Two full kegs on draft and the strong urge to brew are not an ideal combination. Try as we might, the Hapa’s crew just wasn’t emptying the kegs fast enough to keep up with the desire to make some new beer. What’s the fastest way to polish off a large quantity of beer? Throw over 30 pounds of meat on the smoker, invite a bunch of hungry and thirsty friends, and call it a Brew-be-que.
The Brew-be-que menu featured pulled pork and tri-tip sandwiches with couscous salad, baked beans, and jalepeno cornbread. On tap were Hapa’s Pale Ale and Stout. As this was a day time event, the pork shoulder was went on the grill at 10pm the night before and cooked overnight. The meat was trimmed, tied, and rubbed in the morning and allowed to rest in the refrigerator. Just before being thrown on the smoker they were re-rubbed. Oak, apple, and hickory wood chunks were used for smoke.
Untrimmed pork shoulder Trimmed, rubbed, and tied
The pork was monitored throughout the night being flipped after 7 hours and basted after 8, 10, and 12 hours.
Just put on the grill Late night basting
After 13 hours of cooking the pork had reached the target internal temperature of 190 degrees and was removed from the smoker. Both pieces of meat were wrapped in foil and put in a cooler to keep warm. The grill surfaces were quickly cleaned, fuel was added, and more oak chunks were added to begin cooking the tri-tip.
Pork shoulder after 13 hours Tri-tip rubbed and ready for the smoker
The tri-tip was first seared on the gas grill to lock in all its natural juices and flavors. It was then cooked for an hour and a half until it reached 140 degrees.
Searing the tri-tip After an hour and a half on the smoker
The tri-tip was rested for half an hour and the pork was removed from the cooler. After shredding the pork and carving the tri-tip, it was game on. The pork was served on sweet buns with homemade coleslaw and a vinegar based sauce while the tri-tip was served on french rolls with a tomato based sauce. Both kegs were kicked and almost all 30 pounds were eaten! Time to get brewing!
30 pounds of perfection