Pork Shoulder Taking Too Long?

[wmarkw]

Wow good insight. I have always inserted my probes during prep, whether it is a chicken or pork butt or chuck, etc. I never thought about the bacteria jump. I think I will hold off for a few hours. I guess the issue would be chicken, when you probe all the juices will come running out.

I have the 24 smoke vault and my temps vary like crazy too. I do have 2 oven thermos that I use along w/ my digi probes.

I have tested my probes (they're broke now) w/ the boiling method but how do you calibrate them?? I might be reading more into this. If water boils at 212 deg and my probe only reaches 207 then I have a 5 deg actual variance? So if my butt reads 165, I'm really at 170? Am I dumb tonight?? lol

 

[ronp]

They will vary according to altitude my boiling temp is 203' at 5,000 feet.

 

[pignit]

It's not what is coming out.... it's what's going in. This really isn't an issue unless your going to be smoking to an internal temp of less than 160 or as in this case... the meat hasn't passed through the danger zone in less than four hours.


Your right on except you need to check what the boiling point of water is at your elevation. Mine was 210.

 

[pineywoods]

Food safety standards that I have seen state 40-140 in under 4 hours for punctured meats.
The intact muscle rule says the outer .5" has to reach 140 in under 4 hours.
As soon as you inject or insert a probe the intact muscle rule goes out the window

 

[tasunkawitko]

wmarkw - yep, what piginit and ron said is exactly right - the temperature at which water boils varies with altitude.

the boiling point at my altitude actually is 207 degrees, and my accurite thermometer is spot-on. you can check yours fairly easily on the internet.

 

[bmudd14474]

No offense but if he has had the probe in it for some time and it's 2 hours and 20 minutes past the 4 hour window I would say that he should discard this meat. This has allowed the bacteria to grow for that much longer. If it was 30 minutes past and you hit 140 maybe but not 2 hours past. Then we also dont know how long the meat was above 140 before it went into the smoker. If he had it out at room temp getting it rubbed down then that counts towards the 4 hours also.

I know I wouldn't serve this to my family or friends.

 

[wmarkw]

Nice!! Very informative. I think I will though probe the meat after a few hours in from now on.

 

[tasunkawitko]

wmarkw - that's what i do also. i bbq it for quite a long time until the meat starts giving outward signs that it is close to being done, then i probe it every now and then in order to check the temperature. one it hits around 195-200, i take it off the heat, foil it and let it rest.

having said that, as long as cooked past 160, there is no danger of getting sick from bacteria and certainly no danger of any toxins.

 

[gemohler]

<shock>
Dont forget barometric pressure. ;)

From STD TO 29.80, today here in Denver, its about .2d difference!!!
</shock>

 

[pignit]

The information provided is appreciated. I had no idea that passing along USDA guidelines would create such a stir or that in effect I would be creating mass hysteria concerning food safety. I was merely giving a new forum member with a question sound advice from the sources we rely on here on a daily basis. I have been reading up on bacteria and pathogens myself and am understanding a whole new world of information on the characteristics of food borne illness and I also understand there is a lot of information to digest and understand. That is why when I answer a post from a new forum member just starting in smoking I try to lay out very simple and correct guidelines for them to begin their understanding of the hobby. No doubt there is much more to learn as I am in that process myself, but I don't feel that I gave any misinformation... incomplete maybe as you can get as complex as you choose with this type of question, and I certainly never suggested that people were dropping like flys in their backyards from mishandling food. Not real sure where the hysteria comes in. Just trying to keep it simple to understand for the new guy and move on from there. If I have passed on any misinformation feel free to notify the mods and have it deleted. I appreciate the in depth input but resent the suggestion that my answers have created a problem or are incorrect.

 

[tasunkawitko]

pig - wasn't referring to you or anyone in particular - we've got a discussion on this going in the otbs forum:

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/for...ad.php?t=86551

i'd like your input help on what we can do to take all of this information and hammer out all issues, then condense it down to a very short and very correct bulleted list of guidelines.

many thanks!

ron

 

[amazinglyso]

All meat needs to be seared or partially boiled before cooking. Pork in particular needs to be boiled in a large pot of boiling water in stock-water/ginger beer (either/or) for a good 10-15 minutes then heat reduced to much lower temperature for another 20 mins (simmer). After the above, place Pork shoulder wrapped around kitchen foil and cook in oven at 160 degrees for 2 hours (turning meat at least twice within this time with cooking juices from cooked fat from meat), then turn oven up to 185 degrees for 1.5 hours. The joint should be hard on the outside and tender all the way through - this is the best way to cook Pork joints overall.

 

[ososmokeshack]

All meat needs to be seared or partially boiled before cooking. Pork in particular needs to be boiled in a large pot of boiling water in stock-water/ginger beer (either/or) for a good 10-15 minutes then heat reduced to much lower temperature for another 20 mins (simmer). After the above, place Pork shoulder wrapped around kitchen foil and cook in oven at 160 degrees for 2 hours (turning meat at least twice within this time with cooking juices from cooked fat from meat), then turn oven up to 185 degrees for 1.5 hours. The joint should be hard on the outside and tender all the way through - this is the best way to cook Pork joints overall.

Wtf

 

[millerbuilds]

Wtf

Yeah.... ????

 

[noboundaries]

2009 thread. Some interesting advice in it, especially the searing point. Best advice was not to insert meat probes for several hours. Two reasons; no punctures of intact muscle, and no worries about what's going on with the meat or stall. I don't probe meat until WAAAAY into a smoke. Doing so makes for relaxing hours as I do something else.

 

[SecondHandSmoker]

All meat needs to be seared or partially boiled before cooking. Pork in particular needs to be boiled in a large pot of boiling water in stock-water/ginger beer (either/or) for a good 10-15 minutes then heat reduced to much lower temperature for another 20 mins (simmer). After the above, place Pork shoulder wrapped around kitchen foil and cook in oven at 160 degrees for 2 hours (turning meat at least twice within this time with cooking juices from cooked fat from meat), then turn oven up to 185 degrees for 1.5 hours. The joint should be hard on the outside and tender all the way through - this is the best way to cook Pork joints overall.

That might be some good advice over on Boiling Meat Forums...

All joking aside, in the past I used to parboil CSRs before grilling mainly to shorten the cook time.

 

[hardcookin]

Your digging if you find a 11 year old thread