I had a 6.5 lb pork butt that I rubbed the night before with Head Country All Purpose Rub. I just wanted to try something different than Williams Rib Tickler Rub but this is still my preferred rub for butt and ribs. Let it set in the fridge over night uncovered and on the counter for an hour before throwing it into the smoker.
I started the smoker an hour before placing the meat inside using 2 large chunks of mesquite. I wanted a very heavy smoke flavor. Before throwing the meat into the smoker I added another layer of rub. I was going to inject with apple juice but I didn't have any and was too lazy to run to the store.
I threw the butt into the smoker at 8:00 am, fat side down. It ran till 2:00 pm when it hit 192* and I started testing with the temp probe. At 3:15 the probe told me it was done...butt temp was 200*.
I pulled it, wrapped it with 2 layers of heavy duty aluminum foil, into a small cooler with 3 beach towels surrounding the meat. When I pulled the meat at 6:15, it was still too hot to handle. Once pulled, I added 2/3 bottle of Cattlemen's Carolina Tangy Gold.
We made our sandwiches with Kaiser Rolls and topped them with cole slaw. Sides included Maur's home made mac & cheese (it's awesome), and chips.
Well. The Carolina style pulled pork sandwiches were delicious. The pork had nice smoke flavor but not as heavy as I expected. The mustard based sauce added a nice flavor but was not heavy with the quantities I used. The meat pulled easily and virtually all the fat was rendered except for a thin layer of the fat cap. It was a tad on the dry side but the sauce made up for this. I think the dryness was the result of pulling a tad too late vs cook temp.
I would use this faster method again if timeing were a concern. The results were good. But I think the overnight smoke starting at 180-200* and raising the temp to 235* in the morning adds a bit more smoke flavor. I ususally average around 2 hrs/lb this way, but it really requires no additional effort just a little more attention.
I still prefer Smokin's Finishing Sauce, but the Carolina Mustard Style Sauce was a nice and pleasant variation. Besides tasting great, Smokin's Finishing Sauce does a better job of covering any dryness resulting from over cooking.
Sorry. No pictures. Really no excuses. With today's smart phones, pictures are a snap...shot.
