Pork butt (5 lb) stringy and tough after resting for 1 hour.

[Nshamy]

First time posting here. Hoping to get some ideas before attempting to smoke another butt.

On Memorial Day, I smoked the 5 lb. bone-in pork butt at 275°. When it reached an IT of 160° I put it in a foil pan, poured in 1 cup apple cider, and tightly sealed with a foil layer on the top. The covered meat was then put back on smoker until i got a probe reading of 200° (i checked the reading with two different thermometers to be safe). At 200° I lifted to foil on the pan to take a look, I was delighted to see that the bone had mostly fallen out on its it's own. I then removed it from the pan and wrapped it in foil, wrapped a towel around it, and rested for an hour. My result was a stringy tough piece of meat to pull. Thoughts?

 

[kruizer]

Did you probe for tenderness? Quite often the temp might be what you think is done but the meat is not tender yet

 

[Chasdev]

Some might consider 275 to be too hot.
Lots of cooks consider 225 as the way to go.

 

[lancep]

How did it feel when you probed it? There should be little to no resistance. I’m not saying it’s not possible to pull a butt a 200, but most folks, that I know of pull around 205+. I’ve taken them up to 210, when I check but honestly, I go by smell. Funny, I know, but I can literally smell when a butt/shoulder is done.

 

[bregent]

I was delighted to see that the bone had mostly fallen out on its it's own

That's typically a good sign that it is done, but sometimes parts will remain undercooked so it's best to probe in several places. I don't use IT except as a really rough guide, but remember that the higher the cook temperatures, the higher the final IT will be when it's tender.

 

[Nshamy]

How did it feel when you probed it? There should be little to no resistance. I’m not saying it’s not possible to pull a butt a 200, but most folks, that I know of pull around 205+. I’ve taken them up to 210, when I check but honestly, I go by smell. Funny, I know, but I can literally smell when a butt/shoulder is done.

Probe went through like butter

 

[Nshamy]

Did you probe for tenderness? Quite often the temp might be what you think is done but the meat is not tender yet

The probe went in smooth but i didnt not probe with that intention. I will definitely be doing that next time.

 

[MrJambalaya]

Also my first time posting, but I believe since you are smoking at a higher temp, the finish temp will also need to be higher to break down the connective tissue and render out the fat. If I smoke a butt at 225, I pull it at 198. If I am between 250-275 it finishes between 210-215.

 

[lancep]

Well, in that case it could just be a naughty pig. It happens! You might try chopping it Lexington style.

 

[thirdeye]

I bet you did not let it cook itself tender. Bone wiggle is a good sign, but feeling it tender is better. One thing to consider is the number of muscles in a butt. The 3 muscles around the blade bone will usually be pullable, as will the 4 or 5 groups on the money muscle end. The section I have labeled as loin is probably the lowest quality on the butt, and it's usually stringy even on a perfectly cooked butt. When you breakdown a butt that is tight, work around the individual muscles and take chunks, or just slice it.


These are slices from a coppa roast I cooked separately

 

[Nshamy]

Also my first time posting, but I believe since you are smoking at a higher temp, the finish temp will also need to be higher to break down the connective tissue and render out the fat. If I smoke a butt at 225, I pull it at 198. If I am between 250-275 it finishes between 210-215.

This is something I did not consider. Thanks.

 

[Nshamy]

Also my first time posting, but I believe since you are smoking at a higher temp, the finish temp will also need to be higher to break down the connective tissue and render out the fat. If I smoke a butt at 225, I pull it at 198. If I am between 250-275 it finishes between 210-215.

This is something I did not consider. Thanks.

 

[Nshamy]

I bet you did not let it cook itself tender. Bone wiggle is a good sign, but feeling it tender is better. One thing to consider is the number of muscles in a butt. The 3 muscles around the blade bone will usually be pullable, as will the 4 or 5 groups on the money muscle end. The section I have labeled as loin is probably the lowest quality on the butt, and it's usually stringy even on a perfectly cooked butt. When you breakdown a butt that is tight, work around the individual muscles and take chunks, or just slice it.

View attachment 447147
These are slices from a coppa roast I cooked separately
View attachment 447148

Good info, thanks. Is there a world where it would have been tender prior to wrapping and resting, then coming out tougher after? From what I have read almost everywhere, a butt will only get more tender or maintain tenderness during the resting period.

 

[MrJambalaya]

Good info, thanks. Is there a world where it would have been tender prior to wrapping and resting, then coming out tougher after? From what I have read almost everywhere, a butt will only get more tender or maintain tenderness during the resting period.

I have never seen a butt tighten. It will carryover around 10 degrees while resting. For a butt, it would go the opposite way. It would get mushy instead of tight.

 

[eddiememphis]

Sounds overcooked

How long did you cook it at 275? What kind of smoker? How do you know the smoker temp- stock thermometer or aftermarket? What about the probe that claimed 160? Have you ever calibrated your thermometers?

Where did you get the roast? What did you do to it before smoking?

 

[Nshamy]

Sounds overcooked

How long did you cook it at 275? What kind of smoker? How do you know the smoker temp- stock thermometer or aftermarket? What about the probe that claimed 160? Have you ever calibrated your thermometers?

Where did you get the roast? What did you do to it before smoking?

4 hrs cook time before the rest. Smoked on a Traeger 22 series. Used the trager probe that plugs into the unit while cooking, and a Thermapen instant read (both reading the same). Got the meat from a local butcher and rubbed it with a Traeger dry rub 15 mins prior to cooking it.

My first thought was that I overcooked it. After doing some digging on the internet, it started sounding like overcooking just makes it more tender and maybe even mushy.

 

[thirdeye]

Good info, thanks. Is there a world where it would have been tender prior to wrapping and resting, then coming out tougher after? From what I have read almost everywhere, a butt will only get more tender or maintain tenderness during the resting period.

Yep, if they overcook in the hotbox, they can get mushy.

 

[Fueling Around]

My last butt I finally took records on my usual method.
Smoke & heat, pan wrap and move to oven.
Moved from the pooper at 190° into pan wrapped with foil.
Oven at 300° and 90 minutes later IT 207°. Bone pulled clean.

Next time, I'll pan it at 170° and leave in the pooper for another hour or so.
Kinda futile as meat stops taking smoke before 150°
Still finish it in the oven.

 

[thirdeye]

My last butt I finally took records on my usual method.
Smoke & heat, pan wrap and move to oven.
Moved from the pooper at 190° into pan wrapped with foil.
Oven at 300° and 90 minutes later IT 207°. Bone pulled clean.

Next time, I'll pan it at 170° and leave in the pooper for another hour or so.
Kinda futile as meat stops taking smoke before 150°
Still finish it in the oven.

Actually the smoke ring formation stops between 140° and 150°. You can continue to add smoke flavor until your meat is inedible.

 

[noboundaries]

It needed more time. Chamber temp was fine. Process was solid. End point too soon. A butt will pull apart before it is tender. 200F can work, but that particular butt may have needed 205F, + or - 3 to 5F. Those last few degrees can make all the difference between tender and juicy (done), dry and tough (underdone), or juicy and mushy (overdone).

I.T. of meat tells you when to probe for tenderness all over. I haven't wiggled a bone in years, but many use that as an indicator of doneness.