# Do you foil your pulled pork butts or not?



## rbranstner (Dec 27, 2009)

Do you guys foil your pork butts when making pulled pork? I am thinking about foiling mine once they are over 160 degrees.


----------



## erain (Dec 27, 2009)

i do foil mine when they get 160-170. leave foiled for the duration and the rest period as well.


----------



## mossymo (Dec 27, 2009)

I double wrap foil, wrap in towels and place in a cooler to keep in the heat. It can safely rest a few hours with the cooler at room temperature, and when you open it up steam will still be coming out. In my opinion the resting time being a few hours is much more tender than letting the butt rest just a half hour.


----------



## ddave (Dec 27, 2009)

I do the same thing. 
	

	
	
		
		



		
			






Doesn't mean you have to.  Some do, some don't.  Try it both ways and see what you like best.

Dave


----------



## tasunkawitko (Dec 27, 2009)

my preference is to not foil them until they reach my desired internal temperature (195 degrees or so), then foil them and wrap them in towels to rest in a cooler at least a half-hour, although they can be held there for several hours.

many reasons for this, including texture, moisture and flavor (in my opinion) but the main reason, to me, is because when you're cooking in foil you're either steaming or boiling - nothing wrong with that, but it's not what i want to do.

many opinions here, and mileage varies - this is what i have found to work for me.


----------



## rbranstner (Dec 27, 2009)

Well I have never foiled mine before the finish temp before but I figured I would try it. I foiled mine at 165.


----------



## waysideranch (Dec 27, 2009)

Oh yes. Like E said. I take my out of the foil and let the outside crisp up some. Thats just my preference.


----------



## randya (Dec 27, 2009)

I do the same as TasunkaWitko, I foil at 190 and place in a coller when it hits 205 F.  I like the out come.  Make sure you show us the Qview please  We really enjoy looking a them.


----------



## rbranstner (Dec 27, 2009)

I have the Qview going in this post http://smokingmeatforums.com/forums/...ad.php?t=86363


----------



## bill in mn (Dec 27, 2009)

Well I foiled my 2 (only have done 2) on Christmas day.Got the 2 butts to 170 foiled them until 205 then in the towels and a small cooler and man was I the hero that day.Everyone just hovers around to see & taste what comes out of the garbage can (UDS)Did a brisket too ,yumm! The butts and brisket were both first for me but not the last .I did foil the brisket also.


----------



## rbranstner (Dec 27, 2009)

How much snow did you end up with Bill? We had plenty up here in Fargo. Beautiful day today though.


----------



## bill in mn (Dec 27, 2009)

We got around 18" and the wind was strong  but I have cooked year round on a grill as long as I can remember.I started the drum on Christmas eve @ 11:30 pm and put the pork on at 12:30 am finished 11:30 am in the cooler for 4 hrs and they were still very hot when pulled.I was surprised that allot of the fat was gone and just some fantastic pork was left. I made Thunderdomes BBQ sauce man was that good just the way I like BBQ sauce if I use any (Very good here is the link for that http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=86121)


----------



## scpatterson (Dec 27, 2009)

I had never foiled mine before and had never foiled ribs. I foiled my first ribs  a few months back (Actually over the summer) and will never cook ribs again without foiling. My next butts I do will get foiled and I hope I get the same type results as with my ribs. I think they are juicier and more tender but my last were too tender....

What i did on teh ribs and what I will do on the butts is this...I hate to stop and wrap everything in foil so I use a roasting pan that is dedicated to the smoker. I layer the ribs init and use 1 layer of foil over teh top. Works like a charm and not as much foil to use. I would think that the raoster woudl also work for teh butts...We will see soon enough I guess...


----------



## chisoxjim (Dec 28, 2009)

nope, no "texas crutch" for me, i dont foil butts, or ribs while they are on the smoker(tried foiling ribs a couple times,  didnt like the texture). Butts get foliled when they hit 195-200, and get tossed in a cooler for a few hours.

whatever method folks choose is all good as long as they like it imho.


