Blueberry-Cherry-RBP Pork Rub on Butt: Wet/Dry Chamber, Recipe & Q-view (FINISHED w/Review)

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forluvofsmoke

Smoking Guru
Original poster
OTBS Member
Aug 27, 2008
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Hey everyone! I finally made the time for another all-nighter. Late this morning when I contemplated what dry rub recipe to use for my 9-1/4lb butt in waiting, I realized that many of my big hits for pork rubs have dried apple, and while digging through my private stash of rub ingredients it quickly became apparent that I am out of apple...oh dear, what now? Well, why not make use of more of that bag of dried blueberries? I made a basic blueberry dry rub for beef a couple months ago, and the flavor was great, so I thought why not put together a more detailed rub for a pork butt, only with a little more of our favorites packed in with the blueberry? DONE!!! I grabbed my note pad & pen and set out to create yet another recipe for my bulging recipe folder. Come on along for the ride to see how my latest experimental rub works out!

BLUEBERRY-CHERRY-RBP PORK DRY RUB

This rub is intended for low & slow cooking only, as the natural sugars in the fruits will scorch quickly with high-heat cooking.

All measures are pre-grind, except for the powdered ingredients, of course.

4 Tbsp dried whole Blueberry
3 Tbsp dried Tart Cherry
3 Tbsp dried diced Red Bell Pepper
3 Tbsp dried chopped Onion
2 Tbsp dried minced Garlic
1-1/2 Tbsp Black Peppercorn
1 Tbsp ground White Pepper
2 Tbsp Kosher Salt
1 Tbsp Spanish Paprika
1 Tbsp Rosemary
2-1/2 tsp Thyme
1 tsp ground Cumin
1/2 tsp rubbed Sage

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl, then portion 1 to 1-1/2 Tbsp into your blade-type (coffee) grinder at a time. Use less if the grinder stalls/jams. Grind to near your desired particle size and place in a second container until all ingredients are ground, then repeat grinding for smaller particle size, if desired, and to aid in blending the dry rub for the best consistency.

Note: grinding the dry ingredients with the fruits will aid in preventing the fruits from forming a paste and stalling your grinder, as well as making for much easier clean-up. This is a very effective method for grinding dried fruits. The only draw-back to grinding all ingredients together is if you want larger particle sizes with certain spices but not others, although some of them could be ground separately, if desired, such as the Kosher Salt.

This particular recipe, even in the semi-arid climate of my location, tends to clump soon after blending if tumbled in the container, so a regrind may be necessary prior to application onto your pork. This is due to the sugars in the fruits and is normal. Application with a shaker container may give the easiest results. Do not compress this mixture until it is on your meat, or it will pack to a very firm consistency, making a re-grind difficult.

Yield is approx. 1-2/3 cups.

I'm just getting ready to start grinding after combining it all together here:


So, for those of you who have not been following me much in the past, using blueberries, tart cherries, red bell peppers, apples and the like are nothing new to me...been down that road before, probably a lot more than I can even remember (that's why I post my latest stuff here so you all can find it...and so can I...LOL!!!), and I have not been disappointed with the resulting flavors, so I have no doubt this will be good eating.

Today's victim...I can get these cheaper at Sam's, but these were form an area Wally-World (wife picked it up a couple days ago)...meat prices are going up, though:


Rinsed, trimmed moderately lean, air-dried for a few minutes and made about 1/2 - 5/8" deep cross-hatch scoring with about 3/4" spacing on the entire cap portion to reduce baring of the meat when the underlying muscle begins to shrink. This allows for more rendering out of the fat and gives more crispness...it also allows for packing in more dry rub into the cuts, which of course, I diligently took advantage of and looks pretty cool when the smoke clears (no flash on 1st pic):




I packed on about 1-1/4 cups of the dry rub from every angle imaginable. I used nitrile gloves and sprinkled it on evenly, then packed it on without much effort at all. For a lighter application, a shaker should work very well, based on my past experience with fruit-based rubs. I separated the scored cap with my finger-tips and worked it in nice and deep. It covered the butt nicely without any wetting aid and went straight to the smoker without resting...think it's enough for a killer bark that's loaded with the enticing flavors I incorporated?:


Glove-marks from handling (center-right)...not much bare meat on this fella:




The rub had a slightly lighter color until applied to the meat and the salt and natural sugars began drawing some moisture from the meat...it took on a much darker color after getting moist. I suspect that the blueberries and cherries are responsible for most of the color change, as it did have a purple hue to it after the second grind to finish blending it all together. Lovin' that color so far, though.

