No Bark ???

[JYD-BBQ]

I do salt, lots of pepper and garlic. I smoke until the internal temperature is 165, I then wrap in foil or butcher paper your choice and continue until the internal is 205-210. I then rest it in a cooler with the wrap on, towel on top and on the bottom. I let it rest no less than an hour longer if I can. As you can see the bone is falling out. At this point it pulls very easily and melts like butter in your mouth.

That looks perfect.

 

[RedGrave]

Give the butt a coating of mustard to make it sticky, then pile on a mixture of half salt/half pepper and another ⅓ paprika. Mix it in a bag or container and apply it thickly. You can’t really overseason a pork butt and the inside is bland without it.

Cook at 250 for 3 hours then gently spritz with an Apple juice/Apple Cider/water combo every hour for five hours. The bark will develop then split. Then you wrap in foil (add some apple
Juice and brown sugar inside foil) and cook the final 2 hours. So 10 hours total.

Probe for feel, should be soft like a bag of soft butter. Remove and let rest for an hour. Pull with tongs and mix in bark with everything.

this is Aaron Franklin’s method and it works like a charm.

 

[Rickyjk619]

I use restaurant grade salt, the bigger size pepper and Kroger brand garlic powder. I use more pepper than the other two spices.

 

[GriLLMaRksRseXy]

Oh this is a fun one!!
Everyone has given you great advice above. I see what you are working with and know what you are trying to do. What I can tell you is there is a ton of variables to getting bark/good bark. Surface texture, surface temperature, surface evaporation, time of cook, temp of cook, time of cook, fuel smoke production, etc.....etc.....etc....etc.....

All that being said....If I was working with the same cuts that you worked with I would try everything already mentioned above. I would also do the following....

1. Prep I would heavily season as some has said above. Black pepper is your friend. Maybe try something like Hardcore Carnivore Red Or Black (would use red on a butt. Either way I love this stuff. Look it up) Use some yellow mustard or another binder to help keep that seasoning on as long as you can since the smaller pieces will mean that temp will come up faster than a larger cut of meat. BUT most importantly...STICK all of that in the freezer for about 20 minutes before you take it to the Smokefire. The lower surface temperature will be your best friend to help with smoke retention/ring and slow your cook down a bit so you can work on bark. Finally you can also add a LITTLE sugar to your rub to help with caramelization.

2. Cook. Start well below your above cook temp. For smaller cuts I would start out at 200 for an hour or maybe two and may also try smoke boost. I would also stay on the low side for the rest of the cook to around 215 to 225. That will increase the time for surface convection which will not only increase bark but it is literally the engine that drives the car from turning that tough cut of meat into a delicacy (do not let anyone tell you different....yes the fat will render but it is the surface convection and evaporative cooling that does all the work and until that is done........the meat is not done...)

3. Moisture. Your cook seems sound. However I WOULD spritz a liquid of your choice every 30 minutes for the first 2 hours of your cook. Especially for the first hour or two at 200 degrees or during smoke boost.

 

[JYD-BBQ]

Oh this is a fun one!!
Everyone has given you great advice above. I see what you are working with and know what you are trying to do. What I can tell you is there is a ton of variables to getting bark/good bark. Surface texture, surface temperature, surface evaporation, time of cook, temp of cook, time of cook, fuel smoke production, etc.....etc.....etc....etc.....

All that being said....If I was working with the same cuts that you worked with I would try everything already mentioned above. I would also do the following....

1. Prep I would heavily season as some has said above. Black pepper is your friend. Maybe try something like Hardcore Carnivore Red Or Black (would use red on a butt. Either way I love this stuff. Look it up) Use some yellow mustard or another binder to help keep that seasoning on as long as you can since the smaller pieces will mean that temp will come up faster than a larger cut of meat. BUT most importantly...STICK all of that in the freezer for about 20 minutes before you take it to the Smokefire. The lower surface temperature will be your best friend to help with smoke retention/ring and slow your cook down a bit so you can work on bark. Finally you can also add a LITTLE sugar to your rub to help with caramelization.

2. Cook. Start well below your above cook temp. For smaller cuts I would start out at 200 for an hour or maybe two and may also try smoke boost. I would also stay on the low side for the rest of the cook to around 215 to 225. That will increase the time for surface convection which will not only increase bark but it is literally the engine that drives the car from turning that tough cut of meat into a delicacy (do not let anyone tell you different....yes the fat will render but it is the surface convection and evaporative cooling that does all the work and until that is done........the meat is not done...)

3. Moisture. Your cook seems sound. However I WOULD spritz a liquid of your choice every 30 minutes for the first 2 hours of your cook. Especially for the first hour or two at 200 degrees or during smoke boost.

Thanks for all the great info. Going to try to another butt this weekend if I can find one local.

 

[johanns]

I just watched Masterclass with Aaron Franklin and he smoked his but for 8 hours prior to wrapping but key sign he said was that the fat cap has separated from the bark.
He sprays after 3 hours once per hour.

 

[GriLLMaRksRseXy]

Thanks for all the great info. Going to try to another butt this weekend if I can find one local.

Thanks for all the great info. Going to try to another butt this weekend if I can find one local.

You got a Costco & a Walmart 13 minutes from West Islip. Both have good Butts. I would call them for availability. Sams usually has twin packs here in Florida but they look to be 26 minutes away. Cannot wait to see and hear about that cook!

 

[Bruno]

I just watched Masterclass with Aaron Franklin and he smoked his but for 8 hours prior to wrapping but key sign he said was that the fat cap has separated from the bark.
He sprays after 3 hours once per hour.

Good enough for me!!