Struggling with Smoking Hobby

[gary s]

Yep I agree, the only thing I don't want pink is my chicken unless its smoked or cured

Gary

 

[timberjet]

USDA guidlines say 135 is legit now. But what I gave you will give you med. the Internal temp will rise during the rest by 5 to 7 degrees as it carries over.

 

[daricksta]

So the consensus here is to give a pork butt/shoulder plenty of time to cook because it will stall like a beef brisket or a chuck roast? I'll keep this in mind because I'll be cooking my first pork shoulder in my MES 30 this summer. It shouldn't be any more than 5-6 lbs. so I might not have the nightmares others of you have had in getting one up to the proper IT. However, I tried smoking a chuck roast in the smoker last year that stayed on stall forever. It also spent some time in the oven and back in the smoker but it never really turned out right.

I have higher hopes for the pork.

 

[timberjet]

 
So the consensus here is to give a pork butt/shoulder plenty of time to cook because it will stall like a beef brisket or a chuck roast? I'll keep this in mind because I'll be cooking my first pork shoulder in my MES 30 this summer. It shouldn't be any more than 5-6 lbs. so I might not have the nightmares others of you have had in getting one up to the proper IT. However, I tried smoking a chuck roast in the smoker last year that stayed on stall forever. It also spent some time in the oven and back in the smoker but it never really turned out right.

I have higher hopes for the pork.

You can do it man! After seeing all these Butts I'm sure you have a pretty good plan by now. Happy smoking. timber

 

[daricksta]

 
USDA guidlines say 135 is legit now. But what I gave you will give you med. the Internal temp will rise during the rest by 5 to 7 degrees as it carries over.

You brought up a very good point, Timberjet. Hardly anyone mentions the carryover when recommending optimal ITs for meat and poultry. Failure to factor in the carryover over temps when cooking meat to temp is a major reason why beginners and even more experienced cooks will overcook their food.

 

[jaellman]

Friday is my next attempt.  Full Pork Loin for a gathering at the house.  Good news is I've taken some advice here and will have some meatballs int he oven, Mac & Cheese in the slow cooker and a bunch of other food available so I'll be less stressed about getting the pork done "on time".  I may also smoke it finished a few hours early and wrap / cooler it until dinner just to be done with it before guests arrive (and showed, so I don't smell like a smoke house...)

 

[daricksta]

 
You can do it man! After seeing all these Butts I'm sure you have a pretty good plan by now. Happy smoking. timber

Thanks! You're becoming a real bud. I've taken a personal "no foil" pledge for this year just to see if I can cook meat to where I want it with covering it in foil. I live in Washington state and 'round these parts we (by which I mean me) don't go for the Texas Cheat, whether the meat is foiled in the smoker or in the oven. Or at least for this year, anyway.

 

[daricksta]

 
Friday is my next attempt.  Full Pork Loin for a gathering at the house.  Good news is I've taken some advice here and will have some meatballs int he oven, Mac & Cheese in the slow cooker and a bunch of other food available so I'll be less stressed about getting the pork done "on time".  I may also smoke it finished a few hours early and wrap / cooler it until dinner just to be done with it before guests arrive (and showed, so I don't smell like a smoke house...)

I've never cooked a pork loin in a smoker but no matter what the cooking venue a pork loin needs to be carefully monitored. Since it's not a fatty cut of meat, you need to really monitor the IT so as not to overcook it. Timberjet's advisory about carryover temps definitely apply here.

 

[timberjet]

 
Thanks! You're becoming a real bud. I've taken a personal "no foil" pledge for this year just to see if I can cook meat to where I want it with covering it in foil. I live in Washington state and 'round these parts we (by which I mean me) don't go for the Texas Cheat, whether the meat is foiled in the smoker or in the oven. Or at least for this year, anyway.

I would like to say I do it all the time, but just the other day after 11 hours or chucky smoking I gave up and foiled. It was fabulous though. really was. I got some sleep too.

 

[daricksta]

 
I would like to say I do it all the time, but just the other day after 11 hours or chucky smoking I gave up and foiled. It was fabulous though. really was. I got some sleep too.

As I've written a few times, my first and only attempt at a chucky last year was a nightmare. I spent a total of at least 16 hours over two days between my smoker, oven, and a convection microwave oven trying to get it to an IT of 190° and failed. Have no idea why that hunk of meat was so obstinate. From now on chuck roasts go only in the slow cooker or in a Dutch oven at my house.

 

[timberjet]

 
As I've written a few times, my first and only attempt at a chucky last year was a nightmare. I spent a total of at least 16 hours over two days between my smoker, oven, and a convection microwave oven trying to get it to an IT of 190° and failed. Have no idea why that hunk of meat was so obstinate. From now on chuck roasts go only in the slow cooker or in a Dutch oven at my house.

I challenge you to throw one on when you do that Butt this summer. It's just like getting bucked off a horse. You gotta get right back on. Hahaha... I will say that the total cooking time of my chucky sunday was 17 hours for a 3.5 to 4 pounder and that was with the smoker running hotter than usual at 240. It was no picnic that's for sure bud dang if it's not just the best one i ever did. I just got me a dutch oven after losing all my cast iron in the divorce a couple years ago and the next one will definetly be going in there after it hits 175 internal instead of foil. I would have used it this time but I never had time to season it first. I think I might do that today.

