Award Winning Competition Pork

[The Big Pig]

Introduction

The meat used in the Pork category of a KCBS contest comes from the pork shoulder, which is commonly divided into two cuts of pork. As you can see in the image below, the shoulder consists of both the yellow and orange regions. Pork shoulder has an exceptionally high intramuscular fat content. This intramuscular fat provides both the challenge of cooking and the reward of eating BBQ pork. The challenge is rendering the fat without overcooking the meat. The reward is a tender, moist, flavorful product that is hard to beat.



Although most teams will say their pork is good, many of them struggle to break into the Top 10 at contests. The category can baffle cooks because we are content with what we produce and wonder why we do not get any calls. Pork is very forgiving and is a relatively easy medium to produce great BBQ. But great pork is not good enough…you have to produce award winning pork to get that call. It took The Pickled Pig 5 ½ years to get our first pork call. During that drought we were not really serious about improving our BBQ and kept doing the same things at each contest. We would usually finish in the middle of the pack and wondered why the judges did not like our food as much as we did.

Eventually we figured out that some teams were consistently winning in pork and started to try and learn what they did differently than us. While we are still learning, pork is now our strongest category. Over the last year we have had 10 calls in pork including 3 first place finishes in the category. Our pork entry is consistent and fairly easy to reproduce at each contest.

One of the biggest resources we have used in learning how to improve has been the Internet. We seem to take a little info from here and there and compile it into new techniques and processes to try out. I never quite found a good, detailed, unified resource on how to consistently win in Pork and think creating one might be helpful to a lot cooks. My hope is to create a thread that we can all reference as needed, especially those just starting out. Contest cooking has also made me a better BBQ cook and I think even backyard cooks will benefit from this information.

As with the other “Award Winning” threads, the information presented below is merely an account of how we do things and the results we achieve. There are a lot of teams that do better than we at pork. So take what you can use and leave the rest. Or better yet, reply to this thread and add your opinions and experience so we all can benefit.

[The Big Pig]

Selection

Here in the Kansas City area getting acceptable pork is relatively easy. It is readily available and most markets, butchers, wholesalers, purveyors, and warehouse stores sell the cut we need. It is also inexpensive in this region. Most pork shoulders cost between $1.20 and $2.00 per pound.

Cut
In the 2009 Rules and Regulations, the KCBS specifies the following for the Pork category:

Pork is defined as Boston Butt, Picnic and/or Whole Shoulder, weighing a minimum of five (5) pounds. Pork shall be cooked (bone in or bone out) and shall not be parted.

You can see there are 3 acceptable cuts for this category: the Boston Butt, the Picnic Shoulder, or the Whole Shoulder. We use the Boston Butt for all of our pork entries.

It is said that in pre-revolutionary New England, some pork cuts (not those highly valued, or "high on the hog," like loin and ham) were packed into casks or barrels, also known as "butts", for storage and shipment. The way the hog shoulder was cut in the Boston area became known in other regions as "Boston Butt". The name "Boston Butt" is not used in Boston but is used in other parts of the U.S.

Size
Boston Butts generally weigh between 5-10 pounds each. Look for medium size butts that weigh about 8 pounds each. Although larger and smaller butts can work, try and select butts that are about the same size so they cook uniformly.

Quantity
Always cook at least two butts for a contest and three if you can. You should be able to get enough good product from two butts but using three gives you a little more margin for error. There is no need to cook more than three butts at a contest because there will not be enough time to process them during the turn in window.

Grade and Brand
Unlike beef, pork is rarely graded. USDA grading for pork is done on a voluntary basis (paid for by the producer) and only two grades are issued, "acceptable" and "utility". Since "acceptable" is all that is sold in supermarkets, you need not be concerned with grading. This is not to say that all pork will taste or render the same, just that USDA grading is not a factor in the selection process.

Even with the abundance of pork here in Kansas City, almost all of it comes from just a handful of producers and distributors. Different stores carry different brand names, but with a little research you will find out that most of them come from just a few producers. We recommend you find out where your pork originates and what the part number is. This makes shopping by phone much easier when you are looking for a new source.

