<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Erik Snyder:
As far as the ribs, they are either under or over cooked. Foil seems to help. But I've read that the should not be falling off the bone when done. My problem is telling when they ARE done. My Boston butt just doesn't taste like the Southern pulled pork I'm used to. Chuck Roast is not bad, I'm just hoping for better. Again, I am my own worst critic. Maybe to some they are good, but not me. I want perfection! </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Me too!
What kind of ribs are you cooking? Spares or Loinbacks? How are you cooking them? Cooking in the 245º-260º range spares take around 6 hours and loinbacks between 4-5 hours. You can determine donenes a several ways. 1. Insert a meat probe or toothpick into the meat, if it goes in with little resistance they're done. 2. Grab two bones and try to pull them apart, if you can't they're not done, if you can fairly easily tear them, they're done. 3. Pick up the ribs with a pair of tongs, if they are rigid and do not bend much, they need to cook longer, if they bend like a dead fish they're done.
How are you cooking your shoulders and what type of wood are you using? Eastern NC pulled pork is cooked directly over hickory coals and seasoned with salt and pepper. I think the flavor you're missing is the fat dripping off the coals, I know I love it! Trim off several pieces of fat off the shoulder and put small pieces into the hot coals throughout the cook, it will add a little different flavor and may give you more of what you are looking for.