Smoked Pork Butt

106/18: Smoked Pork Butt

106/18 – Smoked Pork Butt:

In the previous post I cooked Mabel’s Pork Belly from Playing with Fire by Michael Symon. As there was space in the KJ I decided to cook another dish from the book at the same time -Smoked Pork Butt.

105/18: Mabel’s Pork Belly

The book Playing with Fire by Michael Symon is currently £22.50 on Amazon.

The Meat:

4.4kg of Welsh Pork Butt – £32.54 from Rogers and Sons.

The meat was a good shape and colour, no trimming required.

Smoked Pork Butt

I used the Pork Rub from the book (Maldon Sea Salt, Black Pepper, Celery Seed, Ground Coriander and Sweet Paprika). I made extra for the Pork Belly so there was plenty. American mustard was rubbed in to the meat and the rub applied.

Smoked Pork Butt

The Cook:

The Kamado Joe Big Joe had been set up with a firebox full of Oxford Charcoal Oak Lumpwood and was lit in a single point in the centre with a Flamer. Vents open, lid down and when the temperature gauge hit 200f I started closing the vents a bit until it sat at 225f. At that point I put a big oak log on the fire, put the divide and conquer system in then put the meat on the grill.

I didn’t do anything else to the meat. No spritz, no wrapping, no looking! After 12 hours I stuck a meater probe in and after 13 hours the meat was at 203f so time to come out.

The bark was an amazing colour. I probed the meat with my Thermapen and it really was like butter, no resistance at all. The meat was so soft I couldn’t lift it was tongs, I had to scoop with with my grill grates tool!

Smoked Pork Butt

Safely moved into a gastronorm pan.

Smoked Pork Butt

I didn’t leave it to rest as I was too hungry. The problem with pulling it straight after cooking it is you need asbestos hands! I prefer to use my hands rather than forks or tools as I like it in bigger chunks rather than the strands you get with forks/tools. I feel that chunks retain the moisture better than the strands so you get a juicer (and tastier) dish!

It literally fell apart as I was touching it and the meat was really juicy. This was looking like the softest and best pork butt I had cooked so far!

Smoked Pork Butt

I had some of the Turner and George Demi Brioche buns left and as they were so good with the burgers I decided to use them with the pulled pork. Sliced open and some of the Poppy Seed Coleslaw made for the Pork Belly cook on top (from the same book: cider vinegar, sugar, mayonnaise, French mustard, poppy seeds, rapeseed oil, salt, pepper, green cabbage, red cabbage, red onion and coriander leaves).

Smoked Pork Butt

Pulled Pork on top.

Smoked Pork Butt

Some of the Cleveland BBQ sauce on top, also from the same book: Cider vinegar, red onion, chipotle in adobo sauce, Dalwhinnie Scottish Whisky (the book says Bourbon but I used Scotch), coriander seeds, smoked paprika, French mustard, American mustard, soy sauce, Maldon sea salt and black pepper.

Smoked Pork Butt

Bun lids on top.

Smoked Pork Butt

Time to eat! 

Smoked Pork Butt

SUMMARY:

The Mabel’s Pork Belly cook I did at the same time was really good, totally blew me away and this cook was equally as good!

I have cooked a lot of pulled pork over the years and always enjoyed it but this was the best one yet. It was the softest, juiciest meat so far. The bark from the rub was fantastic and the taste from the oak smoke was glorious.

These were the first low and slow cooks I have done on the Kamado Joe and my first low and slow cooks with charcoal rather than briquettes so I was a little nervous beforehand but the Kamado Joe and Oxford Charcoal were a great combination and got on with the job without me needing to hover.

The Kamado Joe was so easy to cook on. Once it was at 225f it pretty much stayed there with minimal intervention. So impressed with it and looking forward to more long cooks over lump.

Cook Difficulty: 3/5 
Cook Duration: Medium: 4/5
Cook Equipment: Kamado Joe Big Joe
Cook Method: Indirect / Low and Slow
Charcoal: Oxford Charcoal Oak
Smoking Wood: Oak log
Cook temperature: 225f
Cook time: 13 hours
Internal temperature: 203f
Notes: 1: No major changes

The book Playing with Fire by Michael Symon is currently £22.50 on Amazon.

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