jecrensh posted a question to "Do I have to wrap pork butt" so in response I am posting a test we performed some years back.Pork Shoulder in a Foil versus No Foil Cook OffUsing our Traeger Lil Tex loaded with Lumber Jack Hickory Pellets, using the TR-100 controller, reduce DIF air flow and for extra smoke we used the A-Maz-Smoker, we did a foil no foil cook off. I went with Bentley’s recommendation and planned to foil one at 170 degrees. Both shoulders weighed in at 11 lbs.
My wife applied yellow mustard and our Mohunken Butt Rub and put them in the fridge overnight.
Four thirty in the morning and it was time to get the BBQ show on the road. We did not brine these shoulders but I did inject them with apple juice, soy sauce, Worcestershire, a little hot sauce and apple vinegar.
Using the A-maz-n Smoker for a little added smoke flavor.
Five A.M. smoker was warmed up and ready, in went the shoulders and the plan is to smoke at 180 for four hours and the finish at 225.
Four Thirty P.M. shoulders are coming up to 170 degrees so it was time to foil one for the cook off
Foiled and back in the Smoker:
Post two:
After resting for one hour it was time to take a look at these two chunks of smoked pork.
Looking at the picture the foiled shoulder is on your left shoulder side. The foiled shoulder looks very dry compared to the non-foiled shoulder.
Foiled shoulder looks dry.
Non-Foiled shoulder looks very moist and scrumptious.
Foiled shoulder did pull apart easily and it seem to have good moisture deeper inside.
Non-foiled pulled did not pull apart easy as the foiled but it had as much moisture.
Foiled shoulder bone pulled free without a problem.
Non-foiled shoulder bone also pulled free without a problem.
Foiled
Non-foiled
Conclusions:
Non-foiled had a richer moister look.
Nob-foiled had much better bark.
Foiled shoulder pulled easier.
My wife’s comments:
"I think that was a big waste of foil. The foiled one indeed was much easier to pull; however, the bark was just that-Bark!!It did not pull or chop nicely into the mixture. The redeeming factor was that Mister did two shoulders so I could mix them. If we had just done the one with foil, it would not be in our freezer today-way too dry."
Seven family members conducted a blind taste test and here are the results of which meat they picked as best in the following catagories.
Bark = Non-foiled
Looks = Non-foiled
Texture = Non-foiled
Bark Taste = Non-foiled
Pork Taste = Non-foiled
Post Three: Storing the BBQ Pork.
In addition to foil versus not foil test we smoked this for sandwiches and this is how we store it.
My wife pulls the pork, chops the bark, blends it together and stacks it into serving size for two.
Bagged and ready for the Food Saver:
Doing it:
