Pulled Pork - what went wrong ???? :(

[markuk]

Hi there

I may be answering this questions with the first line but it might be something else

Bought a 4lb piece of shoulder - boneless rolled ( ones with the strings round) from a supermarket - last two times I've bought it from a local butcher on the bone

Anyway - rubbed and left over night - out of fridge for an hour and with this piece I smoked  it for 3 hours at around 240 F with oak then foil wrapped for another 3 1/2 to 4 hours in the oven at around 280 F then rested under towels for half an hour

Opened up and meat was done with int temp of around 165 F however it just didnt pull but sliced well and was very tasty but VERY fatty

......was it the cut or something else ??? I do wonder if int temp was enought - if so how can it get it hotter

Advise would be helpful

Thanks

 

[beaummiler]

For pulled i take mine closer to 198 it. Just let it ride even when it stalls. If i wrap mine i do it when i get a it of around 165

 

[bellevillesmoke]

Hi Mark,  I'm a noob but just did my first pulled pork this weekend and turned out great.  Based on the ALL the research I did for mine, your cook time was way to short and internal temp to low for pulling the pork.  Need to get the IT between 200-205 for pulling apart which average cook time is usually about 1 1/2 - 2 hours per pound to acheive.  The IT of 160 is what is needed to make sure your pork is safe of bacteria but at 160 the muscle will still be tough and will only cut like a roast.

 

[johnnie walker]

Mark, you need an IT of 200* F for it to pull easy.

 

[smokinhusker]

Everyone had the correct advice. Your IT wasn't high enough. When I foiled Pork Butts, I always did so at 160°-165° IT. I no longer foil and smoke hot and fast (275°) to an IT of 200°-205°. Large cuts of meat are done when they get done. The 1.5-2 hrs per lb is only a guideline.

Had you taken the IT to 200 or so, most of the fat would have rendered down and flavored the meat. 

 

[markuk]

Thanks for all the replies  - do I need to raise the oven temp next time or just cook longer ?????
 

 

[fwismoker]

Mark a cooker temp around 250 is fine...Don't worry about cooking time ONLY internal meat temps. 200ish is the bench mark you're looking for.

 

[markuk]

Sorry to be stupid over this but should I raise the cooking temp then of the smoker and oven as I started cooking at 10am in the morning and served at 6pm - can't really cook for any longer than that in one day !!

Thanks

 

[beaummiler]

275 might do it for you

 

[markuk]

Thank you !