Why is it so?

Hi folks,

I've purchased a used WSM some time ago here in Australia as these things are not common even in Weber dealers, they are rarer than hens teeth 2nd hand.
Anyway, I tried to cook a pork shoulder on my WSM on Saturday evening and turned out a reasonable specimen that was at least edible but I'm a little confused about meat temps you guys quote when you pull them off the smoker.

With my Weber remote meter, it stipulates that WELLDONE = 170F for Pork & Beef but I often read about how you guys take them off at 190F which is 20F above welldone and into Leather boot territory.
I then realise then you foil it so I can imagine meat temps going well into the 200F+ area which is now over 30F over the Welldone temp of 170.
How come? How can you do a long smoke of say 12-15+ hours and take the meat well over the normal temp range and get a succulent peice of meat? Is it because of a brine or a marinate that allows for meat to be taken up the high without looking and feeling like a rock?
WHY is it so?

Cheers

Davo

The higher temps are necessary to break down the strands of fat in the shoulder to help make the meat tender. If you do not go that high, the fat is still tough as the fat is not becoming rendered. The meat is cooked at 170*, and is safe to eat, it just needs the heat to become moist and tender.

Hello Davo
I have bin smoking pork shoulder and bin taking them off at 200F. I foil and let sit for 1 or 2 hours and then pull. They come out very moist and pull great every time. When you can twist the bone and it is easy to come out then she is done. And for me that is bin about 10 or so hours and at 200F. On my next smoke with pork shoulder though, I am going to do 2 and take one off at about 185 and run the other one like I do all the time just to see the diffence. The meat has a lot of fat in it and the long it stays in the softer it gets because the fat content. No brine here. For example. Lets take a turkey. Turkey needs to be brined because it is a very lean meat and neads something to pump it up with. If you bought a turkey that was natural and not pump up with turkey broth and salt etc and smoked it, it would be dry and taste less. To try to answer the question why its because of the fat content on this meat.

Davo,the temps are just a guideline. Done is done. It's done when a probe goes in real easy. I had the hardest time learning that. But keep up the good work.

G'day Davo! The 170* on the therm for pork means it's adequately cooked for safe consumption. Many folks that roast pork slice it before serving, most of us who smoke pork butts prefer to pull or shread before serving...to facilitate this, higher internal temps must be achieved to break down the connective tissue

The key with meats that are typically Q'd is to cook past the point of doneness to tenderness. Pork butt is fatty, so there's little chance of drying it out, but you need to overcook (past the point of doneness) to make it tender; and beef brisket has a lot of collagen (connective tissue), which when cooked to a temp of 190*F or so becomes tender, juicy, flavorful gelatin. The rub encourages the bark to form, which I believe, in addition to giving the meat a tremendous amount of flavor, helps the meat to retain moisture as it cooks. I hope this helps. Cheers!

G'day folks,
Wow thatnks a lot for that fellas...i never thought it would have been feasable to take meat that high thinking i'd be eatin' a old miner's boot so now I'm insired...first chance i get, i'll be buying a smaller butt to practice on and taking it up to or above 190F and wrapping it up for a few hours then i'll hit the smoker with a big one.
After Last Saturday's result, the Mrs is already wanting me to sell the WSM on ebay...so I got it under lock and key right now hahaha

Thanks again folks for all your wisdom

"A smokin' we will go, a smokin' we will go...hi ho the merrio a smokin' we will go"

Ya don't have to be mad but it sure helps!!

Cheers

Davo

Good luck with the next attempt. Glad to see Aussies venturing into the world of Q. Just seeing the "location" always brings me back to my holiday there. I would never have come back if I didn't like my family so much!! haha

Some people we swear by how much you can "wiggle" the bone... others to a temp.. others probe. My advice to you is just to start by cooking to and internal temp of 190-200. At this point you should be fine, but experiment and get the feel for how much "wiggle" there is and how a probe feels.

Remember that butts are VERY forgiving. If you are starting out, its safer to err on the side of slightly overcooked... and if I have learned anything, it's to try anything once before I cook it for my wife!!! haha