Pulled pork finishing temps


 
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Barry McCorkle

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During the last year or so I have been experimenting with different finishing internal meat temps to try and get the "perfect" pulled pork. For me this is pulled pork that still has some firmness to it when eaten yet is not greasy or hard to shred when pulling. For me the optimum internal meat temp is in the 175 - 185 range.

When I cook butts to 195 internal temp, the meat is way too soft. It pulls easy at this temp and shreds easy, but the meat is very soft.

For those of you that are finishing to 195, what is the finished product like? Is it soft? How does it compare to bbq joints that you eat at?

SC Que
 
I pull mine at 190. I had 4 butts in this past weekend and 7 racks on a separate WSM. Panick stricken because butts were on a long plateau (2 hours) and rising only one degree. Thought that the ribs and butts would not coincide with one another in front of my 33 guests. The butts started at 9:00 the night before and were pulled to foil/ice chest at 3:00 the next day. 18 hours at 225-245 degrees. I could not get them over 185 degrees internally and had a remote thermo in each. Every one reading a diffefent temp by up to 5 degrees. Anyway, when pulled, they were absolutely perfect, good consistency and easily shredded /infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif
 
I've only done 3 pork shoulders now. But everyone I've taken to atleast 190f before taking off the smoker or grill.
I don't think the meat is really that soft. Just very tender and moist.
But then again I've never had any other pulled pork to compare it to.
Untill I wandered onto this board a few months ago I never heard of pulled pork.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Dennis Fraley:
[qb]
Untill I wandered onto this board a few months ago I never heard of pulled pork. [/qb] <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>Ditto, Dennis. Since getting the WSM, pulled pork has become a family favorite. Just did two last weekend - 13 lbs. total weight. One came off at 190, the other at 193. The smaller one (193) pulled real easy but wasn't mushy. The larger one had more resistance, but had more fat left in it, too. Both are tasty.

I've run pork butt up to 197 at which point it was about ready to collapse under it's own weight. The family really liked it but I prefer something with a bit more texture. However, none of it lasts long anyway!
 
I also finish at 183-188...for no other reason than I get impatient and my charcoal is burning out. I'm really happy with the results, but in all honesty I haven't waited to 190 for comparison.
 
I to have found that the butts I've cooked are ready at about the 180 mark. They have been very easy to shred, moist and have a very nice bark. I have taken some to the 190 mark also with the same results. As far as Q joint pulled pork, I think the fact that they have to keep it changes the texture somewhat so to try and compare it to fresh off the smoker pork would be useless.

Good Q'in
Chach
 
all these numbers! ehhhh! my head is going to explode!

Seriously,it really doesn't matter to me. It take my butts at whatever temp that I can get them because I am too lazy, and quite frankly unable, to wake up to turn at half times.

So after an early flip, swap and baste... they go untouched for the rest of the cook.

For instance, this morning I pulled a few halved butts of the cooker... I started them at 8pm, I FSBed them at midnight and I pulled them off the cooker at 7 am.

As I measured the halved butts on the top grate, in different parts of each butt, I got readings ranging from 185 to 205 !!!

Are we supposed to pull based up average temp or what?

Do we have to take percentage of mass at that temp into account when figuring out the average temp?

Anyway, I am just giving yall a hard time and being difficult. I know what type of pulled pork that yall are shooting for... I'd pull it out of the cooker in the 175-182 range. Expect it to be more difficult to pull with a little more removal of fat from the butt.

When we do butts for chopped pork, we take them to the 170-175 range. Chop it up, sauce it and them keep it warm in a chaffing dish.

The best part about this whole post?

I am sitting in my office and nibbling of some of this mornings pulled pork while writing it!

Mmmm Mmmm Good /infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif
 
In the name of science and seeing how much laziness I could get away with I smoked 2 8lb shoulders.

Started them at 6am before work using the Minion method. That method has been extremely consistant for me, so I just set the vents and left for work without waiting for it to get up to temp.

Came home around 7pm and took the butts off at 8pm - no turning, basting, etc. Internal temp was 185F.

Let 'em sit for an hour and then shredded them - they were simply outstanding.
 
I'm thinking of doing a couple tonight. I actually think pulled pork tastes better cold. I bet some cold pulled pork on a bun with some thick sliced chedder cheese would be great!

Gotta love cheese. It makes everything taste better/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif
 
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