One of our favorite brands is Premium Standard Farms. Some of our best butts have come from this brand but consistency of quality and convenience as of late has caused us to switch to IBP from Sam’s Club for the time being. If you are not already familiar with what is available in your market, shop around and try different sources or ask other cooks for a recommendation.

Berkshire and Kurobuta pork are wonderful breeds. They are to pork what Wagyu (Kobe) is to beef. I highly recommend them for personal use if you can afford them. However, for contests in this region stick to regular domestic stock. I think contest judges are not familiar with the rich tastes these breeds have and score them down.

Bone-In vs. Boneless
Some stores offer a boneless version of the Boston Butt, sometimes contained in netting or twine to hold the various muscle groups together which makes it easier to handle. We prefer the bone-in variety for our pork. The meat surrounding the bone stays moist and has a great natural flavor. Some teams that butterfly the cut before cooking or that turn in certain sliced pieces favor boneless because they do not have to trim out the bone.

Enhanced Pork
In 1985, Congress created the National Pork Board to help producers provide consumers with leaner pork. As a result, today's pigs are much leaner than they were 20 years ago, averaging 31% less fat. This is great for the waistline but has made today's pork prone to dryness and blandness. Some producers have responded by injecting the meat with an "enhanced" solution of water, salt, sodium phosphates, sodium lactate, potassium lactate, and sodium diacetate to bolster flavor and juiciness. The Pork Board claims that purpose of enhancement is to boost the overall quality of the product.

The Pickled Pig prefers pork which has not been "enhanced" because we prefer to do our own enhancing. Sometimes, we can taste unappealing, artificial, and salty flavors in "enhanced" pork. Pork that has been "enhanced" with artificial ingredients must be accordingly labeled so check the packaging carefully. If you are buying pork that is not packaged, make sure and ask the butcher. If circumstances require using an enhanced butt, consider reducing the salt content of any injections, marinades, seasonings or sauces to counter the effects.

The Money Muscle
Learning about this cylindrical muscle and how to prepare, cook, and present it might be the single greatest improvement we made. It is very tender, juicy, and flavorful part of the Boston Butt and is central to our entry. There are several winning teams that only turn in portions of this muscle group in their box.

The Money Muscle (named for its tendency to put the cook “in the money” when used) is located at the end opposite the bone. I think knowing where to locate this muscle is valuable and I have pointed it out in 13 of the next 14 pictures. Look at the picture of a typical 2 butt cryovac package below for an example.



Since the Money Muscle is so important to producing a winning entry, it is a major feature to examine when selecting the best butt at the store. We look for money muscles that are big, long, evenly round, and well marbled - the bigger, longer, and more even the better. When cherry picking among cryovac packages, I like to squeeze my thumb and fingers around the money muscle along its length to get a better idea of the muscle’s definition while it is compacted in the package (see picture below). We need to get 6 presentable slices from this muscle so getting one long enough is important.

[The Big Pig]

Trimming

When I am ready to trim the butts I remove them from the cryovac packaging and rinse them under cold water. Then I pat them dry with a paper towel. I like to take a good look at all sides of each butt, looking for blemishes (like bone chips and fragments, veins and arteries) and excess fat that needs to be removed. I use my hands to feel for any bone fragments. Failure to catch them could potentially cause someone to choke. Here is what one of the butts in my package looks like:





This butt had a big vein (first pic) and a bone chip (second pic). There were also a couple of smaller bone fragments and I picked out before taking the pictures. And, it had a relatively thin fat cap on the bottom.

When the pig carcass moves through the line at the meat processing plant, the Boston butt is removed by someone operating a high speed ring saw. It takes them less than a second to cut out each butt and they do not spend a lot of time in between cuts aligning the pieces or checking their work for consistency. The result is that each butt is cut a little different and will need to be trimmed a little different.

