Sensory and Consumer Evaluation of Smoked Pulled Pork Prepared Using Different Smokers and Different Types of Wood.

Smoked and barbecued meats have continued to gain popularity in recent years, however, no consensus exists on the best methods for preparation. Several smoker types and many varieties of wood are used for smoking meat in the restaurant industry and by amateur "pit-masters." In this research, pork was smoked with an outdoor offset smoker and an indoor electric smoker using four wood types: hickory, apple, oak, and mesquite. Descriptive and consumer acceptance tests were conducted to evaluate the different treatments and determine drivers of liking. Pork smoked with the offset smoker using hickory wood had the highest overall acceptance. Appearance characteristics, such as intensity of red color, were the top drivers of liking for the smoked pork product. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: This research demonstrates the drivers of liking for smoked pork products commonly found in American barbecue, specifically Kansas City-style barbecue. The results have application in both retail and restaurant environments and can be used to produce an optimized smoked pork product.