We consider the BBQ Trinity: Ribs, Brisket, and Pulled Pork. Once you’ve mastered all three, you’ve got a lifetime of great BBQ ahead of you 🙂
Over the next few weeks, we’ll be posting videos of each one, sharing tips and tricks from our cooks.
First up is pulled pork. Here are the basics on a 6 pound pork butt we picked up at Costco:
We make pulled pork about once or twice a month. Usually smoke a big fatty pork butt or shoulder. Unless we’re having a backyard patio party, we have a few pounds leftover. Sometimes we vacuum seal and freeze the leftovers for a weeknight delight. Getting “porked out” usually isn’t a problem around our house. But when you have a day old heap of pulled pork sitting in your fridge, what to do with it?
We like to make Bahn Mi Pulled Pork Sandwiches! Here’s how…
At the in-laws, and no wood pellet grill. Had to improvise!
Luckily, you can turn any gas grill into a smoker, by using a pellet tube or smoke box:
A-Maze-n 12in-18in Expandable Tube Smoker (also available on eBay)
Stainless Steel Smoker Box by CaveTools.com (also available on eBay)
With a smoker tube or box, simply fill with your favorite pellets or chips, and then light one end with a propane torch or lighter. Let pellets or chips burn until smoke is firmly established, and they begin to glow. Then blow out the fire, and let the smoke roll.
If going chips route, check out Char-Broil Simple Smoke (Hickory, Apple, or Cherry). With chips, you may want to add water to them in a bowl first, and let them soak/expand, before adding to smoke box.
Now for the rib instructions:
Remove silver skin on the back of the ribs
Rub ribs generously with mustard
Add your favorite rub liberally to both sides of the ribs
Cover in saran wrap, put back in refrigerator for 30 minutes to 4 hours.
Once you are ready to cook, on a four burner gas grill, start half of the burners on one side. Set to low. Put your smoker tube above one of the hot grates. Close lid, and let temperature climb to 225F. Adjust burner accordingly to get it to keep at that temp.
Remove ribs from refrigerator and un-wrap.
Add ribs to the cold side of the grill, bone-side down.
Close lid, and let smoke build.
Every hour, for two (2) hours, open grill and re-arrange ribs.
At two hour mark, cover ribs in foil, adding a 1/2 cup of apple juice, and leave on for another (1) hour.
Check ribs at 3 hour mark for tenderness and temp. They should be fall-off the bone, with meat receding from bone by at least a 1/4 inch.
Once cooked to optimal tenderness, remove from foil and add sauce (turning every 5 minutes) for wet ribs, or remove and let rest for 15 minutes.
Cooking on charcoal? Check on this Classic Baby Back Ribs recipe from Weber, using a similar technique.
That’s about it. Now you’re ready to try ribs on a gas grill!
Followed the Traeger Pulled Pork recipe to the T, and got amazing results! The only trick? We were camping at the river. That’s where a wireless meat thermometer comes in handy. Especially on a long cook.
RendezvousBBQ.com 