Big Cook - Need Help/Advice

[OPIEWFFW]

Hey guys, I am supposed to be cooking for a large event. They want pulled pork, and instead of pork butt, they brought me two large pork cushions. One at 14.5 lbs and at a little over 15 lbs. As far as I can tell they cook pretty similarly to butts, but I have concerns about the cook time and how well this will translate to pulled pork. My plan is to put a rub on them tonight after work (thursday), let them sit till after work and get them on the Bull by tomorrow night (Friday). Then I will have till at least from around 7pm Friday night until around 3 or 4 pm Saturday to have them smoked at 225°, rested and pulled. BTW this is only my second cook on the recteq. These things look like they have a ton of fat on the outside, but from what I have read they don't have much in the way of marbling, so I have worries about cooking too hot and drying them out.

Does anyone see any possible issues I may run into? Any advice would be greatly appreciated. I also plan to wrap them in foil once they stall to help shorten the cooking time.

 

[C. Keeper]

I like cushion meat better than butt and usually cook in the slow cooker.

But......the cushion meat is lean and can dry out easily so wrap for sure, I'm sure you will like it.

 

[OPIEWFFW]

I like cushion meat better than butt and usually cook in the slow cooker.

But......the cushion meat is lean and can dry out easily so wrap for sure, I'm sure you will like it.

So I should wrap when it starts to stall?

 

[Waterboy]

You may also want to inject the meat to help with moisture.

 

[OPIEWFFW]

What would be a good injection that I can get on short notice?

 

[Greg Jones]

What would be a good injection that I can get on short notice?

Injection or injector?

 

[OPIEWFFW]

Injection or injector?

Both. Lol

 

[Greg Jones]

There are some pre-made injection mixes, but I suspect they are mostly turkey mixes. Most beef/pork injections are made homemade, or at least that’s what I would expect.

if you want the best injector made, the SpitJack is among the best, and is priced accordingly. A good local option is an animal syringe injector from a farm store. Here’s a good example from Tractor Supply. It’s best to avoid the injectors that require you to put two fingers in its rings and press the plunger with your palm. Very tiresome.

 

[Greg Jones]

The SpitJack site is a good read, even if you buy an injector somewhere else. They go into a lot of detail on needle selection that might help inform your decision on what to look for.

 

[Waterboy]

I rarely inject so can’t help with a recipe, but I suspect Google or YouTube can help you with that.
As for the injector you can try Walmart, Bed Bath and Beyond or Target. We have several “wholesale” stores that sell to the general public in our area. They typically have a cookware section that you can get an injector.

 

[OPIEWFFW]

Thank you for all the replies!

 

[Thor8594]

I inject my butts with Apple Juice, Apple Cider Vinegar and the rub that I put on the outside. I mix about a cup of each with 5 tablespoons of rub and inject til it is all gone.

 

[OPIEWFFW]

Well, here goes nothin'. 30 lbs of pork cushion meat on the RT-700. 10 in total. They barely fit while leaving a half inch gap between them all. Pics coming later when I open it up to wrap them in foil.

 

[C. Keeper]

Well, here goes nothin'. 30 lbs of pork cushion meat on the RT-700. 10 in total. They barely fit while leaving a half inch gap between them all. Pics coming later when I open it up to wrap them in foil.

As I mentioned before, this is a lean piece of meat so be mindful.

I have heard of this cut used for large outings without issue, so enjoy

Oh, share some pics with us please.

 

[OPIEWFFW]

As I mentioned before, this is a lean piece of meat so be mindful.

I have heard of this cut used for large outings without issue, so enjoy

Oh, share some pics with us please.

Yeah, I am super nervous about making it too dry. I injected it before putting it on, have a stainless cup of water in the cooker and am going to spritz with apple cider vinegar maybe every hour and a half till I have to wrap it. Then I will be adding apple juice when wrapping. I am cooking at 225. Just seemed like a safe temperature.

Edit: I plan on wrapping at around 150° IT

 

[C. Keeper]

Yeah, I am super nervous about making it too dry. I injected it before putting it on, have a stainless cup of water in the cooker and am going to spritz with apple cider vinegar maybe every hour and a half till I have to wrap it. Then I will be adding apple juice when wrapping. I am cooking at 225. Just seemed like a safe temperature.

Edit: I plan on wrapping at around 150° IT

I think you will be fine, enjoy!

Most people have never heard of "cushion" meat so it's not that popular. I bought it by mistake thinking it was inexpensive pork butt.

 

[OPIEWFFW]

I think you will be fine, enjoy!

Most people have never heard of "cushion" meat so it's not that popular. I bought it by mistake thinking it was inexpensive pork butt.

Yeah, that's what the guy who bought this meat thought too. And the way it was packaged, he thought it was all one big piece of meat.

 

[sdynak]

Just wondering.. what injector did you go with? I don't have one yet. Good luck with the cook!

 

[OPIEWFFW]

Just wondering.. what injector did you go with? I don't have one yet. Good luck with the cook!

It was a $60 injector that I bought on Amazon. It seemed ok, but feels cheaply made.

 

[sdynak]

It was a $60 injector that I bought on Amazon. It seemed ok, but feels cheaply made.

Cool.. looks pretty complete for a kit. Thanks!