My Butt is Enhanced, Is that Bad?

[cigar smoker]

Serving pulled pork at my son's birthday party this weekend. Went to Walmart and picked up a couple of butts. When I got home I noticed they were enhanced with up to 12% solution. Is this bad and is there anything I can do to compensate for it?

 

[the dude abides]

I always end up with Hormel pork products. They're also "enhanced". The fresh stuff is more expensive, but the Hormel usually turns out ok.

More than likely there's not much you can do about it. I don't think soaking it would do much.

 

[mikesr]

I think that usually means that a salt solution was added. Experts should be along soon with the proper treatment.

 

[mballi3011]

I would try it the way it is and see if it alright. You should be fine but the worst thing you would have to do is soak it in water and get some of the salty brine out of the meat.

 

[ronp]

Enhanced doesn't necessarily mean it is all salt.

Look at this.

http://www.virtualweberbullet.com/enhancedmeat.html

 

[michchef]

LOL, when I first read the title of this, I almost answered....."Why not? Women get boob jobs."

 

[beer-b-q]

It is also a way to add weight to a product and then charge a higher price per pound than they would get for fresh unadulterated meat...

 

[travcoman45]

Ya don't need ta do nothin to em. I use em alot, bout all I can get, they will turn out just fine. Slather some yeller mustard on there an yer seasonin an smoke em the next day.

I've serve 100's a pounds of it, nobody complained bout the food yet!

 

[fire it up]

Exactly, turns out perfectly fine and the end product is delicious pulled pork

 

[johnpf]

It'd be nice to come up with a list of sources of unaltered meat.
This "enhanced" stuff has been run thru machines injecting it with liquid containing nitrates and related stuff. Makes it last long, tenderizes- makes it a lot heavier and bad for your heart. That's all I know.

 

[forluvofsmoke]

If I buy butts at our favorite sources, they are always enhanced...basically it's already brined for you...yeah some of the stuff listed in the ingredients I'd rather not be eating, but the result from smoking them is never a disappointment.

I did a side-by-side smoke back in January with fresh/frozen butt from a locally grown hog next to a enhanced butt. I didn't brine the fresh butt...big mistake...it wouldn't pull and was very dry.

A month or so back, I brined a fresh butt, a small bone-less fresh ham, and a boneless picnic...all came out excellent.

I guess I can overlook the oddities in the solution for the time, ingredients and work saved, and the enhanced pork can be refrigerated much longer than fresh if you need to grab it early and hold it for several days.

Baby-backs and spares are the same situation here...enhanced...and I've had the opportunity to do a couple slabs of fresh spares, unbrined...same issue...tough and dry.

Eric

 

[murraygw]

Go to the smaller stores stay away from the large chains small stores still mostly cut there own meat less injected crap. we shop at wal-mart alot and there meat counter sucks luckly we have a small home owned meat market and he does not carry any think injected.

 

[chisoxjim]

+1,

back when I was a beginner I used the enhanced stuff. Now I only buy unenhanced.

Other reasons:

1) i like to control how much salt is in my food, as well as limit chemicals that might be snuck in. having a heart attack, or stroke isnt on my "to do" list

2) price, with enhanced meat you are paying for the mystery solution, making the actual pork you are getting almost as expnsive as fresh pork

3) taste and texture, I dont like my ribs, and butts to taste like ham, and that is the flavor I get from enhanced items. I also find enhaced meat mushy, and lacking prper texture for slow cooked meat.

4) quality,side by side fresh pork wins hands down at any event I have been to.

i dont know what I would do if enhanced pork was the only available. Probably order my meat in frozen online from a trusted source. Luckily I have alot of optios if want to invest the time, and effort. My bbq, and family is worth it.

 

[smokeysooner]

I always thought the enhanced basically it was pre-brined so it can be shipped, stored for longer periods, etc... I have access to fresh pork, so that's what I usually use, but I don't have any problem with these saline solution enhanced products, especially after you wash them off really good.

I bet the truth is that you could serve one by the other and never be able to tell the difference and probably no certain disparities in quality.