The only fat we remove while trimming is the fat around the money muscle and any thick fat deposits on the top side of the butt. We’ll usually leave the fat cap on the bottom intact. It will serve as a good layer of protection between the meat and the fire during cooking. It separates easily after cooking, usually lifting off the meat in a single piece. And, we won’t be using any of the meat located on the bottom. We do remove any bone chips, veins, arteries, and anything else that might look out of the ordinary. Here’s what this same butt looks like after being trimmed:

[The Big Pig]

Injecting

We did not start having success in pork until we started injecting. Pork butt is a large cut of meat and it does not have a strong natural flavor. Injecting the butt will get flavor deep into the tissue as well as promote fluid retention, especially if an injection mix contains a lot of phosphates. So we thoroughly inject our Boston butts and then let them marinate overnight in the injection mix. There are other ways to get more flavors on the meat but we will address those a little later.

You need two things to inject a pork butt, an injector and an injection mix. If you do a lot of injecting you might consider a pressurized brine pump, but if you are doing the occasional cook of a couple of butts, a hand injector is all you need. Over the years we have tried all kinds of injectors. Most are flawed and poorly constructed. They leak, they are awkward, and they break. We have settled on using the Chef Williams Cajun Deluxe brand injectors.



They are affordable, work pretty good, are fairly durable, and can be very efficient when you learn how to load and inject with one hand. At around $10 each, we can afford to keep several with us in case of breakage. Beware the even cheaper imitations as they do not work well.

We have had success using several different injection mixes. We really load our pork butts up on the injection and usually like to have 2 C of our mix for each butt. We started out using a Chris Lilley type injection of ¾ C Apple Juice, ½ C Water, ½ C Sugar, ¼ C Salt, and 2 TBSP Worcestershire. This recipe is enough to inject 1 butt so double or triple it if needed.

We have also had quite a bit of success using Fab P in a ratio of 3/4C Fab P to 2 C Water, sometimes adding apple juice, apple cider vinegar, or seasonings to the solution. However, earlier this year we started using The Pickled Pig’s Pork Mojo Injection Marinade and are pleased with the results so far. Those who follow The Pickled Pig know that I am a big fan of adding phosphates to meat for their moisture retention properties. By mixing our own injection we have a little more control over the flavor. Plus, it is a lot more economical than Fab.

Because of the samples we turn in at a contest, we are primarily concerned with two areas of a butt. Take a look at the first picture below. We concentrate our injection in the red areas. These consist of the money muscle and all of the meat immediately surrounding the bone. All of the meat in the blue area will not be used for the entry and is therefore last in the injection priority. We will usually go through 2 C injecting one butt then collect the expelled injection and inject it some more. I do not think you can over-inject pork so I am not shy when it comes to the needle.



When we inject pork, we insert the syringe straight down into the meat, inject a small amount of the solution while backing back the syringe out a little (without removing the syringe tip from the initial insertion point), change the angle, push the syringe further into the meat, inject a little more solution, and repeat the process until the area we are injecting is evenly saturated. We can usually make 4-6 small injections in different areas of the meat through 1 insertion point. When that is done, we move the syringe to a different insertion point and duplicate the process until the areas needing to be injected are saturated. Using this technique will result in a final product that is evenly flavored and will avoid flavor pockets (areas of meat with highly concentrated injection solution).

Once the butts have been injected, we put them in a large Zip-Loc bag (the XL size works great for pork) along with any remaining injection mix and marinate them overnight (in the cooler or refrigerator).

[The Big Pig]

The Rub

After marinating overnight we remove the butt from the bag and let it drip dry a little. Then we apply a liberal coat of Plowboys Yardbird Rub. Do not let the name fool you; this rub is perfect for pork and the judges really like it. I try and make sure to work the rub in all of the cracks and crevices. Like injecting, I am not sure that a butt can be over-seasoned so I am not stingy with the rub. Once the butts have been rubbed, they are ready for the smoker.

[The Big Pig]

Cooking

We are using UDS cookers for our pork now. We were using an offset stick burner last year and have used WSMs prior to that. Each smoker is a little different and you will have to adapt our process to your equipment if you are trying to duplicate what we do.

We usually get the cookers started about 30 minutes before the meat goes on. At contests, this means getting up at 4AM and lighting the coals. We use 2 chunks of cherry and 1 chunk of hickory along with a mixture Wicked Good Charcoal briquettes and Wicked Good Lump. While the fire is warming up we rub the meat. The pork usually goes on the cooker around 4:30AM.

