# Another Pork Butt Question



## ddog27 (Jul 27, 2006)

Ok one more question about cooking pork butt. Normally when I cook pork butt I smoke it until it reaches 165 degrees. Then I foil it and put it back on the smoker until the pork butt reaches 190 – 200 degrees. I use the foiling as a chance to add more flavors. Do most of you foil your pork butts? If not why? Do you get better bark if you do not foil? Is the meat still moist if you do not put it in foil?


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## Captain Morgan (Jul 27, 2006)

I don't see how foil adds flavor.  It can keep meat juicy.  I never foil
my butts unless it's gonna rest for a while.  Foil means steam, which
can destroy your bark.  I do foil ribs, but with the 3-2-1 method which
allows the crust to firm up.


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## LarryWolfe (Jul 27, 2006)

ddog27 said:
			
		

> Ok one more question about cooking pork butt. Normally when I cook pork butt I smoke it until it reaches 165 degrees. Then I foil it and put it back on the smoker until the pork butt reaches 190 – 200 degrees. I use the foiling as a chance to add more flavors. Do most of you foil your pork butts? If not why? Do you get better bark if you do not foil? Is the meat still moist if you do not put it in foil?



Darin, I don't foil butts for a number of reasons. 1) shoulders have enough fat and don't need to be foiled to retain moisture, 2) foiling makes the butt steam and boil in it's fat and IMO gives you a greasy/mushy product and texture, 3) it ruins the bark.  This is just my opinion, there are alot of people that foil and are happy with their results.  Cook the butts the way you like the finished product the best.  

I agree with Cappy, I don't understand how foiling adds more flavor.  Can you elaborate more on this??

BTW, I do foil my butts when I'm resting them.  But by then they're pretty rendered out of excess fat.


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## ddog27 (Jul 27, 2006)

I usually add something when I put it in the foil. Like put some TPJ on it and then foil it. Something like that.


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## chris1237 (Jul 27, 2006)

I never foil my butts or ribs. I think i get a better product when i dont foil. Ill foil them when I put them in a cooler to rest but that is it. Ill foil my briskets sometimes.

Chris


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## SteerCrazy (Jul 27, 2006)

Me personally and unless you are strapped for time, you shouldn't have to foil your butts. You really can't mess up a butt unless you cooked it too long with the temp over 300* or something like that and just dried it out. Foiling does mean steam and a mushy bark. And again, you can foil them and put in a cooler with a towel or something to let them rest for a few hours before you pull them. I'm sure you'll hear all the same stuff.


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## john pen (Jul 27, 2006)

I only foil after it comes out and is resting...On my next one, Im going to wrap in cellophane wrap before foil while resting....


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## Jack W. (Jul 27, 2006)

I don't foil unless I need to hit a time and I'm running short.  Even then only for a short time and then I put them back on the pit to dry out.  Kind of like the 3-2-1 method with ribs.  IMHO the meat becomes dry and stringy when you use foil.  I do foil them to rest.  

There is not much advantage to adding any kind of liquid to a whole butt in foil.  Meat that is cooking is rendering out.  It is naturally removing most of the flavor you put on the butt.  A cooling piece of meat will reabsorb some moisture naturally, but not much.  The technique is used with resting brisket.  

When I do use foil, I add a good bit of the "juice" back into the pulled pork in the pan.  Some folks like to put the "juice" into a pan of some kind and put it into a refrigerator, allowing the fat to come to the top and be skimmed off.  The resulting "juice" is then added back into the pulled pork to make it moist.  

Good Que!

Jack


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## Jack W. (Jul 27, 2006)

wdroller said:
			
		

> I haven't done a brisket on my smoker, but I understand that foil is a necessity for that cut of beef.



I rarely use foil on my home briskets but, that's another thread!   

Good Q!

Jack


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## Thom Emery (Jul 27, 2006)

I just dont care for the effect foil has on the bark


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## Finney (Jul 27, 2006)

*Re: aluminum pans*



			
				bige1 said:
			
		

> how do you all use aluminum pans while cooking , do you put the meat in the pan or the pan under the meat ?


For pork butts?
Neither.


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## LarryWolfe (Jul 27, 2006)

Jeff E said:
			
		

> [quote="john pen":2im941g2]I only foil after it comes out and is resting...On my next one, Im going to wrap in cellophane wrap before foil while resting....



I've heard of people using cellophane + foil for holding before. What's the reason for this? Is it supposed to retain the heat better?
I also never foil a butt (except after the cook) unless I'm running out of time. That only happened once & I didn't like the finished product as much.[/quote:2im941g2]

Jeff, I've seen it too......... I suppose it's supposed to make a better seal, who knows.  IMO, it's strange and a waste of time.  Doesn't make a lick of sense to me...... [-X


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## Puff1 (Jul 27, 2006)

Larry Wolfe said:
			
		

> [quote="Jeff E":vtmj9yvj][quote="john pen":vtmj9yvj]I only foil after it comes out and is resting...On my next one, Im going to wrap in cellophane wrap before foil while resting....



