Smokin Okies Vinegar Mop for Pulled Pork

I am making a butt for tonight's season opening Formula One race and I've decided to give this sauce a try. I figure if I don't like the taste I'll still be able to use the remainder of the sauce to remove the varnish from some old furniture or something.

[This message has been edited by Lucky Strikes (edited March 03, 2001).]

ow, oh, the pain of it

yeah, use it for paint remover...

you'll be eating those words and come back here and tell us how you enjoyed it.

I like it, a forum member with attitude.

You'll fit in just fine.



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Smokin Okie
It's done when it's done
Cookshack BBQ Guide Page

I can't wait to try the sauce! I'm using a commercial sauce from Lloyds which works very well. I noticed that it takes a lot of sauce, though: I mixed 2 lbs. sauce in with the pork, and now when I reheat it for sandwiches, I have to cover it with more sauce. I guess that's the way to do it, right? So how much of the vinegar sauce do you put on per pound of pork?

I'm sure you hear this all the time, but thanks for all the help. You da man!

Pete

Hey, thanks for the kind words, but I do this cause I love "Q" and I learn as much as I give.

Thanks to Cookshack for the new forum, I'm just an instigator...

For freshly pulled pork, how much sauce is really going to depend on your personal taste. I can see your point about taking a ton of sauce because some people will want to really taste it. Others will not want as much. Still others won't want any at all.

Now you see why I recommend keeping good notes. You're doing the right thing. I'd measure an amount of pork, figure out how much sauce (uh, I don't weigh my sauce in pounds like you did, I use cups)

As far as the sauce for pulled pork for later eating. The way I do it is after I've pulled and eaten my fill, I take one pound piles, put them in FoodSaver bags and add about 1/2cup per pound. I let it sit for about 15 min 'cause the pork will just suck this juice right up.

Then I seal it and freeze it.

When I need pulled pork, I take a 1 pound pack out of the freezer, throw it in boiling water and it comes out just like new. I've tried other methods, but this, for us, is the best.

Hope that helps.



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Smokin Okie
It's done when it's done
Cookshack BBQ Guide Page

Well I gave the old Eastern Carolina sauce a go this weekend and I am impressed.
It was not nearly as harsh as I had feared. I must say I'm not a huge fan of
putting sauce on my meats, but I do like to experiment with different things.
This Eastern Carolina sauce is by far the best I have tried. btw my wife just
loves the mustard based sauce. Thanks for both recipes.

Gosh Lucky.

I'm so disappointed. I thought you'd try it as a varnish remover also.

Glad to get it out there for people to try. Always looking for feedback and ideas.

Glad you enjoyed it.



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Smokin Okie
It's done when it's done
Cookshack BBQ Guide Page

My new Model 55 will arive at end of April. My question, as a Newbie, is how are you supposed to mop the pork butt while it is cooking in the smoker? I thought that you were supposed to leave the door closed until the meat was done since so much heat is lost when the door is opened. Seems to me that if you mop, then several hours will be added to the cooking process. Does a 8 lb butt need 20+ hours to cook if mopping is done? How often do you mop and how much more cooking time is added for each time the door is opened? Thanks for the assistance.

Boilermaker

Well, it's personal preference.

Yes, if you decide to mop, each time you open the door, will add to the smoke time. Sometimes that's not a bad thing, you can also add wood to add more smoke if you want. Many like their butts to have more smoke flavor.

I added this mop for those who like to mop.

If you don't have time to add to the already long smoke because of a deadline -- don't worry about the mop, go for a good finishing sauce.

Used this mop recipe for my tailgate today...was a big hit...not that the pulled pork wasn't already a touchdown!

Always good to hear, thanks.

In the 8 years or so, I almost alway have good comments. Feel free to adjust to your taste.

Only once have I had someone not like it, but that's okay too. Not everyone likes the vinegar, but the pork does.

I'm not a huge vinegar fan myself, so I used the Smokin's Pulled Pork Baste & Serving Sauce because it had less vinegar in it. It was really great and everyone loved it. First time I mopped and I'll be doing it again from now on. Thanks!

Smokin....your mopping sauce and mustard are the BEST!!!! I make up extra and label the containers "Oakies Mustard" and "Oakies Carolina Sauce". Thank you for all you do

Thanks.

Just give me credit and spell it OKIE

Glad you like it.

Done!

Thank you SmokinOKie,

This sauce is awesome.
I took some to a Christmas party on Saturday.
Everyone loved it.
Used as a table sauce.
Next time I will try the Mustard sauce.

Thank you,
Brian

This sauce receipe is excellent as it is. Since I'm a Texan, the first time I worked in North Carolina, A native invited me to the best bbq in Tarboro. Was I surprised when, expecting beef brisket, ribs, or maybe chicken with a tomato based sauce. The bbq was pulled pork with a vinegar based sauce. No, it wasn't Texas bbq, but it was damned good.

This sauce is the real deal for pork. Just like my memory from my first trip.

Since then, East Carolina bbq has been a staple in my smoking portfolio.

It's all wondweful.

Thanks Kellycooks.

I'm not from there but I like the style. Glad it is as good as you remembered.

Russ

Smokin, when you say you mop your pork butt, how often do you do it through the cooking process, and what's the method? Just brush it on?

Also, how do you feel about injecting your meat?

Until he gets here,he might say" what cooker are you using".

The traditional small Cookshacks cook so moist,that we open the doors, to dump moisture, and don't need to add any.

