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Smoked Pork Shoulder is dry, how to fix post-smoke?

Posted on 3/21/22 at 11:19 am
Posted by AutoYes_Clown
Baton Rouge, LA
Member since Oct 2012
5169 posts
Posted on 3/21/22 at 11:19 am
I had a calamity of errors in this weekend's pork shoulder and it's too dry.

My first major error was I accidentally unplugged my smoker. The error wasn't caught for like 2 hours when I went to check on it again. This isn't the first time I've had this happen whether unplugging or not setting timer long enough. When I checked it, the internal temp only lost 3 degs at the time, but would go on to lose 30 deg total and extended cook time by some 10+ hours. This has happened before, and has never been an issue (other than time), but my 2nd error did me in this time:

My second major error was not using my larger and tougher grilling aluminum foil to wrap, and only once wrapping with no pan. The bottom tore a hole at some point and I lost all drippings. I normally re-introduce drippings after cooling and removing the fat.

I took the meat out at 202 deg and the fat rendered, but straight out of the hole in foil. I let rest for over an hour and then pulled. Flavor is not an issue, I dry brined with Jay Ducote's Sweet & Spicy Rub overnight. However, the pork is too dry for my family and I'd like to try to salvage. We prefer to add sauce at the table so I'd rather not slather the pork with sauce at this point. Is there any juice or broth recipe I can use to salvage the shredded pork to not be so dry?
Posted by CoachChappy
Member since May 2013
32501 posts
Posted on 3/21/22 at 11:20 am to
Extra sauce and coleslaw at the table
Posted by SixthAndBarone
Member since Jan 2019
8123 posts
Posted on 3/21/22 at 11:22 am to
Apple juice works great. Not sure how much it will help though.
Posted by t00f
Not where you think I am
Member since Jul 2016
89642 posts
Posted on 3/21/22 at 11:23 am to
quote:

I dry brined with Jay Ducote's Sweet & Spicy Rub overnight


most def the issue
Posted by Saskwatch
Member since Feb 2016
16534 posts
Posted on 3/21/22 at 11:25 am to
quote:

shredded pork to not be so dry?


Mix in sauce.

Use pork in other dishes besides serving straight -- Like TexMex, White Beans, etc...
Posted by SixthAndBarone
Member since Jan 2019
8123 posts
Posted on 3/21/22 at 11:43 am to
quote:

most def the issue


Seasoning the night before with a bbq rub will not dry out a pork shoulder. It will dry the surface.

I’m assuming he has a butt, not a whole shoulder.

The salt in the rub will pull some of the water from inside the meat to the surface to bind with the salt but think about how big a pork shoulder is. Overnight bbq rub will not pull that much water to the surface. Certainly not enough to make the butt dry.

The most likely issue was the meat cooking in foil with the liquid and steam escaping from the hole. Now, you don’t have to wrap a butt to keep it moist.

So I’m going to say the radiant heat from the foil helped heat the environment pushing the moisture and the steam towards the hole to escape. That may very well have been the issue but I would also think something with the cook helped as well.
Posted by t00f
Not where you think I am
Member since Jul 2016
89642 posts
Posted on 3/21/22 at 11:56 am to
quote:

most def the issue


Seasoning the night before with a bbq rub will not dry out a pork shoulder. It will dry the surface.


sorry, inside joke to some of my peeps.
Posted by SixthAndBarone
Member since Jan 2019
8123 posts
Posted on 3/21/22 at 12:01 pm to
I thought I was one of your peeps. I feel sad now not knowing your inside jokes.
Posted by t00f
Not where you think I am
Member since Jul 2016
89642 posts
Posted on 3/21/22 at 12:05 pm to
IRL peeps, not ebuddy peeps, 6aB
Posted by BugAC
St. George
Member since Oct 2007
52738 posts
Posted on 3/21/22 at 12:07 pm to
I would say the long cook is the reason your pork butt dried out. Wrapping a pork but doesn’t do much, IMO. There is plenty of fat to keep it moist.

All in, how many hours did you cook it?
This post was edited on 3/21/22 at 12:09 pm
Posted by Datfish
Member since Sep 2018
789 posts
Posted on 3/21/22 at 12:22 pm to
Mix with fat. Butter is a good source.
Posted by Loup
Ferriday
Member since Apr 2019
11188 posts
Posted on 3/21/22 at 12:52 pm to
make chili with it and serve in burritos or make frito pies
Posted by jchamil
Member since Nov 2009
16445 posts
Posted on 3/21/22 at 1:23 pm to
Use it for Brunswick Stew
Posted by Jibbajabba
Louisiana
Member since May 2011
3878 posts
Posted on 3/21/22 at 1:46 pm to
I’ve never seen inedibly dry pork butt. If I was presented with a large quantity of it, I would probably toss the shredded pork with a little bit of butter and a little bit of bbq sauce.
Posted by AlxTgr
Kyre Banorg
Member since Oct 2003
81591 posts
Posted on 3/21/22 at 2:20 pm to
Let in sit in a big pot of simmering chicken broth?
Posted by ChEgrad
Member since Nov 2012
3258 posts
Posted on 3/21/22 at 9:12 pm to
Did you pull based on temperature or use other doneness checks? While 202 may be a good temp, it is possible it was actually done before that. Each piece of meat is different and I don’t rely solely on temperature.

That said, dry meat will be dry meat and all you can do is dress it up in some fashion. I’ve never truly succeeded in rejuvenation.
Posted by Trout Bandit
Baton Rouge, LA
Member since Dec 2012
13198 posts
Posted on 3/22/22 at 1:19 pm to
quote:

IRL peeps

Careful toof, you know who is going to get jealous!!
Posted by BiggerBear
Redbone Country
Member since Sep 2011
2916 posts
Posted on 3/23/22 at 1:23 pm to
Make chili.
Posted by rmc
Truth or Consequences
Member since Sep 2004
26481 posts
Posted on 3/23/22 at 1:38 pm to
Posted by Day Wisher
New Orleans
Member since Sep 2010
399 posts
Posted on 3/23/22 at 7:20 pm to
Pulled pork enchiladas are always tasty.

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