It's a Pork butt morning - now with Q-View! :)

yardbird · Dec 6, 2012

I put a 7 and a half pound pork butt in the smoker at 5:45 this morning. It's 24 derees out there. Using a Smoke Hollow propane smoker. Seems pretty normal that I have to dink around with the temp for an hour after I put the meat in. If I start it empty I stil have to mess with it to get it dialed in and then watch it all go to hell once I stick a big cold piece of meat in it. hehehe. My target temp for this smoke was 230. I've got it settled in steady at 235. I'll take it.

Would be great if this finished in time for dinner tonight, but I have something else planned that I can put together in 30 minutes so no biggie if this slides past dinner. I'll just pull it after dinner if that's the way it wants to be.

Here's what went into the smoker this morning:

2012-12-05-rubbed-n-ready.jpg

yardbird
Dec 6, 2012

That was taken yesterday right after I rubbed and before I wrapped it and stuck it in the fridge. I'm droolin' already just thinking about it... hehehe

jarjarchef · Dec 6, 2012

Looks like it will be great ....... Not sure about being in 24 degree weather.... That is a bit chilly for me....

yardbird · Dec 6, 2012

Hmmmm... took a little extra time to get through that 40 to 140 section. Maybe next time I'll keep the smoker temp at around 250 until we know we'll make it through in time. At 4 hours it had made it to 137. Took another 20 minutes or so to hit 140 .

Not injected. Salty rub. I did put a temperature probe in it right from the start, but that was cleaned and then alcohol wiped and then actually hung in the smoker at about 300 degrees for 10 or 15 minutes before being poked into the meat.

I'm not overly concerned this time, but I think I'll adjust my temp up for the next one, at least to get through the zone of concern. :)

Helps to keep notes on this stuff. I keep notes in my DropBox so I can go in and look and see what I did last time.

The GOOD news is, it's up to 31 degrees out there now. :)

jarjarchef · Dec 6, 2012

As long as you did not inject it you should be fine. It looks like you took a lot of precautions to prevent any issues.

driedstick · Dec 6, 2012

I'm in hope it goes well for ya. waiting for more pics. any snow yet?? cold her this morning, not as cold as you 32here suppose to get really cold this weekend, I will be doing summer sausage I think this weekend. burrrrr!!!!

yardbird · Dec 6, 2012

I kinda go overboard on the cleaning to get things started. Clean smoker racks, clean pans, clean utensils. I mean... I'm cleaning stuff I just pulled out of a drawer or cupboard. The meat temp probe has been in the cupboard for over a week (and I cleaned it before I put it away of course) so I cleaned it again. It's funny because I do this just in case I have an issue with the smoker, or a tank or something and the timing gets marginal. Paid off this time. :) I feel safe... hehehe.

I'm 6 and a half hours into the smoke. Meat temp is at 150. Smoker temp has crept up to 248. Probably 'cause the sun came out and the outside air temp is now up to 31 degrees. Just the slightest hint of a breeze, but the smoker has a windbreak on 3 sides and the top. So I have no idea why this butt didn't get through the 40-to-140 in time. This is my third one and the other 2 made it with time to spare. I guess they truly are all different. :)

So is there a link to the source for where the TIME came from in the 40-to-140-in-4 rule? Where did the 4 hours come from? I can find all kinds of references to safe temperatures, but I can't find anything relating to the time window.

yardbird · Dec 6, 2012

driedstick said:
I'm in hope it goes well for ya. waiting for more pics. any snow yet?? cold her this morning, not as cold as you 32here suppose to get really cold this weekend, I will be doing summer sausage I think this weekend. burrrrr!!!!

No real snow yet. We're looking at rain and temps in the upper 40s to low 50s for the next 5 or 6 days, with night temps below freezing. Today is sunny though so a good day for this.

jarjarchef · Dec 6, 2012

This link may help a bit......

http://www.fsis.usda.gov/FACTSheets/Danger_Zone/index.asp

yardbird · Dec 6, 2012

8 hours in. Smoker running at 250. Meat temp is 162, Hope I'm not buggin' anyone by these updates. This is the kind of information I looked for when I was starting out. Just thinking it might help someone. Just helped to see it even KNOWING that easch of these can be a bit different.