Now, the pre-smoke taste and aroma of this rub had my wife and youngest daughter wanting dinner...NOW!!! That was about 5 hours ago, so I best get ta smokin'!!!

The rub does have a little bite that comes in after a few moments of swirling it around in your mouth and swallowing...grabs a hold of the back of your throat and tongue for a minute or two, but it's a just a nice little hint of heat, without cayenne or any hot chilies/peppers, so I like that as well. The white pepper is only a small part of that, as it's not as hot as black peppercorns. White pepper is a milder version, due it's level of ripeness when harvested to further process/dry. The heat seems to be more from the combination of several things going on here that is working on the levels and delayed characteristics it brings out, and it also seems to be a mocked-up heat, if you will, due to the various spices playing with the senses. GREAT flavor with just a touch of heat...should be a very interesting pulled pork meal on Tuesday.

Just into the Smoke Vault 24 with cherry smoke wood chips...heaped in about 3 cups worth to get things started...220* starting temp @ 5,000ft elevation and wet-to-dry smoke chamber via pea-gravel in the water pan, a foil liner with about 2qts water in the pan, and the foil pan from prep for a drippings catch...thought I'd use the drippings to add to the PP when it comes together after about 24 hours. I will bump the chamber temps to 240-250* after transitioning to the dry smoke chamber in about 7-8 hours:




So, smoke was on @ 3:30 pm MT...should be afternoon on Tuesday the 27th when we get to savor the flavor of this new recipe. I'll give you my/our take on it then. Two hours in now, so time to do my checks and keep things rolling smooth...gotta prep my wireless temp probe for the night, too.

See ya soon with pulled pork and a full recipe review...well, as soon as my pork butt says so...(it's done when it's done)...thanks for peekin'!!!

Eric
 
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Off to a Fantastic start Eric...I'm in for the rest of this ride!!!
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I was just thinking about a smoked butt over the weekend. And a fruit spice rub.........I'll be watching this one for sure. Looks great........

Brad
 
7-hr Update...

Thanks guys! I couldn't let this one go without sharing it...gonna make for some very unique dining. I do know the flavor of the blueberry in rubs brings a whole new dimension, with a richness and sweeter profile that just can't be substituted...paired up with the deeper and sassy profile of tart cherries and smooth, sweet background of the red bells? Oh my!!! I'm looking forward to this hitting my plate, for sure!

Update:

Chamber temps have been pretty cooperative with the Vault this evening, and I gave it a little bump an hour or so ago and were sitting in the mid 240* range, so I'm going to let it ride there for a while now. I added an additional 1 qt of water to the pan after about 4.5 or 5 hours, as mt foil liner was nearly dry by then and temps began creeping up on me (always my first indication of a dry water source if there is no other explanation). So, with the added water, it totals 3qts for my intentions and purpose of the wet-to-dry smoke chamber. Smoke wood is beginning to diminish it's output now, with mostly charred wood left in the wood tray, so it could have gotten a good hit of smoke in the first 6 hours or so, but is barely noticeable in the odor from the vent stack now...no worries on smoke flavor.