WP_20150116_002.jpg

• timberjet
• Jan 16, 2015

Oldie but a goodie..

 

[wes w]

bunch of other food available so I'll be less stressed about getting the pork done "on time".  I may also smoke it finished a few hours early and wrap / cooler it until dinner just to be done with it before guests arrive (and showed, so I don't smell like a smoke house...)

Man forget the stress.  folks will wait for great food.  Have a stiff drink and tell them its done when its done.   About the foil.   Unless your a fan of a thick bark, I'd foil.  it makes life a lot simpler.  I have nothing to prove.  I sell my pork faster then I can smoke it.   Its flavor and tender folks want.  If you don't have Jeffs rub its a lose cause in my opinion,.   I have a life.  11-12hrs in the smoker.  Hr. rest and triple my money.   I'd put my pork against anyones.  Stop stressing and just do it man.  :-)  

LOL.  I always smell like a smokehouse if I'm hosting an event.  I'm the cook!   I don't give a shit what people think I smell like.   If they like your food thats all that  matters.  

 

[jted]

Hi, Was your Tender loin tender juicy and seasoned well? That's Great. I like to pull mine at 143 foil and expect the carryover. My wife is old school and doesn't want any pink. I on the other hand like some pink She gets the ends  and I get the middle,  Good Smoke    Jted

 

[jaellman]

 
Hi, Was your Tender loin tender juicy and seasoned well? That's Great. I like to pull mine at 143 foil and expect the carryover. My wife is old school and doesn't want any pink. I on the other hand like some pink She gets the ends  and I get the middle,  Good Smoke    Jted

I through together a quick rub from a random post on this forum and it turned out great.

As you know, I'm new to this so the pink pork still flips the "something's wrong" switch in my head, but as you can see from the pictures I pulled it around 145 in middle.  Very juicy and very flavorful, but yes it was pink in the middle.

 

[timberjet]

I like it pink, add cherry smoke and it will be pink at well done too. Watch out for cherry on pork loin if you have queazy people coming over that don't get the pink color. I actually take mine out at 135 if it is just me eating. It is so succulent med. rare it is unbelievable. That pork had the tar frozen out of it and it is safe at 135.

 

[wes w]

Timber, do you have a USDA site that backs up the meat safe at 135F?   I've been a cook for a while now and a source that's a chef in the military and I or he hasn't heard this.  Just curious.   140 has been the standard for years with 160 for yard bird.  

 

[timberjet]

USDA is still a t 145 but I am at 135 with a rest to 140. There has been news on it lately that it is going to go down. They freeze pork at absoloute zero for a long time now to kill all the things that we were so scared of years ago. I'm sure one of the experts will be along to set us straight. I just started studying for the Washington food test and there are a few new things coming they say. Just like when they had it at 160 and every restaurant that was worth anything was breaking the rules. That was I think 4 years ago now. Heck I wouldn't cook a ribeye past 135 either for myself and that is 145 as well.

 

[jaellman]

Here's a discussion in my neck of the woods that says 135 is good for pork by some pretty well known Chicago chef's:

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/...1_cooking-pork-pork-chops-national-pork-board

 

[timberjet]

 
Here's a discussion in my neck of the woods that says 135 is good for pork by some pretty well known Chicago chef's:

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/...1_cooking-pork-pork-chops-national-pork-board

I know I have seen it even on the national news lately too and other places as well as talk on this website. It may not be technically legal but definitely an accepted practice for sure. By the way, thanks for posting that link man. I was hoping to find something more recent easily on google but to no avail. 

 

[daricksta]

 
I challenge you to throw one on when you do that Butt this summer. It's just like getting bucked off a horse. You gotta get right back on. Hahaha... I will say that the total cooking time of my chucky sunday was 17 hours for a 3.5 to 4 pounder and that was with the smoker running hotter than usual at 240. It was no picnic that's for sure bud dang if it's not just the best one i ever did. I just got me a dutch oven after losing all my cast iron in the divorce a couple years ago and the next one will definetly be going in there after it hits 175 internal instead of foil. I would have used it this time but I never had time to season it first. I think I might do that today.

WP_20150116_002.jpg

• timberjet
• Jan 16, 2015

Oldie but a goodie..

You're on, my friend. And you're also right about it being OK for pork to be pinkish in the middle. As for the chucky, you and Bearcarver are the only two people on SMF who've personally told me of their chucky success. I might try a chucky again sometime but the pork shoulder is definitely happening this year....along with the ribs and brisket and smoked cheeses. And then we'll have to see what the prices are for wild-caught Alaskan king and sockeye salmon.

And you do have my sympathy about the cast iron cookware. Perhaps that's another reason why I remain married. We have quite a few cast iron skillets, a grill pan, and an enamel-covered cast iron Dutch oven. I've taught my wife all about the virtues of cast iron cooking. I prefer that skillet to a stainless steel skilllet unless I absolutely need to use one for the recipe.