Welcome to the EGGhead Forum - a great place to visit and packed with tips and EGGspert advice! You can also join the conversation and get more information and amazing kamado recipes by following Big Green Egg to Experience our World of Flavor™ at:
Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Instagram  |  Pinterest  |  Youtube  |  Vimeo
Share your photos by tagging us and using the hashtag #BigGreenEgg.

Want to see how the EGG is made? Click to Watch

Need practice at Pulled Pork !

bschroed
bschroed Posts: 29
edited October 2011 in EggHead Forum
Well, I did my first Boston Butt last weekend. Around 6 1/2 lbs. Cooked at 220-250 for 8 hours. The internal temp got to 180-190, so I thought it was done.   Could not even pull it apart, and it was a little dry.  Any useful suggestions. HELP !!!!!
· Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Comments

  • stevesails
    stevesails Posts: 990

    i cooked two overnight last night 7 pounders they took every bit of 13 hours, internal temp was 202 when i took them off. they were perfect.

    I now have two 10 pounders on for an overnight.  tehy will be done sometime tomorrow.  i will take them to 202 or 205 also. they pull perfect then.

     

    XL   Walled Lake, MI

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • troutgeek
    troutgeek Posts: 458
    edited October 2011
    180-190 was probably the perfect slicing stage. Need to get it to 195-200 for pulling. I also wrap it and let it sit for a bit (an hour or so) before pulling.
    XL BGE - Large BGE - Small BGE - