Pork butt -- waiting for that last 5-10 degrees


 
C

C Splice

New member
Hello all,

Just thought I would post about my first pork butt. It is going according to plan so far, using the "Pork Butt Renowned Mr. Brown" as a guide. I have two 8lb butt's in my relatively new WSM, one on the top and one on the bottom racks. I have only done 1 pork loin and 1 whole turkey previously. I thought I would attempt this for a gathering of 17 on Sunday (today is Friday). My back up plan is homemade burgers on my performer.

The saga started yesterday, my butt's were purchased at 1:00pm, seasoned right away, and sitting at room temp since about 5:00pm. At 8:30pm, my WSM was up to 200deg and I put on the butts. I got the temp pretty stable between 230 and 240. I set my wireless temp probes low's and high's at 205 and 255 and went to bed for the night. The low temp alarm woke me this morning at 6:30 when I stoked and replenished the coals and topped up the water pan. Since then it has been a slow and steady temp rise from 150deg to 190deg at noon. It is now 1:15pm they have almost been on the WSM for 17 hours and I am stuck at 190deg. I have raised the WSM temp from the 230's to the 240's and it still won't budge.

The tin foil is cut, the cooler is ready, I'm just itching to take these thinks off the grill. This low and slow thing really requires allot of patience.

No real question here, just wanted to vent. If however anything jumps out at you as being a little off, feel free to comment.
 
Don't worry about the internal temperature. Depending on the cut of meat and the dynamics of the cooking environment a pork butt can be "done" anywhere between 185 and 205F for pulling.

Just cook to tenderness - if a probe slides right in, or if the bone slides right out, or if the pork but demonstrates the appropriate "jiggle," it's done. These sensations you will learn with experience...
 
They are stubborn sometimes.

I don't usually foil them as apart of the cooking process but my last one I did have to foil it for the last hour or so to help it across the finish line.
 
OK it is now 2:15, the top butt actually moved up to 193deg. Based on the opinions provided above I grabbed my old analog probe and used it to check for doneness. I'm gonna have to do a little research on that whole "jiggle" test before I use it. The old probe slide right in everyplace I stuck it (Should I be worried I over cooked these things?). I took the top butt off, expecting the one on the bottom rack to need a little more time. I put in my digital temp probe in the bottom one and it measured the same as the top butt. It was also just as easy to slide the old analog probe in, so I took it off as well. They are both in the cooler sitting outside in the shade.

Well at least that part of the waiting is over, Now it is on to the waiting to pull it, followed very closely to the waiting to taste it.

Thanks again for the replies.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Jeff Bryson:
Why do I get the feeling your PB's are not done yet.... </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Please explain this feeling of yours?

All the reading I did says anything north of 190deg is done. My plan was to go to 200deg for safety. After reaching 193deg and the probing test I feel pretty comfortable letting them settle out in the cooler for a couple of hours. I figure they should rise in the cooler somewhere between 195 and 200. The probe slide into the roast in several locations as easy as putting it into warm butter.
 
You can do them low and slow as you did.. Last ones I did I cut them in half long ways.. so I now had 4 flatish pieces.

Rubbed down the inside cut, rolled and tied with string, then rubbed the outsides.. put them on after I placed the lit on the unlit and brought it up to the high 200s. Probably ranged from 275 to 325.. with no water just foiled pan, foiled at 160ish and they were done in about 6 hrs.

I haven't done an overnightter in quite a while with this method
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by C Splice:
OK it is now 2:15, the top butt actually moved up to 193deg. Based on the opinions provided above I grabbed my old analog probe and used it to check for doneness. I'm gonna have to do a little research on that whole "jiggle" test before I use it. The old probe slide right in everyplace I stuck it (Should I be worried I over cooked these things?). I took the top butt off, expecting the one on the bottom rack to need a little more time. I put in my digital temp probe in the bottom one and it measured the same as the top butt. It was also just as easy to slide the old analog probe in, so I took it off as well. They are both in the cooler sitting outside in the shade.

Well at least that part of the waiting is over, Now it is on to the waiting to pull it, followed very closely to the waiting to taste it.

Thanks again for the replies. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

I wouldn't worry, I usually pull mine off at 190 or when probe goes in and out just like you said yours did. After you foil them for an hour or so temp will rise anyway. Enjoy!
 
SUCCESS!!!!!!!!!!

They sat in the cooler until 5:00, the cooler was 110deg the meat was 160deg. I pulled one apart and then the family started to devour it for diner. I just finished mine before writing this post, after this post I am off to pull the second one ( I will probably sample that one too).

About the question of doneness (if that is a word): When I transferred it from the tin foil to the baking sheet for pulling, it practically fell apart in my hands. The bone was loose and came out clean. There was very little fat that needed to be scraped off and thrown away.

I guess that patience thing really pays off in the end.

Thanks to everyone above for their input.
 
Don't you love it when a plan comes together. It sounds like you hit it out of the park. Enjoy the reward.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by C Splice:
About the question of doneness (if that is a word): When I transferred it from the tin foil to the baking sheet for pulling, it practically fell apart in my hands. The bone was loose and came out clean. There was very little fat that needed to be scraped off and thrown away.

I guess that patience thing really pays off in the end.

Thanks to everyone above for their input. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

In my experience that sure sounds like done to me. Congrats on your first successful butt cook!
 
Only suggestion I would make is that if holding warm in a cooler for any length of time sit the cooler in the sun instead of the shade. Congrats on the successful pork butts. They are very forgiving and have a very large window between done and destroyed.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

 

Back
Top