I swapped the probe from the chamber (only have one) to the pork butt at around 6.75 hours and now at 7hrs in I'm looking 146* I/T...probably took 5.5+ hours to reach 140*...relax, this is bone-in, non-injected, etc, so it's intact whole muscle meat...no worries...that's why we like bone-in and those going for true low & slow don't inject. In this case, a little bit below normal low & slow temps for my elevation of 5K ft at 220* on start-up and for the next 4+ hours until I let temps climb slightly (about 225* average, which at sea level would be equivalent to approx. 212-215*) due to reduced thermal absorption as the meat's surface and sub-surface is warming through and taking on heat more slowly (thermal differential is getting smaller), which is a normal reaction for propane/charcoal rigs with a nice hunka meat. Reduced water volumes in the pan can cause chamber temps to run higher, and if it runs dry unexpectedly, will cause high-temp spikes that can run away if left unchecked. The pea-gravel (or sand) in the water pan for thermal mass will slow this temp rise down, but not reduce the peak temp very much, and will not prevent it from eventually hitting your meat with a hard push on temps just as if there were nothing at all in the pan, given enough time. It will, however smooth out the peaks and valleys in the temp swings you may encounter with varied wind conditions and intermittent precipitation on your vertical smoker, so there is value and it serves a purpose other than just to help prevent your water pan from warping when not using water.

So, things are going well enough that I should be doing eyelid inspections before the clock strikes 1;30 am here, anyway...I'll watch the chamber temp a bit more to be sure that when the water goes dry, it doesn't spike on me, as I will need to dial the burner back a bit (still 69* ambient here, so night temp drops will go unnoticed for this round of smoke)...temp spikes are normal and expected so I want to be around for it to drop the burner valve back a pinch, then I'm done for the evening after temps are stable...typical.

146* I/T here, at the 7-hour mark...seeing a little nit of shrinkage as evidenced by some bone peeking out and a slight creep on the grate with some dry rub particles here and there...color is changing slowly as well, so no worries about scorching at the average temps, peak temps and time I'm planning for:




Catching a little rendered fat and a small amount of meat juices so far...indications that cooking is going slow and easy, just the way I want, as when the higher chamber temps catch up to this butt in a few more hours, I don't want I/T to climb too fast...going to be for an evening meal, so I don't want it coming out of the smoke until mid-afternoon...about 24-25 hours, but we'll see how that works out. I like my butt smokes long and slow, as it seems to help with not only tenderizing the meat, but retained moisture in the finished pulled pork:


Checking for water level in the foil water pan liner...hard to see due to the lack of drippings in the water, but there is slight dip towards the rear where there is a bit more depth...up front is almost dry...should be around 8 hours into the smoke (1/3 of expected cooking time) when it runs dry, allowing for a decent smoke first, and then, it's all about bark and sealing up the meat for retained moistiure:



Smoke wood is about done for this round, but will still offer an ever so slight thin blue for several more hours, I'm sure:


I/T is now 149* @ 8.5hrs into the smoke now...a low-temp stall is starting just about now, I suspect, based on a ~2*/hr I/T rate of climb...that's really slow.

Not much else going on for now, so it should be a quiet night in another hour or so for me...btw, the dry rub is really giving off a great odor coming out the vent along with a hint of cherry smoke still coming through...sweet and rich in the background, with spicy notes up front...I'm going back out to smell the vent stack for a while now...er, uh, I mean watch the temp gauge on the cabinet door...yeah, that's it...LOL!!! I've made a lot of rubs in the past several years, and none of them smelled quite like this one does, especially while still in the smoker. I think it's the blueberry and cherry combo.. OK, time for another long whiff or two of smoke and rub...while I check chamber temps, of course.

See ya on the rebound sometime in the morning, or with pulled pork in the afternoon/evening if all goes as planned!

Eric
 
18.5-Hr Update...

Thanks SH & SG! Well, my smoke ran smoothly through the night after dialing the chamber temp back just a touch when the last of the water in the foil liner evaporated. It settled in @ around 244*, so I let it ride. I only got about 4hrs of sleep, but it sure helped. Woke up @ 7:00 am to a pesky house cat meowing at my door wanting to come in and play...LOL!!! I checked I/T on the wireless, then went out to take a peak on chamber temps and see how the coloring of the bark was holding up. So far so good! It will get darker before it's finished, but I think it's still in the "go zone".

