My overnight wait for pork shoulder bark worked

Been trying to get that dark crust on my pork for ages. Set up the smoker yesterday evening and let it go all night. Woke up a few times to add wood and check the temp. When I pulled it this morning, the bark was perfect and crispy. Such a good feeling after so many tries.

3 comments

3 Comments

nora_chen1mo ago

Watched my friend Steve last year fight with his smoker for hours. He kept getting soft bark, no matter what rub he used. So he tried the overnight method like you did, waking up every two hours to spritz. When he finally pulled the pork, the bark was so dark it almost looked burnt, but it tasted amazing. From what I've seen, that kind of patience really pays off.

finley4471mo ago

Ever wonder if that super dark bark actually protects the meat inside? Like, it forms this crust that keeps all the juices from steaming out. Steve's pork probably stayed crazy moist under that shell. Maybe the trick isn't just the rub, but letting that bark build up so thick it becomes its own insulation.

jenniferr891mo ago

Ugh, my uncle once tried a similar overnight smoke on a brisket, but he slept through all his alarms. Woke up to what looked like a meteorite in his smoker. Still swears it made the best chopped beef sandwiches though.