Pulled pork recipes. Why some are more hours to cook than others?


 
J

Joel Oliva

TVWBB Member
I was looking through some pulled pork recipes and noticed that there are some that you would smoke for 7 hours and some you would smoke for 15 hours. Why do they have different hours of smoking Butt?

I'm new with my smoker and I'm planning on smoking my first Butt this weekend for my bday. So far, I've smoked a few Chickens and a Turkey. Being a newbee here, I wanted to ask my fellow Q'ers why some recipes need more hours to cook than others. I mean between 7 hours to 15 hours is a lot. Is it becuse if you smoke on high heat, you would only need a few hours compared to smoking on 225-250 heat which would take more hours?
 
Right, temp can make differences.

So can techinques like using foil.

Also the butt itself can make a difference. Though typically, at 250º, a butt may take about 2hrs/lb, some will only go 1.5hrs/lb, and some stubborn ones will go 3hrs/lb. For an 8lb'er, even a .25hr/lb increase, will add 2hrs to the cook.

If there are a couple of specific recipes you have questions about, give us the links and we'll take a shot at 'why'.
 
Joel, a HH cook of a butt should go about 4 hrs. You can pretty much follow the HH brisket method in these forums. Travis is right, butts can have a mind of their own as to how long they want to cook. Throw 'er on and take 'er off when she's done.

Happy Smokin'

Mark
 
For pulled pork, I start testing for doneness at 190º.

Does the temp probe slide in easily? I use neoprene heat resistant gloves and give it tug to see if it's going to pull. If it has a bone, will it start to come out if given a twist?

Sometimes it's ready at 190º, sometimes 195º, sometimes 200º.

Don't worry about pork butt. It's very forgiving and is almost bulletproof. You'll have to make an effort to get it to come out less than good.
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I shoot for 190 and then there is the fork test. Stick a fork in and give it a twist. If it twists and begins to shred the meat it is probably done.

Mike
 
Is there a maximum heat temp where it'll be too much? for instance if the inner temp went up to 210 or higher? or If i leave it in the cooker for 20 hours??
 
Originally posted by Joel Oliva:
Is there a maximum heat temp where it'll be too much? for instance if the inner temp went up to 210 or higher? or If i leave it in the cooker for 20 hours??
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We go by temps to know when to check the meat for tenderness without lifting the dome. I cook pork butts low-n-slow, so I should probably check one once my remote reciever shows an IT of 188 or so. Cook low-n-slow and the typical IT of a tender pork butt will be around 190. Cook HH or in foil, and the temp might end up being 205.

However, you check for TENDERNESS. A probe should go in the meat like it's "buttuh", and the shoulder blade should be so loose that if you wiggle it out, it'll be pretty much clean. However, if you keep on cooking, you'll risk drying out the bbq, especially with the occasional rather lean pork butt.
 
Hey Joel, I've cooked many butts and the average is just a little over an hour a pound at 250'F.
I like the internal temp anywhere from 195 to 205'F.
I then tightly foil the pork, encase it in layers of towels then place in a dry cooler for at least an hour, up to 4 hours.
This amount of time (cookin' and resting) allows the meat to pull very nicely.
No drying out has been experienced EVER using this practice.
Good luck with yours!
 
I just want to drive home a point that has already been made here and many other times on this forum. I had a hard time finally realizing it, but internal temp is only a guide for when to check for tenderness. If you put your probe in and can feel resistance, it's not done. Period. That is why there is such a difference in cook times. Some butts just take longer. I have finally come to the conclusion that if I want to eat at a certain time, I shoot for 4-5 hours earlier to account for stubborn butts. I can always hold it in a cooler and a heating pad if needed. I recently had a cook that I figured would take 10-12 hours and it ended up taking 16 hours. But I was under no pressure to finish at a certain time that cook, so I pressed on until it was completely tender. When I could literally feel no resistance all the way through the butt, I pulled them and man was it worth it. Sorry for the rambling and I hope this helps. Just remember...<span class="ev_code_RED">BBQ IS DONE WHEN IT'S DONE!!!</span> Good luck!
 
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