Question about Pork Butts

Former Member

Received this via email.

Since I like to answer emails that might be of use to all, I throw them in here occassionally.

Since the sender didn't mention their name for publication, I'll just post:

quote:
I am relative new guy- I purchased a Model 55 last spring and use at minimum 1 /week. I thought I had read Butts 101, beginners info and I am an avid reader or the forum and I do research to the point I probably confuse myself..

Here is my problem: I have done 2-8lb butts-twice in the last week and I am a little uneasy about my results-- these are a little bigger than I had been using but thought I adjusted.

First time- 10 hr,225 degrees,at 6 hr,my thermometer showed 170, I kicked up the temp to 250 and at 10 hr,still only 185.double wrapp, into the cooler set three hr-started pulling and cutting but looked mushy and uncooked,---to the crookpot on high for an hour-- turned out GREAT !!!! 2nd time, same size same temp(225) but went 14 hours, when I took them out this morning, they were falling apart and appeared again possibly not cooked but internal temp showed 195-wrapped again put in the cooler will open up this afternoon after work. Each time I mopped twice duri! ng the smoke--- with apple juice recipe. I am thinking I made it through the plateau ???.

Nice bark,I can see the white and brown-- just doesn't look cooked enough---any thoughts. Thanks and I am still having a great time with my smoker!!!

11/17/0311:19 AM

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tomMember

Well now,

Since Smokin' went to the trouble of posting,he must think there is food for thought for the masses.

I don't have answers,but here are some thoughts.

I guess we'd need to know what the cook thought looked like done enough butt.

I assume that the thermometer was checked for accuracy and the cooker was behaving normally and its cooking temp had been checked before.

I assume the temp was checked a couple of places to be sure the probe was not against a bone or in a fat pocket.

That 170ï¿½ should be pretty close to through the plateau.

The second cook sounded sorta normal.

If you use 2 hrs./lb. at 225ï¿½ you have a real rough estimate.

You could almost always eat it,at least with enough sauce and some slaw.

That's covering the door opening and taking about 25 mins to come back to heat.

If it was falling apart trying to get it off the rack,it was probably overcooked.

If it was mopped around 12 hours,that is a good time to try and wiggle the bone and check a couple of points with an instaread.

I have had butts that seek another plateau around 195ï¿½ and want to set for hours.

Some of these 10ï¿½-13ï¿½ solution injected butts may not act like we are used to.

If I let them,they may be overdone and falling apart.

On a large chunk of meat, it is sometimes difficult to move above your target internal temp- when you are only cooking 30ï¿½ above it and the cooker may fluctuate 25ï¿½.

That's no law,but has sometimes been my experience.

This means that it may be done when it first touches 195ï¿½,not after four hours of an internal 195ï¿½

There will be a lot of good cooks that can cook to and hold at 210ï¿½, with their cookers, and will disagree completely.

My last thought would be if you can pull the bone out, the pork didn't feel like sawdust after chewing ,and it had just a little bite to it,it probably was cooked ok.

11/18/038:21 PM

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Former Member