Help request for suggestions on how to best end a difficult cook of 4 butts


 
T

Tom Raveret

TVWBB Pro
I don't get the chance to cook that often so when I saw butts for .99/lb nice non enhanced never frozen at my local Piggly Wiggly I jumped on 2 packages/4 butts 39lbs total.

I'm in Milwaukee and though I should get these on before the cold spell hits so I put them on last night at 7:00 pm @ 236 as my target temperature.. the smoker struggled to get there and then I left the door ajar for a little and was pushing 258 and I usually have enough charcoal to get through 12 hours but these are larger than I usually cook.

Went to bed at 11 and woke up to the smoker and the meat at 145 and most of the coals out. Added a bunch of charcoal and re stabilized the temperature kicked it up to 250 and now at 5:00 pm the one of the top roasts is at 194 in the area away from the bone and 185 on the other (areas near the bone are less)

The shoulders on the bottom rack are 165? not used to that wide a spread.

I would welcome suggestions or recommendations on how to finish this cook. High heat I don't think would be a good option because I used turbinado sugar in my rub (Butt rub for Jane was the rub I used) I have not foiled and would consider that and have an oven I can use as well if that would help me finish the cook.
If I foil what temprature should I have the smoker/oven at?

Its 19 now going down to 0 tonight and negative windchills of -20 with a windchill advisory posted.


I was going to cool the pulled pork in ziplock bags and food saver them tomorrow.

Thanks for any suggestions.
 
Hi Tom. temps are dropping like a rock and the wind is going nuts.
I would abort any outdoor ideas and foil in the indoor appliance at 275-300.

Tim
 
Do you leave the turbinado sugar in the rub on your high heat cooks?

I really have to find some time to learn about high heat cooks.....
 
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I may be wrong. But i believe the reason for using turbinado sugar is it can take higher heat before burning.
Also in my opinion 275 isn't really considered high heat. 275 is usually my target temp for most things.
I agree to wrap in foil and cook in the oven at 275
 
thank you for the help... these were the fattiest butts I've ever cooked. I trimmed them well but lots of intramuscular fat like prime would be for beef. Wrapped and used the "indoor appliance" at 260 and the last two were done around 9:00 very tasty!! thank you again for the assistance and advice
 
Stay inside and enjoy the fruits of your labor. It’s getting pretty nasty out there this next week! In Michigan we will see a lot of the same bitter cold that you will get! Be safe!!
 
I would wrap them w/ foil and ride it out, your stuck in the stall. Keep in mind you got 4 hunks of meat absorbing the heat, and wind/cold absorbing heat... its natural to use more coal then say 1 butt on an 80 degree sunny day. Just curious, I pull my butts at internal temp of 203-204, and let them rest for an hour or two wrapped in foil setting in a cooler with a towel over the top of them....any reason why you bring IT up to 250?
 
Matty H said:
I would wrap them w/ foil and ride it out, your stuck in the stall. Keep in mind you got 4 hunks of meat absorbing the heat, and wind/cold absorbing heat... its natural to use more coal then say 1 butt on an 80 degree sunny day. Just curious, I pull my butts at internal temp of 203-204, and let them rest for an hour or two wrapped in foil setting in a cooler with a towel over the top of them....any reason why you bring IT up to 250?
Click to expand...

It was getting late the bottom two were certainly stuck in the stall. I was intrigued by Tim's advice to crank it to 350 but hesitant to go above 275 for the burning sugar issue so I thought 260 speeds it up but doesn't crank it.

I will need to learn more about doing high heat with sugar in rub over 275 as that goes contrary to most of my previous experience.
 
From Joy Of Cooking.

Caramelized sugar.

Light caramel. 320 to 338F Sugar changes from honey colored to light brown

Medium caramel. 356F Sugar turns a medium brown color.

Dark caramel. 374F Sugar turns a dark brown color.

Now that's for regular white sugar. Brown sugar has molasses added so that would turn darker quicker and sugar in the raw or turbinado acts similar or better than white IME.
Kevin doesn't use paparika in that rub, but rubs that do use it can burn and taste bitter using HH.

My HH butts usually run between 300-350ish. I foil when I like the color so I never had one burn yet.:wsm:

Tim
 
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