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A while back I did a pork butt on my SM 25. Cooked at 225 degrees until it got to 200. Butt turned out dry and did not fall apart like I wanted it to. I cooked another one a few days ago. This time I took it to 160 degrees, then transferred it to a roaster with a little water and some seasoning in it and then took it to 200 with the oven set on 250 degrees. That butt turned out wonderful. Moist and just fell apart. Both had a dry rub on them. Did I do something wrong with the first one? Or is this an acceptable way of cooking these butts that come from Kroger's?
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200 is too high for internal.

Couple of things.

1. How do you know these temps are accurate? Have you tested the therm?

2. The finishing method is a bit of a cruch, you don't have to finish everything in something else. Some would say that you could do the same by foiling the butt and adding a little liquid. But I smoke butts all the time and never wrap them, but i KNOW the temp of the smoker and the butt because I calibrate my therm weekly.

Take it to 195 or until a probe insert meets little/no resistence.
Last edited by Former Member
Temp is a guideline, not a guarantee.

Because no two pigs and the size of the meat, marbling and other factors can change that temp.

Learn to "probe" the meat and feel the tenderness, regardless of temp. It's usually in the 195 range +/-5. Over 200 will be tender, but for me, it gets to a point of the pork being mushy (it dissolves in your mouth)
Did you check the internal temp in more than one place? Sometimes you can get false readings caused by the probe being in contact with the bone or in a fat pocket. That's why I like to go by feel rather than internal temps, but hey, that's just me! The bone should feel free when you tug on it and diffidently should pull clean of meat!
I wonder about the cuts of meat from Kroger. I got a brisket there once, and it came out horrible. It had good flavor, was moist, but had a gritty feel to it. Didn't feel right in your mouth at all. Never really "felt" these butts. Just went by temp. I'm going to cook another one in a few days. Father-in-law grabbed this one up. All of it. Along with my Carolina sauce.
I just made a 5 1/2 lb butt last night and cooked it at 250 to an IT of 199. The probe went in and out like butter. I cooled it and fridged whole until earlier today when I pulled it and added Smokins Baste and serving sauce to it in a foil pan, covered with foil and gently reheated in a 250 oven for dinner. It wasn't dry at all last night when I sneaked a few pieces. Try Smokins sauce it keeps it so moist and adds a wonderful layer of flavor. I cut his recipe in half and added it all for reheating.

If u come upon another dry butt at least you can have his sauce recipe to rescue it, it cooks up in less than 20 minutes and the meat just seems to soak it up. Everyone loved it. BBQ sauce and some slaw helped too!
Good comments by the experienced cooks above,but I'd like to tag onto Smokin's comment.

I've written about all the problems that some hawgs can cause cookin' ribs ,etc.Butts are different.

A butt should be our most simple and most difficult to not have come out done well.

As Smokin' says,knowing the ACTUAL temp at the cooking point is important.

The ACTUAL interior temp is real handy as an indicator when to be checking for finished product.

Gauge settings,dials,or uncalibrated therms are just very loose indicators.Temps are also just hints.

We check five therms ,as we pack for a comp trip, and always one,and maybe two are inaccurate more than five degrees when we arrive.
As Smokin' teaches,the notes are essential for making changes,or repeating successes.

The temps that we worked at,can tell us how something might eat the next time.

Yes,butts/shoulders can be a little different,but you will quickly be experienced enough to tell when it is tender.
Tim, you shouldn't let the rain hold you back. I smoke in the rain all the time with my sm025.

I went on some info someone gave me hear quite a while ago. I have. Large plastic cutting board, I believe it is the largest OXO makes. I balance it over the control unit and put a large can of what ever I have in the pantry (like a can of tomatoe juice, the tall one) to balance the weight on it right above the control unit. To balance the weight under it in front of the smoke hole, I place a large can of tomatoes, the fat round ones. It fits perfectly under the cutting board. The rain tends to stay off the control board and out of the smoke hole and allows the smoke to flow freely out. I have not tried itin a torrential down pour, but what ever rain gets around the control, I just wipe away once in a while. I am sure there are other methods as well, but I had all these things on hand and it didn't cost me anything.

You can probably put a Baggie around the maverick.
quote:
Originally posted by Vicki B:
I just made a 5 1/2 lb butt last night and cooked it at 250 to an IT of 199. The probe went in and out like butter. I cooled it and fridged whole until earlier today when I pulled it and added Smokins Baste and serving sauce to it in a foil pan, covered with foil and gently reheated in a 250 oven for dinner. It wasn't dry at all last night when I sneaked a few pieces. Try Smokins sauce it keeps it so moist and adds a wonderful layer of flavor. I cut his recipe in half and added it all for reheating.