164* I/T @ 15 hours into the smoke here:



18.5 hours in, and 178*...hit 179* by 18.75 hours, then dropped to 178* again, so I've hit a high-temp stall just now, as I type and load pics...it might be short-lived, but even if it isn't, I'm still ~6 hours from my desired time to rest before pulling, and only ~20* away from finished temp if it probes tender, which I'm sure it will by then (I've recently pulled butts for reheating @ 187-191*). Bark is even darker after just 3.5 more hours here:


Drippings are looking nice @ 18.5 hours...gotta go for a de-glaze and fat separation while the butt is resting...thinking about a balsamic vinegar finishing sauce with the drippings from the butt (never did that before...should be great!!!)...not that this will NEED a finishing sauce, as I know the retained moisture in the meat and flavors of the rub will be more than adequate for a really good eating PP...I just feel like playing with the variables a little and see where it takes things
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I will take samples before drizzling anything on this PP, though, as I want to get this rub's flavors on my palate and find out just exactly what I created here:


Smoke wood remains after 18.5 hours...still a little bit there for a light smoke if it got hot enough to take off again, or I removed the ashes from underneath the charred wood..I'll burn this up on the next round with the Vault. Judging from the remains, I think it would be fair to say that the smoke dwindled down to almost zero by the 10th-12th hours, even though I could still smell a faint smoke during my last checks at around 11+ hours into the smoke, just so you know how long I actually smoked this butt:


I/T is back to 179* now @ 19 hours, so it must have just hit a little speed-bump in it's journey to greatness. I generally don't sweat stalls...I expect them, and plan on several hours of stall-time...then I'm never late for a planned meal time. It is interesting to watch them when you can though...every piece of meat seems to develop it's own personality by the end of the smoke...either it's stubborn, or it's willing to agree with your wishes...sometimes you just never know which one it will be until late in the smoke.

See ya soon with pulled pork and a recipe review...I'll rest this without foil, covered with a clean towel, on an elevated grate for a breathable resting to preserve what appears to be yet another fantastic bark.

It's all a down-hill ride from here out, but the waiting...TIC--TOC----TIC--TOC...

Eric
 
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24-Hr Update...pulled pork is finished and sampled...OK, so I ate quite a bit, but hey, can you blame me???

Hmm, this doesn't happen often, but it came out on the 24-hr mark @ 201* actual temp (I forgot 'til a bit ago that my probe reads 2* low). I probed around a bit, just in case, but I've never had a tough butt @ 200*+, unless I smoked it hot & fast, around 300-325*. Anyway, bark/rub color is still about like I figured it wold be...very deep and dark, but no scorched odors, so the rub will work for a super-long smoke, especially if you were to run @ a steady 225* or so, as I ran my peak temp up to about 245*, so this dry rub blend will do a great job for butts and picnics alike regarding handling low & slow over a long time period.

Just catching one last peak after I decided to bring it out to rest:


Drippings pan just before resting the butt...I did end up discarding this, as it had an off odor for some strange reason, and I'm not sure why. I removed it from the smoker before it reached ambient temps during cool-down of the Vault, so it's not like it had time for the fats to go rancid...it could be that the drippings pan was too close to the foil liner/water pan and got too hot, possibly breaking-down the fats over such a long cooking period as this was (???)...if anybody has a definite answer or other possible cause, let me know. Anyway, I may try this again and see what happens, but raise the drip pan one rack space higher...I had the room, but wanted to be sure I didn't create a baffling effect with pan too close to the butt...and so it goes...(insert sigh here)...on the bright side of this, the butt did render out a lot of interior fat from the looks of the drip pan...about 1 cup:


The cap muscle over the bone area tore itself apart from the shrinkage, so we definitely have shrinkage going on here...the bark is pretty hard, and that was one of my main goals with this smoke, as well as finding out about this new rub...I'm patiently waiting for approx. 2.5hr resting before tearing this thing apart and exploring all it has to offer. Placed on a rack in a pan where it will rest peacefully with a towel to cover it, allowing for any water vapor to escape without softening the bark:





I/T dropped to 153* after 2.5 hours resting, so I opted to go for close to 3 hours resting...I know, torturous to the family, but we're all just kind of vegging out right now, in no rush to eat. Probably the hot weather has our appetites shut-down for a bit, but that will change when the aromas begin to fill the house when the butt pullin' party commences.

