Brined Pork Butt for Pulled Pork

[DivotMaker]

Pulled and ready to eat!  OK, the 2 secret ingredients were 1 Tsp. Instacure #1, and 6 oz of Shiner Bock beer.  The #1 salt gave a really nice-looking "smoke ring!" (picture 2).  The meat was very moist and tender, but I found the bark just a little saltier than I like (fam said it was OK, though).  I didn't allow enough for the extra salt in the #1 cure.  Next time, I'll cut the kosher salt to 3/4 cup and leave the meat in no longer than 10-11 hours.

All in all, though, a success!!

 

[DivotMaker]

Update!  I have found the brine to still work, without modification.  Once you brine, you'll never go back to dry!

 

[DONF]

That is a nice looking smoke ring ------it looks very good

 

[DivotMaker]

Thanks, Don.  If you haven't brined a butt yet, you owe it to yourself to try!

 

[Phat termite]

Tony, Looks great, I found a brining container @ Sam's Club a couple of years ago... Works great, made of hard plastic by Rubbermaid, fits 2 Butts perfectly & fits straight in my refrigerator, I can get 2 of the container's on 1 shelf... I tried to attach a photo but it was too large... lmk if you want me to email it to you.
Keep experimenting, I'm enjoying the forum.. Happy Holidays,
Mike

 

[DivotMaker]

I've seen those containers at Sam's, Mike.  They're in the restaurant supply area at my club.  I usually don't do much larger than one butt at a time, which fits great in the Briner Jr., but I was definitely challenged for a 14 lb turkey!

 

[NDKoze]

Tony, Looks great, I found a brining container @ Sam's Club a couple of years ago... Works great, made of hard plastic by Rubbermaid, fits 2 Butts perfectly & fits straight in my refrigerator, I can get 2 of the container's on 1 shelf... I tried to attach a photo but it was too large... lmk if you want me to email it to you.
Keep experimenting, I'm enjoying the forum.. Happy Holidays,
Mike

For information on how to reduce the size of your pictures, so you can post them check out the following thread:
http://smokinitforums.com/index.php?topic=1272.0

We love to see pictures!

 

[Phat termite]

NDKoze... Thanks for the guidance...

 

[DONF]

never brined a butt  (pork) DM butt will give it a shot ,I need to pull the trigger on one of these smokers

 

[NDKoze]

Once you try a brined butt, you won't go back to the old ways.

 

[DivotMaker]

I need to pull the trigger on one of these smokers

Ready, aim...FIRE! ;D

 

[cookingdude555]

Anyone try this brine on ribs?  I have a briner bucket, a model #3 arriving tomorrow, and an appetite.

 

[DivotMaker]

I occasionally use it on ribs - works fine.  You just don't want to keep them in for more than about 3 hours, unless you halve the salt.

 

[Barrel99]

Is there a noticeable taste difference brining ribs?

 

[DivotMaker]

Is there a noticeable taste difference brining ribs?

Arnie, that's why I said I use it occasionally.  It does increase the moisture, and seems to make the meat a little more plump, but it's not enough benefit to justify the effort.  Coating the ribs with a rub that contains salt, and resting in the fridge overnight, pretty much accomplishes the same result.  When I do ribs that way, I am very happy with the moisture and tenderness, so I leave the brining to poultry and large cuts that benefit more from the process.

 

[Barrel99]

I had that suspicion Tony. Not much meat there. Thanks.

 

[Halfcocked]

DivotMaker,

Thanks for starting this post. I recently got a Model 3 and I just finished my 5th shoulder using this method. I have substituted Morton's Tender Quick for the salt and instacure, and I have been leaving them refrigerated in the brine for different times to experiment with the sodium nitrate... All have been outstanding, with the pink moving further and further inward with as the brine time increases. My family prefers about an inch of pink, which is about 3 days in the brine.

 

[DivotMaker]

Halfcocked,

Be sure to post some pics!  Thanks for the kind words!

p.s. - a first name and town, in your signature line, is a nice touch!

 

[Halfcocked]

Will do... Just have to remember before everything gets eaten...

P.S. Fixed that. Thanks for the tip!

 

[Suzie-Q]

OK DivotMaker, I have some of your brine cooling and a couple of pork shoulder picnic roasts (total weight about 9 pounds) that I'll be smoking in my Smokin It #1 Saturday.  Should I just brine overnight or longer?  Lots of outside fat too, do I leave it all on or cut some off?  I'm planning on trying fat side down and a tray of apple juice next to the smoke box.  Hope hubby can put up with my experiments.