Pulled pork did not pull

diesel578

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Oct 10, 2011

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• Oct 10, 2011

• #1

Smoked my first pork butt last weekend. Flavors and smoke was great. brined the pork over night. Dry rubbed and smoked with apple wood for 5.5 hrs. Pork was moist and tender but need to be sliced would not pull with hands or fork.

Can someone help shed some light as to why?

thanks!

 

tjohnson

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Savage, MN

• Oct 10, 2011

• #2

What was the internal temp?

Pork pulls at 205°

TJ

 

diesel578

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Oct 10, 2011

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• Oct 10, 2011

• #3

185

 

old_dog

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Dec 27, 2007

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La Grange, KY

• Oct 10, 2011

• #4

Sounds like you cooked by time, instead of temperature.  I usually take mine to 200-205 degrees (foil at 165-180 degrees), and then put into a cooler for a couple more hours.

 

rbranstner

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West Fargo, ND / Northern MN

• Oct 10, 2011

• #5

Yea if you bring that internal temp up to 195+ then it will pull like a dream. I usually pull mine out around 200 and then I let it rest in the cooler with foil and towels for a few hours.

 

diesel578

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• Oct 10, 2011

• #6

ill give that a try next time. thanks for the input.

 

tjohnson

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• Oct 10, 2011

• #7

Looks like you got your answer!

Todd

 

SmokinAl

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• Oct 10, 2011

• #8

Yep that was easy!

 

diesel578

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Oct 10, 2011

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• Oct 10, 2011

• #9

do you guys leave the fat cap on or trim it down? I removed it completely.

 

SmokinAl

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• Oct 10, 2011

• #10

I remove it, but put all the fat on a rack above the butt so it drips on it & bastes it throughout the whole smoke.

 

rubbin butts

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Feb 1, 2011

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Lake City, Florida

• Oct 10, 2011

• #11

5.5 hrs for a butt is too quick. Sounds like you pulled it while it was in its stall.

Patience is a virtue when it comes to low and slow cooking. Like the others said 205 is the ideal temp for pulling.

When you can slide the bone out effortlessly, it is ready.

 

coffee_junkie

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Helena, MT

• Oct 10, 2011

• #12

Yup, I had a 3 pounder take 13 hours a couple of weeks ago, and that was to get to 195* I like to take it to 200, then rest in foil for about an hour in a dry cooler.