We cook pork a little hotter and faster than most teams (275F-325F). Although we have temperature gauges installed on our cookers we do not pay a lot of attention to them. We let touch, sight, sound, and smell guide the cook and use the gauges only as a reference. If you are not familiar with cooking on a UDS this may sound like a foreign concept (it was to us) but it works. Doing this, our pork will be done cooking between 9A and 10A which leaves us plenty of time for it to rest before turn-in.

There are a lot of variables but for rough cooking times, plan on 8 hours at 250F, 6-7 hours at 275F, 5-6 hours at 300F and 4-5 hours at 325F. You will need to be familiar with your equipment, cooking temperature, and cook times before doing this at a contest.

The first picture below shows our pork on the cooker after 60 minutes. Early on in the cook I will add some more rub to any areas that need it (i.e., rub loss due to handling). The second and third pictures were taken a couple hours later right before I wrapped them in foil. Notice how the roast is beginning to separate by the seam close to the bone end. That separation is okay and will make handling the roast when cutting out the money muscle later on a little easier.




Like many teams, we wrap our butts in foil at some point during the cook. Wrapping the pork in aluminum foil has consequences you should understand. Foil wrapping will:

• Speed up the cooking process
• Protect the meat from the smoke
• Braise the meat in its internal juices and help it retain moisture
• Steam some of the flavor out of the pork
• Soften any bark (external surface)

For us, the advantages of using foil outweigh the disadvantages and we always wrap our pork in foil. We add more seasoning throughout the process and knowingly accept the soft bark. The best benefit of using foil is that it protects the meat from excess smoke.

Some teams wrap their butts in foil at a specific internal temperature, some do it at a specific time, we wrap in foil when the color is where we want it. We have tried all approaches and the truth is that they all seem to work. The last two pictures above approximate the color we are trying to achieve so when our butts get that dark red color they go into foil. In fact, these are a shade or two darker than I prefer and I would have been happy to foil them 30 minutes sooner. I probe the temperature of the butts at this point and the two pictured above were at 165F internal when foiled.

Using foil also affords us the opportunity to add a little moisture and flavor to our pork. We put ½ bottle of Stubbs Pork Marinade (see first picture below) along with each butt in the foil. Make sure and shake the bottle before using and avoid pouring it on the meat, but rather on the sides and bottom of the foil. Place the pork fat cap down and seal the foil.



It is a good idea to use “heavy duty” foil and double wrap the butt because the foil tears easily on the cooking grate. Once the butts are wrapped, I place them back on the cooker (see picture below). I try and avoid cooking temperatures above 300F at this point because the sugar in the foil marinade can burn.



When the butts are foiled it is a good idea to probe the internal temperature regularly. Open the foil enough to check the temperature of the meat in the money muscle and/or the meat around the bone. Those are the two important areas and it just so happens they cook at about the same rate. When the butts are at 180F I start checking the temperature and tenderness about every 30 minutes until done.

I know the butts are done when I can insert the temperature probe in the meat and feel minimal resistance (imagine a hot knife going through butter). The internal temperature of the butts when done will vary and probing the tenderness is the only way I know to get it right every time. If you are cooking low and slow your butts might finish around 197F and we have noticed that speed cooking them requires a much higher finishing temperature (as high as 215F). The butts I cooked for this demonstration were done just above 200F. The picture below shows two probes, one inserted into the money muscle and one inserted into the meat around the bone.



Once the butts are done, we pull them off the smoker and open the foil for 10-15 minutes to vent some of the heat energy (first picture below). This is important because there is enough heat retained in the meat to overcook the pork while it is resting. After the venting, we reseal the foil and place it into an insulated food carrier to rest (second picture below). If you do not have a Cambro or a Carlysle, use a dry cooler. They are just as effective but lack the shelves. While resting, the pork will stay above 190F for quite some time, further rendering any fat and connective tissue present. And, as the protein begins to cool, it will absorb some of the juices in the foil adding flavor and moisture. We have held pork in an insulated carrier for more than 6 hours and it is still too hot to handle when removing it.

