Pork butt cooked two ways...

[PZ]

... one was quick cooked in a pressure cooker, and a second one in an SRG to give it that smoky, thick, crisp bark

https://plus.google.com/photos/110957275165794846081/albums/6249869241287509761

[Binnatics]

Nice pictures :-X

I love the colour of the pork meat after being smoked :)

[PZ]

Thanks BinnZ,

Smoked that way it is a real treat; crispy and spicy on the outside and moist and tender on the inside.  Plus an added benefit is that many people don't know how to cook it, so it is one of the cheapest cuts in the market - right now $1.78/pound

[mandru]

Looks fantastic PZ.  :-X

I know pulled pork is a standard preparation practice but I saw a show where a pit operator surprised the interviewer when he chopped his pork roughly into various sized bites but seldom much larger than 1 1/2 inch chunks instead of pulling it, even though on the menu it was called pulled.

When questioned about his reasoning behind his variation on tradition he pointed out that after pulling the pork no matter how moist the meat is when it comes out of the pit within 10 to 15 minutes after being held in the warming tray whether piled on a plate or into a sandwich all those loose splayed muscle fibers (if you look closely at the finished and ready pork) start to dry out and he didn't want none of that.  By cleanly cutting the muscle bunches without fraying there's less exposure of the internal grain of the meat and that helps the majority of the meat to stay moist and tender.

I'm not saying I wouldn't eat pulled pork.  I've probably eaten more than my share of manna on the hoof and still yours looks as good as any I've ever seen.  The rind on the pork in shots 3 & 4 really got my mouth watering.  I have a local shop where my favorite order is the double meat pulled pork sandwich with their vinegar based pig sauce and lots of zippy Q.  I've just always wanted to try that pit boss's approach to see a pulled pork so moist that any sauce added is purely for flavor and not to keep the bread roll from sticking to the roof of your mouth.  :-D

[Art Blade]

 :-D

I am so happy I just ate something. Else I might have started to nibble on my monitor for a bit.

[fragger]

I'm not. I'm looking at this at 3:50 am on an empty stomach. I'll never learn, will I? Nearest thing I have to that in the house is the dog's jerked beef treats, and I'm not quite that desperate.

Damn but that looks good PZ, can almost smell it :-X :)

[PZ]

Thanks for the kind comments, gents.  ^-^ After pulling the pork, I bagged it into three large portions for the freezer, and my wife likes it so much we had sandwiches again last night.

mandru: I'm not exactly sure why, but preparing the butt in the SRG leaves the meat inside moist enough that we did not even use sauce of any kind in our sandwiches.  However we ate straight away so the meat did not have time to dry on warming tray.  Also, we do use the FTC method, which adds a couple of hours to the process, but redistributes all the juices within the roast. Foil, Towel, Cooler is the method where you double wrap the meat in foil, then wrap the package in towels, and then into a cooler to maintain the heat. The juices redistribute, and the cooking processes continues for a couple of hours. This makes all the difference in maintaining moist meat, but I doubt that any commercial establishment uses that practice.

All I can say is that I've not experienced this kind of sandwich at any restaurant.  I guess that is why my wife and I plan a wonderful menu for this weekend rather than going out.  :-()

This is where I keep my favorite recipes My screen name is Fritzie after a cousin who died when I was a kid - Fritz Kruger

[Art Blade]

the image you're using over there for your profile gives it away. We know it, that sniping dog pic. :-D

[PZ]

 :-D

I had a couple of boneless ribeye steaks in the freezer - I purchase the whole thing and then cut it into steaks - much cheaper that way.  Plus, I like mine thick - 1.5 inches while my wife likes only 1-inch thick. After thawing, for Valentine's day I cooked them to 127 degrees F using the sous vide method, and then a high heat infrared sear to caramelize the outsides. I made a sauce with mushrooms, onions and garlic, heavy cream, white wine, blue cheese, salt and pepper.

Served with a sangiovese, it was a perfect Valentine's day dinner.

[fragger]

         B-))

<stomach rumble>

[Art Blade]

you just had to bump it, didn't you. Now I'm hungry again  :D :-D

[PZ]

Now I'm hungry as well!  :-()

[Art Blade]

 

dang, now I am considering a late-night supper. ;D