If u come upon another dry butt at least you can have his sauce recipe to rescue it, it cooks up in less than 20 minutes and the meat just seems to soak it up. Everyone loved it. BBQ sauce and some slaw helped too!


I find Smokin's sauce adds mositure and depth to pulled pork making it succulent and delicious-er...
I know I'm gonna regret this but oh well!

Why not just put some liquid smoke in the roaster and sale the high price smoker? It would be less stressful and much simpler, heck ain't that the way BBQ is suppose to be cooked?

I've used my SM020 and my FEC100 in storms, wind, rain, snow, and just about all the wrong conditions...why, because with a Cookshack I'm gonna eat REAL BBQ...period!!!...too each his own thou.
Ouch! Cal, are you having a bad day? Tim was probably afraid to ruin his smoker. I was gonna post back to tell him that the windy rain wouldn't hurt the smoker, and that the control unit is sealed well. Perhaps we are just more determined to get our BBQ. Tim probably just needs a little reminder that this thing can cook in any weather. I had help the first time around when figuring how to keep the top dry while it was raining, now I have given him an idea. And a nice heavy can or brick will keep that board on top to help keep the water out.

Tim, I can send u a pic of mine set up as I mentioned, if u like.
quote:
Originally posted by Tim Comer:
The bad thing was, it got real windy. Put a towel over it, but decided to stop and get the smoker inside as I didn't want to damage the electronics.


How does that post office saying go? Neither Rain...


Nor Sleet...


Nor Snow...


Will keep a Cookshack from putting out some great Que. I don't even use my fancy rain cover anymore.
quote:
Originally posted by Smokin':
So, WHY did you keep typing?


I guess, well I know...well maybe, it's because I was trying to make a point on what BBQ should be like.

Actually it was the kinder more gentle side to what I was gonna say....LOL!

I was hoping Tim would understand that roasters are for making stew and old folks that don't have any teeth...oh no!, I bet this isn't sounding right?

While it is probably a little harder to take an enhanced PB, like what Tim purchased and make good BBQ, it can be done...but one must have a little patience and learn how to tell if it is cooked to the point that one wants. If he wants mush, it is possible to smoke one in these CS smokers that will be like that and still not be dry...wouldn't you agree? But how does one learn this if all you want to do is throw it in a roaster?

I guess I should have taken into the account that he was worried about the new smoker, but all of us know that if it creates a problem the good folks at CS will make it right...even if he cooked in the rain!

Type A's are the hardest to teach/school cause they don't want to put the cooking/experience time in and that dang roaster is gonna create more heart ache if he doesn't garage sale it!

Back to that PB, if he could taste a properly cooked one that has good flavor in the bark he would have something to compare that stew meat with, but until then.....I'll try to behave better, OKAY!

Oh Pags, it was a hot and humid day here, good observance!
Last edited by cal 2
Cal,
Pretty much everything you just stated is why I can not eat BBQ out at restaurants anymore. All the places I loved prior to getting my CS just don't cut it anymore. After a few years with the CS and this forum I can detect when something came out of an oven, roaster or crockpot. Good Q joints in my area are hard to come by -- really hoping Smokin expands out West Smiler
I know cal to be patient and helpful with everyone.

Seems like the same results were being achieved from the same techniques and he figured a little blunt action might help a new cook move on to enjoying what we all do.

Back when Smokin' and I were teenagers and he started the old forum,all of us had come out of WSM s,stickburners[offset,or upright] pit buildings,holes in the ground,etc.

The 008 had been around for a half century,as one of the best big meat cookers ever.
Smokin' and I got one for the reasons most stickburners moved to CS.
You would see them around cookoffs for the cooks to cook their own meals and as holding ovens.

There was no forum and no one could mess it up. Big Grin
Cooks didn't even consider a therm with a wire to go into the meat-so you didn't need to open the door.
Smokin' spent much of his time just explaining how it could be a useful indicator.

You checked meat tenderness by trying to lift it with a two pronged meat fork.
If it slid off,it was done.

Still one of the best indicators for big meats.

The control box could be covered by a little plastic bag you put vegetables in at the grocery.

You could put the probe in the meat at bedtime, leave the therm in the house,if it was storming out.Plug it into the base unit in the morning to check indicator temps.

If some non- owner wanted to insult you,they would say" you just set that thing,forget it,and get perfect food-that ain't cookin'". Mad

Yes,now we start out worrying about the cookers like they race at Indy. Big Grin

We start thinking therms are "rocket science".

Easy for us "old cooks" to get impatient and want folks to just go ahead and cook something and quit worrying. Cool
quote:
Originally posted by Pags:
Good observance.

quote:
Originally posted by Tom:
Back when Smokin' and I were teenagers and he started the old forum...


Threads took awhile to develope back then...what with using the US Mail and such. Big Grin


I would agree it was a good observation, but I've been hearing a rumor there wasn't any electricity back then

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