----------



## mballi3011 (Dec 28, 2009)

Yes I foil mine at around 165-170 and then add some spirtzing liquid and then take it to 200-205 and thur the resting period also.


----------



## wmarkw (Dec 28, 2009)

I've always foiled my butts at 165 deg but now I'm going to do my next one w/o foil.  I don't foil my ribs and they are so much better than the foiled, texture and tast wise.

For those that don't foil their butts, do you still hit the butt w/ smoke when you are past 165 deg or so?


----------



## twistertail (Dec 28, 2009)

I had always foiled mine at 150 or so, but the last one I did I did not foil and it was the best butt I've done so far.  I thought the texture was much better, a little tougher but I liked that and a little dryer but not too dry. I did not let it rest either, I took it out at 195 and it sat on the cutting board until it was cool enough that I could use my hands to pull it.  I'm going to try it this same way next time since this was by far the best pulled pork I've done.  I'm not sure if the method made it so much better or maybe just a better piece of pork than what I've had before but i'll do it the same way next time and see what its like.  The last one I foiled just seemed too mushy, I took it out at 205 and it rested about 2 hours before I pulled it so I'm sure that was part of it, but over all I liked the texture much better with out the foil and taking it out at 195.


----------



## chisoxjim (Dec 28, 2009)

I keep the smoke going for the whole time.


----------



## olewarthog (Dec 28, 2009)

My decision to foil or not often depends on the butt. If I get one that stubbonly hangs at the plateau, I will foil it.  If I need to speed things up to get one done, I will foil. Obviously those two often go hand in hand, but not always. Sometimes, I just need to cook the butts quicker. When time is a factor, I had much rather have the extra time for the butts to rest foiled in a cooler than sitting naked in the smoker. IMHO, the real magic & secret to a moist, tender, flavorful butts happens during the resting stage. I try to allow at least 1 hour for resting but more is much, much better.


----------



## rbranstner (Dec 29, 2009)

Well I decided to try and foil my three butts at 165 and let them go until they were 200. I don't know if I will do that again. It seems that the meat was greesy or fatty way more than I am use to. I don't know if it was just the butts I had or if it was because of foiling them for so long and the fat juices weren't able to drip out into my pan. There seemed to be way more fat/slimy meat than I ever remember. I think I will foil them at 195 next time like I have done in the past. Any thoughts?


----------



## fatback joe (Dec 29, 2009)

Yeah, keep on trying different things until you find what you like best.


----------



## patcap (Dec 29, 2009)

I've only done three and I've foiled all of them at 165 deg.  I brought the first one up to 205 and pulled it off, wrapped it and let it rest in the cooler and I got the same results you did.  The second and third I did at the same time and the only thing I did different was I pulled them off at 195 and that seemed to make all the difference.  They were firm but tender and not at all slimy or too greasy.


----------



## tasunkawitko (Dec 29, 2009)

rb - i know that some people foil their pork shoulders at 160, 165 or whatever, then poke holes in the foil to prevent exactly what happened to yours. this allows the fat run out, but still protects the shoulder from getting any darker and also allows it to braise. 

one suggestion: whether you foil the butts or not, or even if you decide to try the foil-with-poked-holes thing, devise a way to save the juices. most people simply use a foil pan underneath the meat. once those juices are de-fatted (put it in the freezer and allow fat to rise to top and harden, then remove the hardened fat), those juices can be added back into the meat for some really good, down-home porky flavor.


----------



## travcoman45 (Dec 30, 2009)

I used ta foil my butts at 165° then take em ta 195° then toss em inta a cooler fer a hour er two then pull.  Never had a problem with em.  Do lots of em fer caterin an such.  

I've lately been takin em ta 165° in the smoker then inta a enamel roaster pan an finishin up in the oven.  Basically cause my smokes been gettin started late.  Everbody wan'ts ta know what I'm doin different cause the pulled pork is better then ever.

Hey, if it's workin why fight it?
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





  Ya try things till ya get what works fer you.  But like they've said, save them juices, thats liquid gold after ya defat it!


----------

