Spicy Pork Butt

[UWFSAE]

So, I've got a crazy long day tomorrow; looks like I'm going to need to be on campus around 7:00a for pre-semester meetings.  Since I'll likely get home around 7:00 p.m., I decided to smoke a 7 lb. pork butt (Only $.79 per pound on sale?  Yes please!) with a quick injection, rub and a long smoke.

I used Stubb's Moppin' Sauce as the primary base for the injection liquid; to that I added a bit of Crystal Hot Sauce and a little apple juice.  Once pumped, I slathered it in molasses and used a quick spicy rub (my standard pork rub with double cayenne) and it's currently in the refrigerator waiting for the morning smoke.  I'm going a little lower and slower than normal ... 215 with 2 oz. of apple and 3 oz. of hickory with a Blue Moon Agave Nectar Ale and some hot sauce in the hanging Flavor Savor.  I'll push the temperature when I get home if necessary.  If it's 170 when I get back it'll be sliced ... but if it goes over then pulled pork it'll be.

I'll post finished pics sometime tomorrow evening ...

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[DivotMaker]

Sounds like a helluva plan, Joe!  Let us know how that molasses binder turns out...sounds interesting!

[Spresso]

man that's crazy low price!
and people claim they can't cook nutritious food because it costs so much....

that looks like a good plan...leaving options open.... I know you prefer sliced....

[UWFSAE]

It turned out quite well; I got home a couple of hours early and it was 171 when I walked out to the patio.  So, after an hour rest, here are the results ...

Not quite as spicy as I'd have liked.  There was an extremely subtle molasses flavor but no real sweetness.  I'd have liked a little more heat and some stronger vinegar flavor.  If I try this again, I'll amp up the spices and reserved some of the marinade prior to injection to use as a finishing sauce.

[DivotMaker]

Sounds good, Joe!  Do you think (or did you notice) that the thick molasses coating hindered smoke absorption?  Seems like it would, but I guess it would liquify to a thinner consistency when the heat hits it.  Maybe I'm over-thinking the problem....hmmm.

[UWFSAE]

Molasses loses its ultra-gooey consistency as soon as it hits the pork; the natural juices from the meat mix quicky and you're left with sufficient adhesion to let the rub really stick but nothing more.  After an overnight hold in the fridge, molasses binds a little tighter than mustard without the loss of product moisture (salt and vinegar content in mustard seem to pull out more juices); honey has a similar outcome.

If the molasses imparted sweetness rather than flavor I'd stick with mustard; but overall, I'm enjoying playing around with the different methods to see what impact on flavor and juiciness each will have ...

[DivotMaker]

I like your sense of adventure, Joe!  I usually don't hold rubbed meat overnight - only injected.  For me, I haven't noticed much difference by only letting injected meat sit in the fridge vs injected/rubbed.  I'll inject, wrap, fridge, then rub about 1/2 hour before going in the smoker.  I find it uses less rub, and I really can't tell any difference in the finished meat.  I think the injection sitting inside the meat has more impact.  Then again....I could be wrong.

[UWFSAE]

I've found that the overnight rest promotes a better bark on pork butt and brisket.  The only time I do a rub-the-straight-to-the-smoker routine is with marinating or brining.  Chicken really benefits from the overnight hold, in my experience.

[DivotMaker]

Gonna do a butt this weekend, so I'll try the overnight rub rest along with the injection this time...for scientific purposes, of course.