: 56
    I agree, I just finished pulling 2 8 pounders. I'll reheat tomorrow in plastic vac bags and serve with 3 different sauces. No one has complained yet.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • jeffinsgf
    jeffinsgf Posts: 1,259
    You've had some good advice on what to do now. I've got a comment on what might have happened. Cherry is a very subtle smoke. Hickory is a very intense smoke. If you've been happy with your hickory cooks, and you used roughly the same volume of cherry wood as you have used hickory, you won't get anywhere close to the same amount of smoke taste with the cherry. You'll need from 50 to 100 percent more cherry to get the same level of smoke, and even then it is a different taste -- not as sharp. So far, my favorite smokes have been a blend of hickory with cherry or other fruitwood. Fruitwoods by themselves can be very pleasant on some cuts of meat, but for pork, for my taste, you have to have at least a little hickory.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Categories