[The Big Pig]

Final Preparation and Presentation

We start warming the sauce for the pork about an hour before turn in. We use a 50:50 mixture of Blues Hog Original and Blues Hog Tennessee Red for our pork entry.

About 30 minutes prior to turn in, we remove the butts from the insulated carrier and open the foil. We pour off the excess juices in the foil as we will not need or use them. Using heavy duty rubber gloves, we carefully pick up the half of the butt that has the money muscle attached and set it on a cutting board. For the time being, we leave the portion of the butt with the bone in it in the foil. The butt should separate along the big seam next to the bone (look on the right side of the first picture above). If it does not separate easily, place the whole pork butt on the cutting board.

Using the sharpest knife in our arsenal (and sharpening it more just before this process), we slice the money muscle off the rest of the butt. Others pull their slicing butts off the cooker at lower internal temperatures (180-190F) but I think cooking it to the higher temperatures results in a more tender entry. This is a delicate operation. Because I have cooked this meat to such a high temperature, it will easily fall apart if I am not careful. If you are not used to slicing pork this tender you will need to practice it before trying it at a contest.

The money muscle is round but instead of trying to separate it cleanly, we slice straight across the butt about ½” past the natural seam (see the first picture below). So rather than getting a round muscle to slice, our money muscle is “U” shaped. Patience and a sharp knife are essential. I use a 7” Santoku for this operation, slowly drawing the knife towards me across the blue line in the picture below. After the drawing stroke I pick the knife up and draw it again. I do not use a “sawing” motion with the knife else risk having the money muscle fall apart. I use only the weight of the knife to make the cut and avoid applying any extra pressure.



I slice the money muscle off all of the butts in this manner and then cover them with a foil tent. The portion of the butt that the money muscle came from can be set aside for use at home. We will not use any of the meat from this center section as it tends to be drier than the dark meat we will turn in.

About 15 minutes before turn in, one of us begins to slice the money muscle into ½” to ¾” thick medallions. We need to get at least 6 slices from the money muscle so we adjust the width accordingly. It is possible to combine slices from multiple money muscles but it will look awkward in the box. When slicing the money muscle, use the same patience and technique we used to slice the money muscle away from the rest of the butt. Use the sharpest knife possible and only use draw strokes and the weight of the knife to slice the meat. I slice with my right hand and use my left hand to hold the meat together while slicing. It is very delicate. Be patient.

Once the money muscle has been sliced we brush sauce all over the outside. Then, we will sprinkle finely ground Plowboys Yardbird rub on the outside. We never separate the pieces during this process but rather keep them tightly together. We do not look at, taste, season or sauce the inside of this meat. We do not want the slices to dry out and it gives the judges a chance to taste the meat rather than the sauce.

While one person is slicing the money muscle, another will begin finding pulled chunks (finger to thumb sized) that are suitable. Look at the picture below. These are the muscles surrounding the bone from the two butts I cooked for this demonstration. All of our pulled chunks will come from these muscles. I have done this a number of times and am familiar with each of the pieces pictured below and usually get the same pulled pieces from the same muscles each time. If a pulled piece is too big, we may cut it to size with a knife or scissors.



We may get 15 pulled pieces that initially appear to be suitable. Once we have all of the pulled pieces, we dunk each of them in sauce and place them back on the cutting board. We then liberally apply finely ground Plowboys Yardbird rub to the pile and mix it up thoroughly. When we start assembling the box, we hand test each of the pieces for tenderness. Every pulled piece we submit will have flavorful bark and will be uber tender. If a piece has started to harden we leave it on the cutting board. We need to get a minimum of 6 pieces and usually try for 8-10.

I plated the demonstration pieces in a manner similar to how we place them in the entry clamshell (see the first picture below). In the second picture, I fanned the money muscle so you can see what it looks like when the judges partake. For contests, we do not fan the slices or lay them down for fear of drying out. Occasionally, our putting greens are too tall and the top of the slices will hit the top of the clamshell. By the time we realize this there is nothing we can do except squeeze the clamshell closed and cross our fingers. For reasons I cannot explain, this has never hurt us and we have won a first place in this category a couple of times when this has happened.