AND... it keeps me from feeling like I should be cleaning the living room or something while I'm waiting. :)

I'm going to foil this one. I know it will soften the bark, but my wife and son don't seem to care.

yardbird · Dec 6, 2012

Lookin good so far. Foiled at 165 with a splash of apple juice and spiced rum.

2012-12-06_14-15-42_165.jpg

yardbird
Dec 6, 2012

and

2012-12-06_14-17-01_573.jpg

yardbird
Dec 6, 2012

We shall see how this goes for the run to the finish :)

jarjarchef · Dec 6, 2012

In my best Captain pose.......

That looks amazing!

diggingdogfarm · Dec 6, 2012

yardbird said:
So is there a link to the source for where the TIME came from in the 40-to-140-in-4 rule? Where did the 4 hours come from?

Good luck with that!!!!! :biggrin:
I've searched high and low for quite some time and haven't been able to find an "authoritative" and "official" (whatever that means) source for the "4 hour rule" that applies to cooking meats. There are recommended times associated with foods that are already cooked and then held in the danger zone, but that's an entirely different animal.
I don't think it exists!
That's not to say that it's not a good rule, it is, there's just nothing from the 'rulers' to back it up.

If you used a nice fresh butt and didn't inject, etc,, there's nothing to worry about, you were above 135 at the 4 hour mark.

~Martin

dirtsailor2003 · Dec 6, 2012

Looks great!! I never heard of the 140 in 4 until I started lurking here several years ago. Never even worried about it. Since reading it here I started trying to hit that mark. Even fretted over it this Thanksgiving (first smoke for the in-laws to be)! The first hundred or two butts I cooked I never payed attention to the time! I can tell you there was one turkey early on in my smoking days that I know didn't make it! We still ate it and survived! Now a days I try and adhear to the rule as close as I can, I think your 137 should be fine. If not the Captain will take care of the bugs! Arrggghhhh!

jarjarchef · Dec 6, 2012

The 40-140 in 4hr guideline is just that at guideline.. Some say rule because it is shorter to type, but it confuses people.... But Martin is correct, you will not find a "you must do this" in any documentation. It is solely based on bacteria growth and the amount of time until it reaches an unsafe level....

It applies more to injected, ground or any non whole muscle meats. It is trying to avoid the bacteria growth sweet spot as much as possible. Because the processing of the meat by chopping, grinding, injecting or even cutting can introduce bacteria into the meat. So the entire product needs to reach 140

kathrynn · Dec 6, 2012

gorgeous! Really makes me want to get some of my PP outta the freezer for dinner!

yardbird · Dec 6, 2012

I can FREEZE it? Oh I'd have to make a lot more of it to have any left to freeze hehehehe.... and there's just the 3 of us here now. (Me, my wife and my youngest son)

I really like doing the pork butts though. At some point I might graduate to a brisket, but right now I have a really good reputation for chicken, turkey, and pulled pork (havn't done one for slicing). That's reputation with family and friends. So.... not like I'm good at it. Just better than THEY are... hahahah

mneeley490 · Dec 6, 2012

Pork butts here are usually cryovac'd in 2-packs. So I will smoke both, and freeze one for later.

And I've never heard my family say, "Oh, not again."

kathrynn · Dec 6, 2012

Oh Lawd!!!! Yes! Why crank up the smoker for only one thing. do more...freeze it and pull out those goodies when you don't have the time to play with your Smoker....or there is a blizzard!

yardbird · Dec 6, 2012

ooops... the bone fell out.

Pulled at 200 and rested for an hour. Then I either had to shred it or get a mop and bucket to handle my drooling family.

I think this one is the best one I've done thus far. Extremely awesome hehehe

2012-12-06_17-19-03_247.jpg

yardbird
Dec 6, 2012

shtrdave · Dec 6, 2012

That looks excellent, no sauce needed.

It's a Pork butt morning - now with Q-View! :)

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