Good morning. Got my first butt on the smoker this morning. It is rather hard for me to not open it up and check it every thirty minutes..
- Rob
- Rob
The collagen breaks down at a temp of 189 (IIRC), which is what holds those muscle fibers and groups together and keeps pork tough even though it might be juicy. Once the collagen breaks down, the muscle fibers shred, or "pull", easily. Also, the internal fat has already rendered at this temp which helps make the pork juicy. You don't want to get over 212 as you begin boiling moisture out of the meat.
so what is it about 200 degrees that is so special?!