As I outlined in a post last week, there were a few key experimentation points I was going to be trying out this weekend with the butt. I will address each of those items here with results.
1 - the bark. The pork ribs from 2 weeks ago tasted good but looked awful due to the coal black bark that was produced. To remedy this, I modified the dry rub to include no sugar and thus eliminate possibility of over caramelization and burning. Instead, I added a sugary glaze only during the last 15-20 minutes of the smoke in order to limit caramelization.
The result was a huge success. The bark I got on the butt was fantastic - a dark mahogany color that was full of flavor and aromas.
2 - injection. I could definitely taste the flavors of the injection in the innermost sections of the butt where marinade and brines wouldn't be able to penetrate. The added moisture also helped to keep the meat moist and succulent. Therefore, another success.
3 - tenting - that is, wrapping the meat in aluminum foil once it hits 160F in order to encourage moisture retention and tenderizing through steaming. The tenting also worked well. The pork was definitely juicy and moist and the tent helped to lock in the flavors of the rubs and mops. Success!
4 - modification of my use of a spritz/mop. The mop I made this weekend was a lot more flavorful due to the incorporation of the dry rub in it, as well as the hint of worcestershire sauce. I could definitely smell the vinegar presence although the flavor was just slightly tangy and not overpowering. Limiting the number of times I mopped also helped to preserve the heat in the smoker and reduce the heat variations. I believe this led to a better cook.
All in all, I am very pleased with the results. I will be using a lot of them again when I try pork ribs again.
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