Pigs have a history in the South that predates the Revolutionary War. Being low maintenance as well as a convenient and efficient food source made them a favored livestock choice. Virtually all parts of the pig, except the squeal as the popular saying goes, could be used. They didn’t require as much room as cows and if the farmer couldn’t supply food to them, they could be turned out into the woods to forage and then be caught when it was time to butcher. The meat was either eaten fresh or cured for later consumption. Prior to refrigeration, the hog butcher was done at the first frost which was usually in the late fall or early winter. The hams were cured and smoked which would take several months. The first hams would be ready around Easter. This is the reason that ham is a traditional centerpiece on Southern tables for the Easter celebration. The fat was rendered and became lard which was used for cooking. After the choice pieces were removed, the rest of the hog was ground for sausage meat with the intestines being used for casings to make link sausage. The sausages and bacon would hang in the smokehouse along with the hams.
My Alabama grandparents reminisced about “the hog butcher” or “the hog killin’ “. For them, it was a community affair. Neighbors helped neighbors with the butchering and meat preparation. My mother talked about being afraid to go around the smokehouse because it was always so dark inside. I can only imagine how divine the smell was as the wood smoldered for months on end and the meats started to give off some of their drippings. While a guest at Blackberry Farm a few years ago, I was introduced to a term that was new to me: charcuterie (pronounced shar- koo`- ter – ree). This lovely, romantic sounding word means meats that have been preserved. My grandparents called it curin’ and smokin’ and makin’ sausage. Their education was too limited and their language too plain for such a fancy word. You might not want to walk into Bubba’s Smokehouse and Lawnmower Repair Shop and ask for charcuterie, either. They might take it the wrong way and misunderstand your intentions. My grandparents preserved meats for no other reason than sheer survival. They never entertained being fancy or trendy. They entertained trying to put enough food on the table to keep everyone alive. I wished they had lived long enough that I could have told them they were experts in the fine art of charcuterie. Oh, to have seen their faces and gauged their reactions! Chances are, Granddaddy would have laughed with his almost silent laugh that made his whole body shake. Granny, on the other hand, would have looked at me stone-faced, ask me to repeat the word, and say, “Shug, I can’t even understand what you are a- tryin’ to say.”
When you have a multi-generational relationship with smoked pork, I think it eventually becomes part of your DNA: hense my propensity for pork barbeque. Fine dining is nice, but nothing beats a good barbeque house in my estimation. Even better than a good barbeque house is smoking the pork at your house. I have been unsuccessful, despite numerous attempts, in getting any of the men in my family interested in cooking smoked pork. They are plenty interested in eating it. So, out of necessity, I have become The Barbeque Maven of the Garvin household. In addition to the deliciousness of the meat, I am rewarded by 5 or 6 hours of the wonderful smell of mesquite and hickory. Actually, I am rewarded with more than 5 or 6 hours worth of the smell because it tends to cling to the inside of my nose and I smell it for days….even weeks! I was meant to a Barbeque Maven. After all, I’m the granddaughter of charcuterie experts. I’m saving you some of the smoked pork, Granny and Granddaddy.
Y’all come see us!
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Smoked Boston Butt
When choosing butts to smoke, I strongly prefer bone- in to boneless. The bone gives it more flavor plus acts as a heat conductor. If the meat is cooked well enough, the bone slips out easily so you don’t have to worry about carving around it. For this particular Barbequeland adventure, I picked one 3 pound butt and a 4 pound butt. The night before, I rubbed the butts down really well with a dry rub made of one part brown sugar: one part kosher salt: 1/2 part Homemade Taco Seasoning. For meats that require a much shorter cooking time, such as baby back ribs, I make a rub out of half and half brown sugar and Homemade Taco Seasoning. I added salt to this preparation for some extra flavor and moisture for the prolonged cooking process. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap, place on a tray and store in the refrigerator overnight. The next day, remove excess rub before cooking.
I don’t own a smoker so I use my three burner gas grill. One section gets heated and other two remain off. For low and slow cooking, is necessary to cook the meat with indirect heat otherwise you risk overcooking and drying out the meat. There’s nothing magical about dried up pork. I take the grate off the burner that I’m going to have as my direct heat source and put my hickory chunks and mesquite chips, which have been soaked in water for 30 minutes, directly on the little silver thingy. I have no idea what it’s called. I’m a Barbeque Maven, not an engineer. I keep the heat on high until I can get a good smoke going. Have plenty of chips on hand. You will burn through them rather quickly. I only used 5 or 6 mesquite chunks but I used a whole bag of hickory chips.
