My 1st pulled pork was not well received

[Deweybeck]

I am new to Traeger and smoking. I made my first pulled today. My wife’s favorite pulled pork is from a restaurant called bandannas. I followed the Traeger app recipe and it was very tender, the bone pulled right out but she was disappointed and said it tasted more like a roast but not as good as the restaurants. Any ideas what they might do differently or any tips? Remember I am new to all this so I may not know all the “lingo”. Thanks

 

[Slimpicker]

Did you do a 2 hour foil wrapped REST after you took the meat out once it hit 201° internal temp???
2 hours, wrapped in foil, wrapped in a towel, and into an empty cooler... don't touch it till you wanna 'pull' it.

The only other thing it could be is the sauce or your rub.

I also use a finishing sauce:

A FINISHING SAUCE!!!! that takes care of all your juicy meat needs the 'day of"!!!
Per/10lb butt
1 Cup Cider Vinegar
3 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
1 good squirt of Ketchup
1 Teaspoon Course Black Pepper
1 Teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes

Warm the Vinegar up enough so that it dissolves the Sugar well. Then add the remaining ingredients.

Randomly squirt this over warm freshly pulled Pork, then kind of mix it up with gloved hands. This adds very little heat (despite the Red Pepper) and mellows out the stronger, gamier parts of the Shoulder. The Vinegar also helps break it down even more for some REAL juicy pork.
If you've never done Pulled Pork with a "Finishing Sauce" before, you're in for a real treat!!!!

 

[Deweybeck]

Did you do a 2 hour foil wrapped REST after you took the meat out once it hit 201° internal temp???
2 hours, wrapped in foil, wrapped in a towel, and into an empty cooler... don't touch it till you wanna 'pull' it.

The only other thing it could be is the sauce or your rub.

I also use a finishing sauce:

A FINISHING SAUCE!!!! that takes care of all your juicy meat needs the 'day of"!!!
Per/10lb butt
1 Cup Cider Vinegar
3 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
1 good squirt of Ketchup
1 Teaspoon Course Black Pepper
1 Teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes

Warm the Vinegar up enough so that it dissolves the Sugar well. Then add the remaining ingredients.

Randomly squirt this over warm freshly pulled Pork, then kind of mix it up with gloved hands. This adds very little heat (despite the Red Pepper) and mellows out the stronger, gamier parts of the Shoulder. The Vinegar also helps break it down even more for some REAL juicy pork.
If you've never done Pulled Pork with a "Finishing Sauce" before, you're in for a real treat!!!!

 

[Deweybeck]

I let it rest for an hour then pulled it. I I used Traeger pork and poultry rub. Are you familiar with bandannas? They serve it in larger pieces and it doesn’t appear to have any sauce on it but it does have more flavor.

 

[GrillMeister]

I am new to Traeger and smoking. I made my first pulled today. My wife’s favorite pulled pork is from a restaurant called bandannas. I followed the Traeger app recipe and it was very tender, the bone pulled right out but she was disappointed and said it tasted more like a roast but not as good as the restaurants. Any ideas what they might do differently or any tips? Remember I am new to all this so I may not know all the “lingo”. Thanks

My first pork butt on the Traeger was NOT received well by ME. Since then, I have fined tuned it, smoking at 220 for 22 hours with a drip pan full of water underneath the butts serving 2 purposes. 1st, to provide moisture through out the cook and send to capture the immense amount of fat that will render out. My Traeger Pulled Pork is just as good as my Big Green Egg Pulled pork (which is about 3,000 lbs by now). I do not use a pan nor do I wrap it till it is finished.

 

[Slimpicker]

I let it rest for an hour then pulled it. I I used Traeger pork and poultry rub. Are you familiar with bandannas?

YES I am very familiar and have been there many times... that is NOT fresh pulled pork, and they have their own rub and sauce. Your job is to go buy a REAL Butt Rub and some good natural BBQ sauce

Make your own rub too:

1cup Brown Sugar
1/2 cup paprika
2 1/2 TBS Course Ground Black Pepper
1 1/2 TBS Chili powder
1 1/2 TBS Granulated Garlic
1 1/2 TBS Granulated Onion
2 TBS Kosher Salt

 

[Deweybeck]

How do I enhance the pork flavor? Injecting?brining? I used applewood pellets.

 

[Slimpicker]

Bandanas also has real wood smokers... you will NEVER reproduce that flavor.

Hickory Pellets, and Smoke Tubes will add a more smokey flavor, which might be what your wife is looking for.

 

[Slimpicker]

My first pork butt on the Traeger was NOT received well by ME. Since then, I have fined tuned it, smoking at 220 for 22 hours with a drip pan full of water underneath the butts serving 2 purposes. 1st, to provide moisture through out the cook and send to capture the immense amount of fat that will render out. My Traeger Pulled Pork is just as good as my Big Green Egg Pulled pork (which is about 3,000 lbs by now). I do not use a pan nor do I wrap it till it is finished.

 

[Murphy's Law]

Ditto the sauce. I make something similar and it’s a must have when doing pulled pork! Nothing like a hot vinegar sauce on pork!!

 

[GrillMeister]

How do I enhance the pork flavor? Injecting?brining? I used applewood pellets.

It's all I use.... Plus my finishing sauce.

It is sooo true. A little butt rub makes everything better. SWMBO agrees.

 

[Slimpicker]

As you can see Dewey, it's all about adding flavors, before, during, and after!!!

You need to "doctor" your butt, you know, Proctology!!

 

[Slimpicker]

I have to admit I do totally like the fact that Bad Byron doesn't use sugar in his rub... I'd probably throw some Monk Fruit next time I use it. But, kudos to him for the no sugar in a much diabetic world!!

 

[Timmy]

How do I enhance the pork flavor? Injecting?brining? I used applewood pellets.

I use apple pellets on just about all my cooks.

 

[Timmy]

I let it rest for an hour then pulled it. I I used Traeger pork and poultry rub. Are you familiar with bandannas? They serve it in larger pieces and it doesn’t appear to have any sauce on it but it does have more flavor.

If you put a finishing sauce on it, most times you can’t tell. As far as texture, taste is definitely enhanced. IMO