There are many people who believe smoked pork to be the best tasting meat. What kind of smoke or method that is used seems not to make a difference, you could use a wood fire smoker, an electric or a gas fueled smoker as long as you use some form of heat and wood in the proper way it is good. The main difficulty in cooking pork, but of course applies to any kind of meat, is it if you're cooking it low and slow, which is the proper method for barbecue does have the potential to dry out. This is where your skill as a person that barbecues comes into play.
Smoking A Pork Loin
Prior to placing the pork loin into the smoker it must be prepared carefully. There are number of things that you can do to make the meat both flavorful and juicy. Most people who barbecue would put a dry rub onto the pork on all sides and in a sufficient amount to add flavor and create what barbecue cookers call a bark. Now some would actually brine pork loin first which entails the pork sitting in a bath of water that has both sugar and salt in the water. Then after 24 hours you would remove it from the refrigerator pat dry and then add the dry rub.
Prior to putting on the dry rub you could coat the entire pork loin in mustard or you could use oil as this helps to adhere the rub to the meat. Just prior to putting the rub on the pork loin you should get your fire started using a charcoal chimney and bring the temperature of the smoker up to around 225°F. Place some dry wood in the form of chunks or wood chips that have been soaked in water for about an hour on the charcoal. The type of wood is at personal discretion but Hickory is the most popular. The temperature should be maintained between 225°F and 250°F and when finished the internal temperature of the meat should be in the neighborhood of 150°F. The service of the meat should be nice and crispy and flavorful and the inner meat should be tender and juicy.
Create A Pork Shoulder
Smoking a pork shoulder is a wonderful adventure in making some fabulous pulled pork sandwiches. There are some barbecue cookers who will brine or inject the pork shoulder sometimes referred to as Boston Butt. Other people who barbecue would consider this cheating and prefer the purity and the challenge of making a juicy tender pork shoulder without the use of any added liquid.
The process is very similar to the pork loin in the sense of temperature of 225°F to 250°F. You would use Wood chunks or wood chips depending on the type of smoke desired. The choice of the wood is up to the individual. Hickory is always a good choice but then there's also apple wood and cherry wood to consider along with many other types of fruit woods. To prepare the pork shoulder you would remove any excess fat, add the rub with or without the mustard. To clarify the mustard does not really impart any flavor or at least not much flavor, the sole purpose of the mustard is to keep the rub in contact with the meat.
The difference here is the internal temperature of the pork shoulder should reach in the neighborhood of between 190°F and 200°F in order to break down all of the fat in the collagen inside. Then to get it ready for service you would simply let the meat rest for at least a half an hour if not longer wrapped in aluminum foil. Then you would remove the meat slip out the chine bone and simply pull the pork part with two forks. After the meat has been pulled apart if you'd like you can even chop it and again that is a personal preference to chop or not chop. Then the most important thing to do is when and how to use the barbecue sauce. You can either pour the sauce over the meat and mix it thoroughly into the meat or you can just take parts of the meat and dip it into the sauce this is all your choice.
Smoking Pork Ribs
Smoking pork ribs is one of the delights of all people who smoke their meat. Because the meat is less than other ways of cooking pork it becomes a challenge to get the meat tender and juicy without drying it out and being tough. The temperatures remain the same cooking between 225°F in 250°F this cooking time usually last about 4 to 5 hours depending upon the method that you use.
One step that is different is the removal of the membrane. The membrane is removed for two reasons, first to ensure full flavor of the rub is distributed throughout the ribs and secondly to make the ribs tender. As was other meat you would want to reduce the fat anyplace that it could. In this method most people not everyone sauce is their meat in about the last hour of cooking to keep the barbecue sauce from burning and giving an ugly taste to the cherished ribs.
Enjoy Your Barbecue Pork This Summer
Of course this is just a quick overview of what you can do when you are smoking pork for the barbecue. There is a lot of nuance to creating these types of meals. There is no better way to share family and friend time that in the great outdoors smoking pork and then sitting down and enjoying it with everyone. The above is some of the best examples of cooking pork in a barbecue smoker to give your meat the best flavor along with tenderness and a great deal of juicy goodness in the pork.
To learn more about smoking meat you should click BBQ Menu Ideas to get some thoughts on how you can improve your barbecue this summer. Of course there is plenty of information about smoking meat at http://bbqporkcooking.com/.