Once I was satisfied with the amount of smoke that was produced, I lowered the heat to medium and place the pork on the far burner, turned it a quarter turn every hour and fipped it over at 3 hours. I continued turning a quarter turn every hour until the meat was done.
Maintaining the desired temperature is a bit of a challenge. The experts recommend 225 degrees. I had a difficult time maintaining a proper smoke at that low of a temperature and had to keep it around 325 degrees on the direct heat burner which made it about 300 on the indirect burner. That’s the compromise I had to make in order to use my grill for this process. You will need to make sure that you have a good smoke going at all times, by adding wood as needed , while keeping an eye on your temperature. At times, I had to turn the burner down as low as it would go because the heat was too high. As soon as I started loosing the smoke, I would turn it back up. Because the pork was cooking at a higher temperature than recommended, I made up a basting liquid of 3 parts Luzianne sweet tea and 1 part soy sauce. The sweet salty combination added more flavor and the tannic acid in the tea help tenderize the meat. I put it in a spray bottle and used it often. You can’t spray too much.
Here we are at 3 hours and ready for the flip.
For pulled pork, you want to reach an internal temperature of 190 degrees so the collagen will melt making the meat extremely tender. I removed the butt at 185 degrees, wrapped securely in foil and let it remain for at least one hour. The three pound butt cooked in 5 hours and it took 6 for the 4 pound to reach 185 degrees. If it’s done properly, the bone will easily pull away. Drag a fork across the grain of the meat for pulled pork. If you are finding that it’s not shredding easily, just try pulling it apart with your hands. There’s nothing wrong with slicing it, either. We just prefer it pulled.
Yes ma’am! The Barbeque Maven got it right!
Mona Stout says
Good grief, I needed a big napkin tied around my neck just reading this — if I were to come anywhere near this luscious pork, you’d probably have to hose me off afterward. You outdid yourself on this one, girl; I swear I smell hickory smoke.
Jackie Garvin says
Mona,
Thank you! It was really good. Sam said it was the best pulled pork I ever made. Wish you could have had some of it!
GINGER says
YUM!! I fixed up some pulled pork just last week, but I used my crock pot to get the job done. I have never tried smokin’ it but maybe one day I’ll give it a go. I love me some pulled pork!! We love ours with a heaping of homemade cole slaw right on top of our pulled pork and a squirt of vinegar based bbq sauce dripping off the sides of the bun.. don’t for get the homefries to get with it!!
I went and made myself hungry……. To the kitchen I go !!!
Ginger 🙂
Jackie Garvin says
Ginger,
I don’t make pulled pork in this manner all the time because it is so time consumptive. I’ve made it in the oven and the crockpot. This is a special treat that I do from time to time. I won’t be doing it again until it cools off a lot. It’s just to hot right now.
Ann says
looks wonderful!! I’m in the same boat as you with my menfolk doing any grillin – I am the barbeque maven at my house too!! Will have to try this. I did a pork loin in an aluminum pan I bought that had mesquite chips in between double walls and holes in the sides of the pan for smoke to come out. It turned out really good, but I need to look for another pan – got it at Big Lots! LOL
Jackie Garvin says
Ann,
I’ve never seen one of those pans you described. I will have to look for one of those. How did that primal instinct to cook meat on open fires escape our men???
nancynaigle says
We love smoked pork in my household! Our favorite saying about using all the pig is “from the rooter to the tooter” 🙂
I did finally master fall off the bone pork ribs by coating them with my favorite rub wrapping loosely in foil and popping them in the over for 2 hrs on 285 degrees. They seem to always be perfect and that’s just about the amount of attention I like to pay to dinner … minimal!
Happy porking out~
Nancy
Jackie Garvin says
Nancy,
I don’t smoke meat all the time using this method because it is so time consumptive but it sure it a nice treat from time to time. I love the oven b-b-que method, too. I know, for sure, that I won’t be smoking again until cooler weather. I had to take a dip in the pool just to be able to stand it outside! Whew, it’s hot weather.
Sandra Davis says
Jackie you never seize to amaze me. My husband and I will try your method out. I like the spray bottle with sweet tea and soy sauce, it seems like the perfect moisture taste for the pork, not just plain water! I already know that your taco seasoning rub is a winner, so the rest is just icing on the cake!
