Why Did It Take So Long To Cook Pulled Pork

[crankybuzzard]

Thanks!! I figured I'd try to summarize all the great things I've learned during my 18 months in this forum. This forum is unlike anywhere else where "blowing smoke" means making stuff up and obscuring the facts. Here it means giving people great advice and sharing wisdom gained from years of experience. I would have thrown out my MES if it weren't for this forum.

Perfect example of one of the main reasons I love this place!

 

[joeb23]

Wow, great write up JohnMeyer!!!!  I have a lot to learn and this was very helpful!!!!!

 

[schlotz]

Excellent write up John.  I too believe you can smoke and eat in the same day. Like most things, practice (and taking good notes) is the key.  When I know we will be entertaining with plenty of other things to get ready, I fall back to the foil method which has never failed.  Get the butt to 155° -ish, double wrap in heavy foil and crank the temp to 300° (smoker or oven). Since the butt is still probed, its IT is monitored until reaching 200°.  It's then pulled, put in an alum pan & placed in a cooler with towels below and above for a minimum of two hours.  Our 8-9# butts normally reach 155° around 5-6 hours and 200° approximately 2-3 hours later.  Since each piece of meat can vary in time to reach 200°, I start early enough to allow for it.  If they get done quicker, no problem, extra time in the cooler. Otherwise there is still 2 hours at the end for cooler resting.

Having smoked plenty of butts, I can say we haven't noticed much difference in flavor from running at 225° or 250°. Bark however is a different matter.  Foiling softens it, so that's a consideration you have to wrestle with along with the stall that accompanies leaving the meat unwrapped.  

Either way, you get GOOD EATS! 

Matt

 

[joeb23]

I know this sounds like a stupid question but when you say put in the cooler, is it literally a cooler (like you would take on a picnic)?  Why do you put the towels(paper?) in and are the towels dry?  I assume you do this so the meat finishes cooking and absorbs the juices?   Sooooo much to learn, lol.

Joe

 

[schlotz]

Yup a real cooler.  Dry towels help it maintain temp. Yes you could use paper but I personally think towels are better insulators.  For safety, you want to make sure your meat stays above 150°. Really isn't a problem with this method. You can easily maintain well above that for a number of hours. The rest period is very important regardless if wrapping or not.  It allows remaining fat to render in with redistributing juices. Amazing things happen during this time. We never cut it short.

Matt

 

[joeb23]

Thanks Matt

 

[hondabbq]

Others have said don't cook by time but use it as a guideline. That is true.

I do butts all the time and I never go that low. The lower the temp it is cooked at the longer the stall will be

I gave up doing over night cooks and the all day 15 hour cooks. I cook my butts at 275 and it if want it quicker I have done turbo butts at 350. It has never failed me yet.

If you are doing it at lower temps you can wrap and bump the temp to get it to the finish line.

I have done all the above cooks on my LBGE and my GMG Jim Bowie

 

[hondabbq]

The acronym for it is FTC Foil Towel Cooler. I have kept butts hot for 4-6 hours then pulled to serve.

 

[sauced]

Johnmeyer, that was a very good write up!

Point for that one sir!

Agree!!!!

Point 

 

[joeb23]

Well I just checked the thermometer.  I waited until the water was boiling consistently then put in the tip of the thermometer about 3 inches.  It read 210 degrees.  2 degrees off, not bad.

Joe

 

[crankybuzzard]

Well I just checked the thermometer.  I waited until the water was boiling consistently then put in the tip of the thermometer about 3 inches.  It read 210 degrees.  2 degrees off, not bad.

Joe

What elevation do you live at? 212 is for sea level. As you go up in altitude, it lowers a bit. You may not be off by 2.

 

[joeb23]

I live in the by Lake Erie.  The elevation level of Lake Erie is 653'.  Maybe its not off by that much.  I never realized that the elevation level made that much of a difference.

 

[crankybuzzard]

Good info here, and you're pretty good...

https://www.fsis.usda.gov/shared/PDF/High_Altitude_Cooking_and_Food_Safety.pdf

 

[pc farmer]

Good info here, and you're pretty good...

https://www.fsis.usda.gov/shared/PDF/High_Altitude_Cooking_and_Food_Safety.pdf

That's a good read right there.

 

[joeb23]

Interesting reading.  Thanks Crankybuzzard.

 

[smokered]

I have the Traeger Lil' Texas and have cooked several butts on it. I have learned to up the cooking temp to 275 and I also wrap at 160-165. I like to use a foil pan and aluminum foil, so it collects the juices. They take about 9 hrs, depending on size.

Here's one of my latest ones.

IMG_1644.JPG

• smokered
• Apr 5, 2017

 

[joeb23]

I have the Traeger Lil' Texas and have cooked several butts on it. I have learned to up the cooking temp to 275 and I also wrap at 160-165. I like to use a foil pan and aluminum foil, so it collects the juices. They take about 9 hrs, depending on size.

Here's one of my latest ones.

 

 

[johnmeyer]

 
Well I just checked the thermometer.  I waited until the water was boiling consistently then put in the tip of the thermometer about 3 inches.  It read 210 degrees.  2 degrees off, not bad.

Joe

A few weeks ago I provided some additional information about calibrating a thermometer. Altitude is definitely the #1 issue, but at 600 feet above sea level, the boiling point is still pretty close to 212.

Here is that post, in case you're interested: Thermometer Calibrating Tips

 

[gunpowder]

Time also varies by the amount of butts in the smoker as well as meat variability. I have had butts go quick and also have had butts go 16 hrs when I had it packed for a big job. Some were done early, a couple just liked the sauna I guess. When I have a lot of butts I like to rotate the racks 1/2 way through.

I have 70 pounds to smoke for Sunday noon. I had wanted to start this morning but my MES kicked the bucket. My new MES is in the initial 3 hr heating to get it ready to smoke. I will probably do two runs of 35# although I have had them packed with 9 butts before (probably about the same poundage. It did fine but made some of you more nervous than me when I posted :D