145* @ 3hrs resting...not a bad temp drop rate at all...time to pull some pork!!!

The moment of truth is upon us...cover your keyboards and grab some napkins, 'cuz things are about to get really messy...LOL!!!

I honestly tried to ditch some of these pics, as I usually have about 1/3 or so that don't cut the mustard for me, but, well...ENJOY!!!










Can't forget this...for all great things, there a great cost for the bark on this butt, it was no exception...I had to break the bark off of the bone ends as usual...took longer to get the bone out than it took to pull the meat...well, almost, because it did take a whole to break down the bark into bite-sized pieces...the little heap of soft tissue on the grate is all that was left inside, other than super-tender, moist pork shoulder..nice and clean bone, though, once the bark was off of it:



OK, I'll do my best to describe the flavors of the rub. First, though, the bark: wickedly hard and lots of crispy spots from the thin layer of fat that I left on the cap-muscle. The bark on meat itself is so hard and chewy, it's just a great extension of textures to experience while eating...love it!

So, the rub flavors and aromas are very similar as I described immediately after finishing blending it up, which was somewhat surprising to me as rubs generally change their overall flavor profile when you add heat to the equation, while being able to separate the flavor of your smoke as you savor a bite, of course. There is a slightly reduced sweetness and richness from the blueberry. It does come right up front though, at least for me, which is nice because I taste that first with the bark, then a few of the spices start coming through, then the tartness and depth of the cherries, then maybe the cumin and and a few others try their best to come in last, but at the very end, there's that slight hit on the tongue and inside the mouth from the black & white pepper, and the throat-hit after you swallow it down...not a strong throat hit that makes you stand up at attention, but for me, it was just that little bite to get me to remember that, no,  I'm not invincible.

Smoke was confusing to me at first until realized, oh yeah, I used straight cherry (planned to mix hickory/apple with it but was out of both). Anyway, it was there too, and wasn't a bad match, but maybe a little light on bite, which the hickory would have taken care of as planned, but then I have to realize that I was watching a smoker for...oh, lets see here...oh yeah, 20 hours, off and on, with 4 hours of sleep in between...that said, I'm probably desensitized to the smoke. Another day, a shower, and a good night's sleep will likely bring a new outlook on the smoke for me, so we'll see if my take on the smoke changes tomorrow or not.

My wife said something to the effect of: WOW, this really is good! I told her about the recipe's main ingredients after the fact of grinding yesterday, and she wasn't so put off about it like she was the first time I used blueberry. She knows full well about cherries, apples, red bells, etc, (and we all love those blends) so I needed no convincing for the cherry/red bell portion of the rub, but the first round with blueberries a few months ago got me some looks pointing towards the thought of "blueberry...you're joking, right?" Anyway, that rub was a big hit here. This one could prove to be one of my more tasty rubs for quite some time.

So, this recipe on the butt was not a total mind-blowing experience, at least not for me, but it was far from disappointing...would definitely do it again, maybe with some minor changes to the rub, but I think as is it's a super-good and unique flavor worth exploring much more. I do think there could be some changes made if one wanted a bit more of the blueberry to come through. It was very good as is, but maybe if you want to kick it up a few more notches on the flavor profile, for example, more onion and blueberry could be added, and it would bring on more of the blueberry without changing the overall profile, background in specific, very much ay all. Why more onion? For a dry ingredient to reduce the effects of the berries wanting to paste in the grinder and/or storage container...and onion, seems to be somewhat neutral in this blend anyway, as it doesn't do a whole lot other than bring in a hint of additional sweetness to the background. There's enough going on with the sense of taste with this rub that the onion is difficult to detect, even for me, so it would be my first choice for a carrier, so-to-speak, when adding more blueberries to this blend. In fact, I believe that the onion enhances the blueberry to some degree.