Jackie Garvin says
Sandra,
Thank you! I hope y’all have good luck with it. Smoking the meat using the grill requires a commitment . You can’t just put it on and leave it. It has to be watch to make sure the smoke is good and temp is not too high. I’ve never used a smoker so I don’t know if they are easier.
Lise says
We love to smoke meat at our house and are just finishing up eating our latest ribs and pork roast. I’m dying to use your sweet tea and soy sauce spray. We have always just used water. I’ll bet your spray adds a great flavor! Thank you for letting us all know another of your secrets! 🙂
Jackie Garvin says
Lise,
Thank you for taking the time to read the post! I hope the sweet tea/soy sauce mist works out for you. I think it really makes a difference.
nancynaigle says
I just got back from the grocery story and picked up a nice hunk of pork. I’m going to try that sweet tea misting tonight 🙂 You know how I love my sweet tea 😉
Hugs~
Nancy
Jackie Garvin says
Nancy,
You certainly have every reason to love Sweet Tea! :). Enjoy your pork!
Julia says
Hi Jackie,
Honestly, I’m going to have to stop reading your blogs or just unsub. I’ve gained another
5 pounds just following in your footsteps as you go from Chicken N Dumplings to Syrup-
filled hot biscuits, PimmenoCheese, and now you lead me into the land of BBQ done the
old-fashioned right way (AKA “charcuterie” to the fancy folk). Have you no mercy at all?
I thought for sure that the Salmon Patties might be considered “diet food” as water-packed
tuna-fish was to my Weight Watchers back in the 70’s, but No… I just gained another pound
eating them almost as fast as I was chomping on my concession to another diet, the
celery sticks. One celery stick and one salmon patty with a dash of Tapitio hot sauce mixed
into the catsup I had dipped it into. You’re right. They were so good.
Do you think it could possibly be the quantity along with the quality that’s causing the weight-gain problem?
My Uncle Floyd Beasley lived in Winter Haven, FL, and starting in the fall, he and his
two boys, (my first cousins) would already be BBQ’ing every Friday afternoon by the
time my sister and I walked to their home from the school bus stop. My Mother and
her sister, Sally would already have cooked greens of some kind and baked beans which
had sliced potatoes (partially boiled) and layered in the mixed up beans (brown sugar,
mustard, etc) along with thin slices of onion. Strips of smoked bacon which had been
baked long enough to remove some of the grease were laid across the top of the beans, and the grease had gone into the beans with the brown sugar etc.
A large round pone of cornbread (cooked on top of the stove) was sitting on the back
of the stove covered with another pan, just waiting for the guys to holler, “Y’all come
and get it”.
Thank you for the wonderful memory boost.
Julia
Jackie Garvin says
Julia,
Thank you for another wonderful story! I can smell the bar-b-que and all the fixin’s at your Uncle’s house. I’ve never heard of putting potatoes in the baked beans but that sounds like a wonderful idea! Julia, I have a problem with limiting the quantity of food, also. It’s just not fair at all. If only we could eat what we want and as much as we want…….
Kurt says
As I stand and clap !!! If I werent a Chritian man I would worship a pig named Tululah !! Pork is king..Great smoker recipe, I am an avid fan of your work as well as an avid smoker of meat.
Smoker boxes are not different than the tin foil method if using a gas grill.. Great blog Jackie and keep them coming !! Sweet tea and Soy , awesome.. I also reccomend, applejuice and soy or rootbeer/ any dark cola or a misting of pineapple jiuce near the end, just some things I have tried.
Jackie Garvin says
Kurt,
Thank you! Your suggest about a misting of pineapple juice at the end sounds terrific! Pork is king! I totally agree with that….
Maureen says
I’m craving pulled pork. I was going to make it for the 4th but we had company and my Aussie husband said, “Can we have something that doesn’t look like someone already ate it?”
He has NO clue what he’s missing, does he?
You’ve got me on the right track – on to BBQ Heaven!
Jackie Garvin says
Maureen,
Land sakes, alive! I feel sorry for your poor sweet husband if he passed over a chance for pulled pork b-b-que. Please do him a favor and get him enlighted quickly before it’s too late!!!!
Rachel@Time for Good Food says
I love this post! My family likes to reminisce about hog killin’ time, too. I also love the background history you provided. I always wondered why ham is always served at Easter — makes sense. Your smoked meat looks amazing — I’ve never tried to smoke my own but may just have to give it a try!
Jackie Garvin says
Rachel,
I love food history almost as much as I love cooking and writing about cooking. It’s so interesting and I glad you liked the history I included in this narrative. Thanks so much for reading!