Modified Low & Slow

BigGreenDon

I'm goinging to be doing a couple butts for a Christmas Eve thing, and although my previous 20 hour cook yielded excellent results -- I'm considering another strategy...

We are told that we should take it very slow and not rush the plateau -- when the connective tissue is turning to gelatin -- but is it OK to speed up the front end of the process a bit?

Last time, the butt went into the egg at about 44F. I figure that if I would have left it out of the fridge for an hour before putting it on the grill, it still would not have been much warmer than 50 or 55F. That is a long way from the 160F plateau.

Do you think it might make sense to start the cook with a dome temp of 325F or so, then once the internal of the butt gets to perhaps 120, start gradually bringing the dome temp DOWN to 225F or so -- thereby not rushing the plateau?
Thoughts anyone?

Thanks,
Don

Misippi Egger

Colder pork seems to absorb smoke better (?longer). Might want to take that into consideration.

Are you just short on time, or wanting to not tie up your egg for so long?

Humphrey Chimpden Earwicker

the smoke RING is what is affected by temp. the smoke flavor will be there no matter what temp, for the most part.

i find it doesn't take long at all for the meat to get to 120, even at 250 dome temp.

i'd say, throw it on at 250/275 (275 is till 'low'), and then hurry it along at the end. when the meat hits 175/180, you can go up to 300, even 325, to finish more quickly.

fishlessman

when i didnt understand the 4 40 140 rule i used to start high, lower it, then bring temps up high again. it worked well. i still do this with boneless butts because i want to see the internal temps pass 140 in 4 hours with those. the only thing thats different is that you dont get as good a smoke ring, but who really notices that after the porks been pulled

Celtic Wolf

CBJs!!!

Bacchus

Last butt I did, I went 325dome. Took approx 7-8 hours to reach 198. It was great. This is after 20+ years of cooking barbecue at 2oo-225deg.

Good Luck!

Gunnar

So you liked it as well as the long/slow cook. I did a nine-plus pound but this past weekend, 250º dome, 17 hours.

Ricklesss

Ok.....I'll bite. (!) So what is "CBJ's"?

thirdeye

Here's a hint.


A smoke ring isn't supposed to be taken into consideration in KCBS comps..... but once you see one it's kind of hard to block it out.