In theory, the use or absence of garnish in a KCBS contest entry should not impact your scores from the judges. In practice, garnish absolutely affects your scores. I have yet to come across a team that wins consistently that does not use garnish in their entry boxes. Although it frustrates many cooks and there are some who would like to adopt “no garnish” rules, as long as the KCBS keeps the current rules in place you might as well adapt and learn use it to your advantage.

Presenting entries on a bed of lettuce is probably the most common method used in KCBS competitions. This usually involves placing 4-6 leafs from a green leaf lettuce head in the bottom of your box and placing the entry on top of the lettuce. Sometimes, teams will accent the box with parsley. We did this for 6 years. It is easy, cheap, and quick. I have seen a few lettuce boxes that look great. And if I thought we could consistently duplicate them, I would revert back to lettuce in a heartbeat. However, most do not look so good. The meat sits lower in a lettuce box and the uneven edges often distract from and sometimes cover up the entry.

For the last two years we have used what are commonly called “putting greens” for all of our turn in boxes. Creating these presentation boxes is tedious, time consuming work but we think they are well worth it. A good putting green will provide you an attractive surface to display and frame your entry without distracting from the meat itself. You can see detailed instructions on how to make a putting green here. If cooking alone, you will need to make your boxes the night before turn-in, after you get them at the cooks meeting. Our team has a dedicated box maker that assembles our putting greens the morning of turn-in while the rest of the team fusses over the cooking.

Once all of the meat is in the box and we like the arrangement, we use a spray bottle and spritz the entry with warm water to add a little extra shine and help dissolve any visible finishing rub. Then we use a paper towel to clean up any excess water or sauce that might be on the box edges or top. Lastly, we take a few pictures of the entry so we can review and critique them later. The picture taking has been very helpful in our improvement process.

[The Big Pig]

I have included pictures of some of our award winning pork entries below. I also included our 6 judge average appearance score and the place it finished in the contest. Keep in mind that in KCBS judging, the lowest overall score is dropped and that usually results in a higher 5 judge average score. When we get over 8.0 in a 6 judge average on appearance, we seem to do well come awards time.

Great Bend, KS July 2009
Average Appearance - 8.17
Rank - 9/41




McLouth, KS June 2009
Average Appearance - 8.83
Rank - 2/44




Abilene, KS May 2009
Average Appearance - 9.0
Rank - 1/31




Overland Park, KS April 2009
Average Appearance - 8.83
Rank - 1/44




Pleasant Hill, MO April 2009
Average Appearance - 8.00
Rank - 4/47




Kearney, MO September 2008
Average Appearance - 8.33
Rank - 4/35




Shawnee, KS September 2008
Average Appearance - 8.33
Rank - 7/27

[The Big Pig]

Conclusion
This was not meant to be a definitive or authoritative explanation on the way to make award winning pork. It is only a description of how we have been doing it lately. Others, who are more successful than we are, do it differently. Like all things BBQ, there is no single “right” way to accomplish success in contest pork. The key is to develop a consistent technique that produces consistently good results.

I hope this thread helps pork cooks who are just beginning or are stuck in a mediocre rut. Looking back, I wish our team had learned this stuff much earlier in our competition experience. I believe we could have been much more successful during our first 5 years competing if we had learned some of these lessons sooner.

Maybe just as important as developing a winning technique is developing a process of continual improvement. Our sport changes over time. Pork that consistently won KCBS awards 5 or 10 years ago do not consistently win at contests today. If your goal in competing is to win, try your best to put personal preferences aside and learn what the judges tend to reward on a consistent basis. Watch the rankings and go out of your way to befriend teams who are doing well. Most folks are more than willing to help if you ask.

On a personal note, I would appreciate any feedback on this thread. Did you find this helpful? Is there something I left out or was less than clear on? And what are your experiences? How have you produced winning pork entries? We are still learning and I can benefit from your success if you are willing to share.

[WildBlue]

Paul, great write-up. There is a lot of very good information in your article. Like you said there are several different ways to cook pork and this is what is working for you. There is so much good information, that a cook could pick one or two things to tweak what they are doing on their pork and bring their product to the next level.