Cookers that flow lots of air,like the oilfield pipe offsets,may require it.



He might say, if you are cooking a very large butt,and decide to turn it over ,halfway thru the cook-so it doesnt stick to the rack,and you are doing it to add a layer of flavor,that would be a good time.

Hope this helps a little-until he checks in.

I'm using the SM20. The butts are only 6 and 5 pounds.

Okie this sauce is mmmmyyyy all you need is Q and bread and of course THE sauce. Add KFC slaw and you've got a bomb of a sandwich

Don from S Carolina

I'm from Eastern North Carolina, and the only thing we did differently is that we used 1/2 white vinegar and 1/2 cider vinegar. The white vinegar isn't quite as acidic and a tad sweeter. Makes a big difference IMHO...

Otherwise, spot on...

I have the smallest cookshack and have never mopped. I'm sure it can add flavor but I've never felt it necessary. I've cooked 10 lbs pork shoulders and never felt like the lack of a mop affected the flavor. In fact, I've dialed in a recipe I found in a BBQ book that included a dry rub and a sauce and it is an awesome combo. It is an apple cider/vinegar based sauce. Ironically, I used to really dislike vinegar-based sauces. Then I found this combo of rub and sauce and I stopped making anything else on my pork butts. It is simply awesome. I'm probably missing out on other good recipes but this one keeps me going back.

I keep good notes and now feel like I know exactly how much wood my friends and I like. One of the things I love about the cookshack is the ability to throw everything in and let he magic happen. I can be doing other things (drinking beer) without worrying about the meat. My old smoker did not hold heat well and required a lot of work to keep a stable temperature.

As a side note, I got a recipe out of the Big Bob Gibson BBQ book for brisket and it too is awesome. Again, throw it all in the smoker and let it do all the work.

quote:

Originally posted by rrweather:
... In fact, I've dialed in a recipe I found in a BBQ book that included a dry rub and a sauce and it is an awesome combo. It is an apple cider/vinegar based sauce.

Maybe post your recipe in the PB forum for all to see and use.

SO,

Can I use either the apple juice sauce or the vinegar sauce for reheating/keeping the pork warm?

Do you have a preference?

Sure,

Are you going to be holding. One option would be to add a little to keep it moist and then add a little right when you serve it. A little goes a long way, but it's very easy to modify it however your tastes desire.

I was going to add a little to hold it in a pan inside a Nesco roaster. I'll let the guests sauce with either the vinegar sauce or a Lexington sauce. Which do you think is best for the hold apple juice or cider vinegar?

You need to make the both and decide for yourself. They are a little different and you need to match the one that matches the rub/smoke flavor of your PB.

So when using a mop, is the concept that the mop is in addition to a dry rub upfront or instead of?

quote:

Originally posted by Hozer:
So when using a mop, is the concept that the mop is in addition to a dry rub upfront or instead of?

Hozer, when I mop (which is rarely with my Cookshack) it's always in addition to a dry rub. I've found the CS is a moist enough environment that mopping isn't needed and actually adds to the cook time.
Now, I will add a little moppin' sauce before I FTC and always have some available at the table. Hope this helped.

Thanks Slim...I'll give that a try on my PB's this weekend.

Hozer, as Slim said with the CS being so moist there shouldn’t be a need to mop. I used to use AJ when I FTCed, but once I tried Smokin Okies Vinegar Mop for Pulled Pork I haven’t gone back. Since this is an old thread and it’s getting long I’ll repost Smokin’s recipe. It really is hard to beat. I won't do a butt without it.

Smokin Okies Vinegar Mop for Pulled Pork (also called an Eastern Carolina Sauce)
• 2 cups cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar (packed)
• 2 tablespoons salt (I like the flavor in Kosher/Sea Salt and bigger granules)
• 2 tablespoon red pepper (crushed)
• 1 teaspoon cayenne (I've also used Hungarian Paprika)

Don't need to cook this sauce, just combine, let sit overnight. Put this on your Butt, it'll go wild

Smokin Okie I made this and tweaked it a little and my buddies and I actually really like it as sauce as much as a mop . We're in AL where it's mostly tomatoe based.... My question is have you or anyone for that matter ever made like gallon of this instead of 2 cups? I'm going to need a bunch next weekend and if I make a gallon I'm just a little worried if I quadruple (or whatever the amount is) the recipe the cayenne/salt/pepper flake maybe too much. Any suggestions? I really don't feel like making a ton of small batches is the way to go. All help is greatly appreciated. Ive been letting it sit a week or two and it's the bomb. All help is appreicated!!!!

I've never made it in that quantity, but I would expect that it would scale up just fine. The challenge is to let it "meld".

If you're really worried about the head, use 1/2 the amount for the gallon. Give it a day or two and taste it. See how it tastes. If it's fine, your good. If you want more heat, add them in.

I've used it as a sauce, and my daughter loves it.

Made this sauce last week in a smaller portion. Needless to say, I am making the full portion this week! What a knockout! Outstanding taste on pulled pork...

Okie,

You say you mop in the last hour....Do you mop any before this? Curious because the mopping throughout could provide great advantages but having to open the door throughout the smoke is a no no also. Just a curious begginer. Thanks for all the tips.

Up to you ZHD. Mopping is for flavor, it (for me) doesn't really help keep the food "more" moist, that's why I do it at the end.

You need to match it to your rubs and smoke.

Give it a try and see.

And correct, if you open the door moor, you'll need to add cooking time (depends on smoker as to how much longer).