Posted: 8/26/2011 7:32:48 AM EDT
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When you guys either smoke or slow cook a big pork butt or pork shoulder, what internal temp do you shoot for to be done?
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pork butt should be 190 to 205 to be tender. that's what I thought but man that seems high. I was thinking maybe go 180 and then take it off, put it in a pan with a just a little apple juice and water, use foil and tent, and oven it for a bit, maybe at 275. What do you think? |
| I would take it to 190 or 195 and test it with a thermometer probe. If the probe slides in with little to no resistance its good to go. Then tightly wrap in foil and put it in a cooler then fill the rest of the cooler with towels to insulate it. Let it sit for an hour or 2 and then pull. |
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I would take it to 190 or 195 and test it with a thermometer probe. If the probe slides in with little to no resistance its good to go. Then tightly wrap in foil and put it in a cooler then fill the rest of the cooler with towels to insulate it. Let it sit for an hour or 2 and then pull. ok, this weekend it'll happen. I've done 2 so far and they taste great - tenderness has been avg so I'll do the towel method. BTW, and I know this may seem a sacrilege, but Bulls Eye Texas Style BBQ is awesome with all pork. |
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what are you cooking it in? WSM 13 hours Target grate temp of ~230-250 Mine is the same. Just curious what the OP is using. I cook everything on a Weber Charcoal grill. Use small amount of briquettes and hickory. Indirect obviously with a drip pan below and sometimes add water to the pan. |
| If you have a thermometer probe and watch the temperature as it cooks, you'll notice that the temps gradually rise until it plateaus at about 160-170 degrees. It will sit there for a couple hours and then continue to rise. From what I've been told, the plateau is when the collagen is breaking down, which leads to the butt being fall-apart tender. I pull mine out at about 190, too. |
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pork butt should be 190 to 205 to be tender. that's what I thought but man that seems high. I was thinking maybe go 180 and then take it off, put it in a pan with a just a little apple juice and water, use foil and tent, and oven it for a bit, maybe at 275. What do you think? Once mine hits around 165 I will foil it. And if I am pressed for time I will throw it in the oven at that point. You have to take it to around 200 at a slow steady pace if you want to make pulled pork and the reason is so all the connective tissue basically disolves |
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If you have a thermometer probe and watch the temperature as it cooks, you'll notice that the temps gradually rise until it plateaus at about 160-170 degrees. It will sit there for a couple hours and then continue to rise. From what I've been told, the plateau is when the collagen is breaking down, which leads to the butt being fall-apart tender. I pull mine out at about 190, too. This. I cook to 185 - 190, or until I can "wiggle" the shoulder blade, or turn a fork easily in the meat. I like the meat to basicly fall off the shoulder bone when I pick it up. Edited for spelling. |
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Well Saturday was a long day. I had planned to start the Butt around 11:00 am or noon but my Dad bought some tomatoes and wanted me to make him some sauce and pressure can. So the butt didn't get on until 3:30 pm. Started off with less than a 1/3 of a chimney of briquettes. Lots of Heinekin, Busch and loud rock music (no neighbors close) over the course of 6 hours. I would drop in by hand 3 or 4 briquets every hour or so and the butt did plateau internally around 170.
I was wearing down and decided to oven/tent foil the final 1 1/2 hours. The meat was sick it was so good. First time I got a butt real tender, not just somewhat tender. To those that have a weber, you can smoke a butt, but it takes patience and babysitting. Thanks to everyone for the advice. Next time I will start earlier, go the "final mile" and do the blanket wrap/cooler trick. |
| Glad it turned out, but if you plan to do them often you should look into a WSM. My last butt cook I had the butts on at 11PM with a full load of charcoal running at 225. I made one small vent change an hour into the cook and never had to touch it again. I pulled the butts at 11AM the next day. I closed off all the vents to snuff the fire and still had charcoal left for my next smoke. That was 12 hours of cooking time to get to temp with no refuel and only one slight vent change that in all honesty I could have skipped. I have only had my WSM since May, but to me its the ultimate set it and forget it way to cook! That leaves more time for BEER!!! |
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Cook mine at 225 or so in an offset smoker. Smoke for about 5 hours or to 150 degrees, Double wrap in heavy duty foil and continue cooking at 225-250 until internal reaches 200 degrees. I let it rest in the foil about an hour before pulling it. I use apple and hickory chunks that first five hours. Don't add any of my valuable smoking wood after foiling. Moist as hell and falls apart. Usually takes 9-10 hours total. All the fat renders down into a half quart or so of juice in the bottom of the foil. I smoke fat side up then cook in the foil fat side down. Toss the rendered fat juice.
I've found you can definitely over-smoke it and cooking to 205 or higher internally can end up a little "mushy". Cooking to 195-200 and tossing in a cooler for an hour or two is great. If you are using a remote thermometer and the temp seems off, pull it out and re-skewer the shoulder to make sure the probe is in the thick part of the muscle. I use a dry rub (I make) and don't need sauce. |
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I am a member over there 
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Quoted:
Cook mine at 225 or so in an offset smoker. Smoke for about 5 hours or to 150 degrees, Double wrap in heavy duty foil and continue cooking at 225-250 until internal reaches 200 degrees. I let it rest in the foil about an hour before pulling it. I use apple and hickory chunks that first five hours. Don't add any of my valuable smoking wood after foiling. Moist as hell and falls apart. Usually takes 9-10 hours total. All the fat renders down into a half quart or so of juice in the bottom of the foil. I smoke fat side up then cook in the foil fat side down. Toss the rendered fat juice. I've found you can definitely over-smoke it and cooking to 205 or higher internally can end up a little "mushy". Cooking to 195-200 and tossing in a cooler for an hour or two is great. If you are using a remote thermometer and the temp seems off, pull it out and re-skewer the shoulder to make sure the probe is in the thick part of the muscle. I use a dry rub (I make) and don't need sauce. +1. The cooler help keep the juices in! |
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Wow, this thread made me hungry.
Could I cook one at the same time as spare ribs? I use the 3-2-1 method for the ribs so what size butt or sholder could I do in about 6 hours. Or could I put the ribs in later? I am thinking of doing both on Monday but most of my experience is with Ribs. Thanks |
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Well, after 14 hours the temps never got to 195. It got 160 everywhere and 175 most places but just wouldn't do 195. I gotta work tomorrow so I pulled it off the smoker. Damn! I let it set for a half an hour and started to get it chopped up for sandwiches.
The crappy kitchen knife i grabbed to cut it apart at first made short work of getting big chunks off the roast. I grab a chunk that is in an awkward angle and pull a bit and it just comes apart. Oh my! Next thing i know I'm pulling it apart bit by bit. I try a piece. My knees buckle. This is the stuff! This is better than the sandwiches I get at famous daves! Get a bit cleaned up, a meal with a crappy cel phone pic and I'll be in bed by 10:30. Good day! 
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Well, after 14 hours the temps never got to 195. It got 160 everywhere and 175 most places but just wouldn't do 195. I gotta work tomorrow so I pulled it off the smoker. Damn! I let it set for a half an hour and started to get it chopped up for sandwiches. The crappy kitchen knife i grabbed to cut it apart at first made short work of getting big chunks off the roast. I grab a chunk that is in an awkward angle and pull a bit and it just comes apart. Oh my! Next thing i know I'm pulling it apart bit by bit. I try a piece. My knees buckle. This is the stuff! This is better than the sandwiches I get at famous daves! Get a bit cleaned up, a meal with a crappy cel phone pic and I'll be in bed by 10:30. Good day! http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y129/redphoenix40/DSC00026-1.jpg Pulled pork barbeque is truly da food gadzook. 
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