Another route to add more blueberry into the blend would be use additional red bell peppers, as they add a slightly sweet background, with nothing that would turn into a harsh flavor by adding more. For more cherry flavor, if a person wanted it, I think just adding another Tbsp before the bulk of the grinding was started would be fine, but the cherry doesn't seem to be quite as susceptible to the issues with pasting...sure it forms a thick, more granular paste, but it's not so much of a smoother, heavy liquid once it's broken-down, like the blueberry seems to be...and yes, that is with dried blueberries. I did try to grind blueberries straight a couple times with a blade-type grinder..I figured after the first attempt that maybe I was overlooking or missing something, like maybe Iground it too long, and tried it again after cleaning out the grinder...oh, I was missing something alright...it was a bad idea, simply put. And no, that is not a pretty sight at all when that "gooey gunk" sticks to everything in your grinder...trust me, you do not want to even try a straight blueberry grind...mix it together with the spices and other drier ingredients, then grind away to your heat's content...no issues that way.

So, I got long-winded, but there's a lot more to consider with this than I ever thought there would/could be...and a ton of possibilities for anyone who wishes to try this a few times and make their own judgements on the flavor profile, and if they like it as is or would like to get a little extra from it. Maybe sub the tart cherries for sweeter...well, on second thought, that may be a confusing flavor combination with two fruits, and both being sweet...maybe scratch that idea...LOL!!! But think of what you may have available to you for your own dehydrating purposes or what you can buy already dried, and some minor alterations could be made with slight changes in spices to accommodate for the other change in main ingredients, if maybe you didn't quite like what it brought to the table...that part could be tricky, but hey, where would all the fun be if you don't try it, huh? Just remember, as with everything else regarding cooking, it's your personal preference that needs to be satisfied, and only you will know when it is satisfied, right?

Thanks to all for indulging me with your time, and enjoy whatever it is you get from this recipe and thread...I'm sure it will bring a smile to your face if you can swing the ingredients and try it out.

It's been fun, and now, I'm done!!! Great smokes to all, and to all, I now more humbly say good night.

Eric
 
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Eric

Thank you for taking the time to write such an incredibly detailed tutorial, for a rookie like myself this is extremely helpful.  One quick question, where do you find the dried blueberries, cherries and peppers?  I don't recall ever seeing those anywhere.

Thanks,

David
 
Yet another Awesome pork and Epic post!!!!
Great job Eric!!!
Chalk up another testament to the "lean trim no foil wet to dry chamber method"!!!
 
Eric, Your epic threads, your intense detail, your scientific approach and your awesome Q-views have taught me so much and helped take my smoking to a whole new level that I thought you deserved my 10,000th post, so this is it!!!
Thank You!!!
 
As usual I am in awe of your ability to work with your ingredients and the whole smoke process...ah wisdom!!  And now my taste buds are jonesing to try out your rub.

aloha
 
Eric, Your epic threads, your intense detail, your scientific approach and your awesome Q-views have taught me so much and helped take my smoking to a whole new level that I thought you deserved my 10,000th post, so this is it!!!
Thank You!!!
Sheesh!!! You've been busy with 10K on the rack! Ha-ha-ha! Thanks for your kind words, ..I am honored to be of service to yourself, and others here. I do find a great deal of enjoyment sharing my experiences here, knowing that there are many who can learn from what I share. Even if it only helps one find a better way to create a great meal, then it was worth every second to help them make that happen. The new recipes I find myself wrapped-up in at times is just the icing on the cake...can't let this stuff be kept secret...that just would not be right.

This project brought with it an element of what I thought would be a very unique flavor, in the rub itself, and with that, I definitely wanted to share the whole ride from start to finish. I am confident enough in my rub creating skills that I had no doubt this one would come through nicely, so experimental rub or not, I wanted to bring it up for sharing ASAP.