I've heard of people using cellophane + foil for holding before. What's the reason for this? Is it supposed to retain the heat better?
I also never foil a butt (except after the cook) unless I'm running out of time. That only happened once & I didn't like the finished product as much.[/quote:vtmj9yvj]

Jeff, I've seen it too......... I suppose it's supposed to make a better seal, who knows.  IMO, it's strange and a waste of time.  Doesn't make a lick of sense to me...... [-X[/quote:vtmj9yvj]
Wouldn't the cellophane melt from the heat of the butt taken right off the fire?


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## john pen (Jul 27, 2006)

Im thinking the cellophane might hold the moisture/juices in during the resting period...


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## Captain Morgan (Jul 27, 2006)

the cellophane won't melt at resting temps.  

That said, I agree with Larry...skip it on butts.

Butts don't just need much help.


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## Puff1 (Jul 27, 2006)

Just wondering, never heard of wrapping in cellophane before.


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## john pen (Jul 27, 2006)

Puff said:
			
		

> Just wondering, never heard of wrapping in cellophane before.



I got the idea from watching bbq comps on television..I have'nt actually tried it yet..


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## Puff1 (Jul 27, 2006)

john pen said:
			
		

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Really, I watch them all the time and i've never seen it.
Something to think about for sure :-k


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## DaleP (Jul 27, 2006)

I have seen several guys use saran wrap for butts at comps. Not just for resting, but while cooking. When I stumbled over to ask why, the reply was time saver and to keep smoke down. These folks were cooking on stick burners, not bullets though. I was cooking butts on a WSM and took their advice. I had overdone, mushy PP.


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## Finney (Jul 27, 2006)

DaleP said:
			
		

> I have seen several guys use saran wrap for butts at comps. Not just for resting, but while cooking. When I stumbled over to ask why, the reply was time saver and to keep smoke down. These folks were cooking on stick burners, not bullets though. *I was cooking butts on a WSM and took their advice. I had overdone, mushy PP.*


They probably did too.


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## LarryWolfe (Jul 28, 2006)

DaleP said:
			
		

> I have seen several guys use saran wrap for butts at comps. Not just for resting, but while cooking. When I stumbled over to ask why, the reply was time saver and to keep smoke down. *These folks were cooking on stick burners, not bullets though*. I was cooking butts on a WSM and took their advice. I had overdone, mushy PP.



Dale no offence to you, but it doesn't matter what they were cooking on.  If they can't control their fire to the point they need to plastic/foil wrap their butts to prevent them from over smoking, then they don't have a clue what they're doing.  [-X


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## Jack W. (Jul 28, 2006)

Larry Wolfe said:
			
		

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That's a mighty bold statement Larry:

 :pop:  :pop:  :pop:  :pop:  :pop:  :pop:  :pop:  :pop:  :pop:  :pop: 

Good Q!

Jack


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## Bill The Grill Guy (Jul 28, 2006)

I'm not looking for a fight here but why do some of you feel that those of us who foil are wrong.  Some of the state and national champions foil thier butts.  

Hell, just this weekend I saw Pigs on the Run using suran wrap on his pork during the cook.  He just won in Chesapeke using this method.





I for one dont want hard crusty chunks in my Q.  I prefer moist and tender pulled pork.  

I realize that everyone has thier own opionion of what good Q is.  All I am saying is quit chastizing those of us who choose to foil.


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## Guest (Jul 28, 2006)

Bill's gettin' feisty!  He must be feelin' better...  :grin:


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## Bill The Grill Guy (Jul 28, 2006)

*Re: aluminum pans*



			
				bige1 said:
			
		

> how do you all use aluminum pans while cooking , do you put the meat in the pan or the pan under the meat ?



BigE1, I use an aluminum foil sheet turned up on the ends to hold the juices when I do brisket.  I use the juices to mop as it cooks.  I also put the fat side up.


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## DaleP (Jul 28, 2006)

Larry Wolfe said:
			
		

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No offense taken Larry but remember that there are more than one way to do just about everything, skinning cats or cooking P butts. The guys that were useing saran wrap were set up like they knew what they were doing. You should have seen how they cooked brisket. I would tell you but I dont think you could handle it. :razz:


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## wittdog (Jul 28, 2006)

DaleP said:
			
		

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Did it involve pop-up timers? :razz:


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## Finney (Jul 28, 2006)

wittdog said:
			
		

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I always buy the briskets with the pop-up timers. 8-[


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