Pulled Pork :: New here and first attempt

[johnnyrod]

Well, we're off to the races. I'm running two 7.5lb pork butts in the MES 30". I planned on starting them today but got a little paranoid the more I read about how long some of them take. I ended up starting them late last night so I could monitor freely this morning (and afternoon just in case!). So far so good I think, from everything I've read on here. I'm pretty sure I'm stalled right now but I've got the time to let them ride it out. I'm pretty excited, can't wait to see how it all ends up. And thanks to all on this forum, y'all have been gracious, generous and so very helpful for folks trying to get up to speed. Pretty rare on the internet these days, so thank you all!!

 

pork-butt-june23.png

• johnnyrod
• Jun 23, 2015

 

[beefy bill]

It is a great site! Those babies are lookin good!

 

[larosa94x]

Gorgeous chunks of meat right there. Super stoked to give my First Butt a go this weekend.

 

[johnnyrod]

So definitely stalled I think. They've been on for about 14 hours or so. The MES meat probe gives me 168˚ and separate probe gives me 163˚. The good news is they appear to be cooking together evenly. But they've only done about 8 degrees in 5 hours. I'll keep an eye on em and report back. Holler if anything seems suspicious or troublesome, otherwise I'll just let it keep plugging away!

**EDIT** Forgot to mention it's been set at 230˚

 

[beefy bill]

Bump it up to 250 if you like...no harm...butts are forgiving

 

[johnnyrod]

Thanks beefy, I did end up bumping up to 250 just to make sure I get them to a good spot before having to leave. Figure I'll pull em and wrap them, put em in a cooler for a little while to rest while we're out then pull it apart when we get home. In the home stretch...I can't wait!

 

[b-one]

Looking good so far!:110:

 

[johnnyrod]

Well, it had to come out a tad earlier than I wanted but not bad. Ended up being in for about 20 hours all said and done. The bigger of the two had gotten to 194, the smaller to 187. I pulled the smaller first and it came apart with ease. Texture was a bit firmer but still delicious, soft and moist. Then I pulled the bigger one, or rather looked at it while holding the forks and it self destructed. That 7degrees made all the difference, I can't imagine what would have happened if I got it to 200-205deg. It just melts, incredible. I ended up finishing with just a little vinegar based sauce and mixed both batches together for consistency. I have to say it worked out pretty well! Next time I'll start earlier the night before to give myself some more time, and do a better rub. This one was fine, but hastily thrown together with what i had around the house, and not enough coverage. But all in all, I had a blast and the MES did great! Thanks for everyone's help and input along the way!

Oh yea, and now the pics...

pork-butt-done-june23.png

• johnnyrod
• Jun 24, 2015

pork-butt-done2-june23.png

• johnnyrod
• Jun 24, 2015

pork-butt-shredded-june23.png

• johnnyrod
• Jun 24, 2015

 

[mummel]

Looks amazing.  One point worth mentioning.  I read Meatheads recipe and he swears by the 203F "magic IT number".  I took my butt there and it was fantastic. 

Also, you can wrap it in foil and towels and put it in a cooler if its done too early.  I did that and it sat for 4 hours before our party.  Not ideal, but I dont think it affected the pork at all.  If anything, sitting for an hour or 2 apparently does wonders.

Well done.

 

[xray]

Looks delicious!!!!!!!!

I'm smoking two butts for a 4th of July party and my last butt took 20hrs...so I will be doing an overnight smoke. Can't wait

 

[beefy bill]

Looks real nice! When you get them up around 203, you tap it with your finger and it jiggles like a jello blob. Did you happen to save the drippings?

 

[johnnyrod]

Thanks guys! Mummel, I was shooting for over 200, but ended up having to run out for a bit at a really crucial time. So we pulled them at the above temps and wrapped in foil, into a cooler for about 2 hours. So I think I did most of the tricks right aside from just needing a little more time to get up to temp.

Honestly beefy, I didn't have a whole lot of drippings. I saved what was there, but not sure if there's enough to really use. Although, I'm sure any is better than none!

 

[mummel]

Yeah pour drippings into the pulled pork!!!

Guys, does it matter if you leave it foiled say for 2 hours, 5 hours, 10 hours?  What happens to the meat?  How long is it best to let it sit for?  It's impossible to time a butt exactly for your guests, and its best to be finished sooner than later, so how long can you keep it in a cooler for?

 

[beefy bill]

It'll stay warm for upwards of 4 hours if it's foiled and wrapped in towels in a cooler. Helps with late meals or eating something else because the meat decided to take its sweet time finishing. Better to finish early..

 

[mummel]

I had it in a cooler for 4 hours and it was definitely still warm.  So its more a question of keeping it warm vs the sweating messing up the meat?  No prob there.  You could even keep it in a warming drawer in the oven no?

 

[cael]

Thanks for the great post JohnnyRod.    

 I'm curious, about the time.    Most of the posts I've seen here seem to suggest about a 10-12 hour spread for Butt's this size.    And that's is an awkward time for me, too long to do in just one day off (unless I get up at dawn), but not long enough to do overnight (15-20+hours would be perfect).     But these took 20 hours!      Is it that he did 2?   Shouldn't be right, right?  

   Or just that the temp was 230?    

If there is a way to get an nice easy extend time on a Butt Roast, it would be lovely to time it for a late afternoon lunch on a day.   So I'm eager to hear.

 

[mummel]

Budget 2 hours / lb if you dont foil.  Get an AMPS.  Set it and forget it!

I did a 14 hour smoke.  Started at 6pm and went to bed.  Woke up the next morning and pulled it at 8am. 

Seriously, there is nothing to it.  If I had set my chip loader correctly, I would not have had to touch the smoker once in 14 hours.  The whole setup is genius. 

 

[cael]

Yeah, even 14 hours is good.   Enough time to start it and keep an eye for a bit, and then still get a decent sleep before its getting close to done.   If 2 hrs/lb is a good guide, then I will just choose accordingly and go for 7+lbs.

Thanks.

 

[beefy bill]

I take the larger ones and cut them in half. They finish quicker and you get more surface area for rub and bark!

 

[xray]

Thanks for the great post JohnnyRod.    

 I'm curious, about the time.    Most of the posts I've seen here seem to suggest about a 10-12 hour spread for Butt's this size.    And that's is an awkward time for me, too long to do in just one day off (unless I get up at dawn), but not long enough to do overnight (15-20+hours would be perfect).     But these took 20 hours!      Is it that he did 2?   Shouldn't be right, right?  :icon_wink:    Or just that the temp was 230?    

If there is a way to get an nice easy extend time on a Butt Roast, it would be lovely to time it for a late afternoon lunch on a day.   So I'm eager to hear.

I don't think he foiled, and like Mummel said, 2hrs/lb plus a 2hr rest. That should give you a close guide for a time table.