I am pleased the smoke went so well this time around...I'm usually involved in a sparring-match with mother nature, time running short or something else, but this one was easy...in fact, I doubt it could have worked out much better for timing and lack of real issues to overcome. Love to have those happen at least once in a while, just to catch a break from the usual, but even when I am working through tons of issues on the fly, sharing them here will always be useful to someone, so I don't hold back anything I think will make a difference. It is humbling to know that what I share can make a difference for others, either struggling through things, or just needing a little tip to make something better than before.  I encourage others to share their experiences, as well...Sure what I share can help other, but what others bring can teach me a thing or two as well...I'm by means an expert, I just happen to be successful with the things I choose to do when I cook. My smokes seem to have become so much easier than a they were several years ago, and I am thankful for that...if trouble comes up, no big deal...I work it out and move forward. If there are any play-by-plays in the middle of something like that, I like to bring it up here, just for what if.
Job well done!! As Guy Fieri says "I'd eat that on a flip flop" Definitely
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Thanks, hey, I remember that line, but don't recall which episode it was from now...nope, drawing a blank. Hmm, I'll probably be thinking about this off and on for the rest of the day.
Yet another Awesome pork and Epic post!!!!
Great job Eric!!!
Chalk up another testament to the "lean trim no foil wet to dry chamber method"!!!
Yeah, Dave, it is my "go to" for just about everything I hot smoke anymore...it seems that I just can't wrong with it, and, once you take the simple steps to start using it, it's second nature to just keep rolling with every smoke. So, I figure why change when all I need to do is stick to one method? Of course, I'm not telling you anything you don't already know...you've been down this road, too, so you know first-hand what it's all about.

Thanks again, everyone! Been a pleasure doing smoke with ya!

Eric
 
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Well you have certainly done it again Eric!  
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    Very informative post & great looking PP! 
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   Thanks for taking us along for the ride 
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Thank you, and you're welcome for the ride!
Eric

Thank you for taking the time to write such an incredibly detailed tutorial, for a rookie like myself this is extremely helpful.  One quick question, where do you find the dried blueberries, cherries and peppers?  I don't recall ever seeing those anywhere.

Thanks,

David
Thanks! I'm happy to be able to share my experiences here with everyone.

Some of this stuff shows up in the strangest places on store shelves, if at all. As for the diced dried red bell peppers, they seem to be eluding everyone, as well as tart cherries. Local purchases may not be a possibility, but I do have an online source who also has local reps in certain areas of the US. The red bells and dried cherries can be had online as well. Blueberries I just stumbled into while in Sam's one day when buying supplies and meats to cook for my daughter's wedding...wasn't even looking for anything like that, but knew I'd find a use for them when I saw them...they promptly landed in my cart

I'll shoot you a PM with more info...no wait, I think I have some of it covered already in a Wiki...oops, gotta update the WIKI now...links are now invalid...

You might be able to find some of the spices at alisonspantry.com

Note: the tart cherries I've been using for a few years did not come from the above source (I had approx 16lbs in the freezer for several years, original source unknown), so their product availability may not always be tart cherries, but a sweeter variety, instead, so be sure what you are ordering when you find any. Nothing wrong with sweet instead of tart cherries, but it will change the overall flavor profile of the dry rub...and this may or may not be to your liking. That was an idea I pondered earlier in my final post with review of the recipe...decided it wouldn't be the best choice for a change in the recipe, but could still be worked out with a little forethought, so don't be discouraged if the dried sweet cherries are all you can find.

Eric
 
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Just a view into someone's mind about this kind of "stuff". Where I used to live BBQ was a reasonably common thing. Pig roasts for any event was a great treat. That was 37 years ago. Where I live now, it's more like the knife and fork crowd who might even comment about why that meat looks so burnt. Never thinking it's the best freakin part!

On the other hand, I ve been watch BBQ comps on TV and getting excited about seeing the smoking, prep, eating, judging. All of that creates a visual stimulant. Enough so that it leaves a huge void in that you never get to go all the way and taste it. Not sure about anyone else but to me...an appetizer just over stimulates my appetite. Those visual images just wiped me out after a year or so.

Did some research and will be finishing my 275 gallon tank and trailer once weather permits. Actually, it's done except for paint. I can't wait to fire up , tune it in and fulfill this mental need in person, live.

It's a post like this that is like watching a show like Dallas (1980's) in that each paragraph demands you continue to the next with anticipation.

Thank you all so much
 
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