Dry Pork With IT 204

[Zathorious]

Hi guys,

I did a por shoulder yesterday with 3 duck legs and a butternut squash.

The pork came out a bit dry, my first one came out perfectly. My only clue is that I ran out of fire starters and had to leave to get some, so my internal temp dropped from 160 to 154 then back up to 204 bit wrapping at 165.

I also didn't get a good bark, was this fluctuation responsible?


Here's my first one, it was perfect. I also brined this one.

Thanks!

 

[Backyard Hero]

What temp did you smoke at? And what was your finished internal temp? Did you let it rest? Did you wrap it? Did you maintain water in your water pan?

 

[zwiller]

Dry butt is almost always not done enough. A butt is done when it's done. I have read of sturbborn butts that needed to go to 210F. While I usually pull at 205F, I also want to see the bone come out easy and the butt come off in pieces to ensure I am there. Double check your thermometer, it could be off. Still looks tasty though! Throw in crock and let er rip...

 

[Zathorious]

What temp did you smoke at? And what was your finished internal temp? Did you let it rest? Did you wrap it? Did you maintain water in your water pan?

was smokking at 225, it climbed a few times to 250, finished internal was 204, I let it rest an hour, I wrapped at 165, and I did maintain water in the pan! Thanks for the help!

 

[Backyard Hero]

Well heck, ya did everything I can think of then! But I agree with the above post. Double check your thermometer. Like he said, it could be off a significant amount and have caused your issue. Other possible option, which i hardly think it could be, was that it didn't have much of a fat content to melt and moisten your meat. But I think you would have known if that was the case.

 

[sawhorseray]

I don't wrap, I feel I get better bark and more smoke without doing that. Take a butt being dry out of the equation, I've been using Chef Jimmy's finishing sauce for some time now, try it, you'll like it! RAY

JJ's Finishing Sauce...Awesome!!!

In the last couple of weeks I have made Pit Chicken twice per my families request. It occured to me the the Basting sauce, which is primarily Vinegar, would make a great Finishing Sauce for Pulled Pork... I modified the the recipe by removing the oil, there is enough fat in PP, and the Egg...

www.smokingmeatforums.com

 

[thirdeye]

Cycling of pit temps usually won't affect a butt, they are very forgiving. You need to cook them until they probe tender, then rest them in a hot box. There really is no magic temp.

 

[smokin peachey]

I always add butter, honey, apple cider vinegar and apple juice when wrapping in a foyal pan. Add the juice back into the meat and it will be moist and juicy.

 

[mike243]

also why would you need more fire starters for? so many ?s so little info lol . all meats not created the same,

 

[chef jimmyj]

First thing that jumps out to me..." Pork Shoulder", in your write up.
Unlike Butts, the Shoulder is leaner and contains just a couple large muscles that do cook up drier that the fattier Butt muscles. Did you smoke a Shoulder or a Butt?...JJ

 

[thirdeye]

First thing that jumps out to me..." Pork Shoulder", in your write up.
Unlike Butts, the Shoulder is leaner and contains just a couple large muscles that do cook up drier that the fattier Butt muscles. Did you smoke a Shoulder or a Butt?...JJ

Pork shoulder is comprised of a butt (butt end) and a picnic (sometimes called the shoulder arm). NAMP 403 is the whole shoulder, 405 is the picnic, and 406 is the butt. I do agree that the picnic has larger muscle groups some are leaner than others and some have more myoglobin.

 

[chef jimmyj]

Guest I should have included " Picnic " when I was talking about a Shoulder so there was no confusion. Most folk say they are cooking a Whole Shoulder when referring to the Picnic and Butt together...JJ

 

[thirdeye]

Guest I should have included " Picnic " when I was talking about a Shoulder so there was no confusion. Most folk say they are cooking a Whole Shoulder when referring to the Picnic and Butt together...JJ

I just pointed out shoulder terms since the OP was talking about his second butt.

It's just terms..... sometimes slang, sometimes not. We all have our own terms (some actually date us), and each part of the country has specific terms as well. In my area pork collar is a rare find and it's a shoulder cut...., whole pork neck is impossible to find anymore, but neck bones are easy to find and actually cook up really nice. I refer to the money muscle end of a butt as a Coppa roast and get weird comments sometimes for that name. Looking at this neat diagram ↓↓↓, I don't know what a "shoulder roll", or a "club roast" is, and I've never said "hog maw" in my life. I call pigs feet "trotters" which this illustrator left out. Oh, notice they list "country style ribs" as a loin cut.... Out west, country ribs are cut from the butt.

 

[chef jimmyj]

Hog Maw is big time Popular in Central PA.
The Pig Stomach, is stuffed with Potatoes, Celery, Carrots, Onions and Fresh County Sausage and Roasted until the inside is tender and the outside is Crisp. Really tasty stuff...JJ

 

[thirdeye]

We opened up a field office in PA during one of the oil booms and I was introduced to scrapple....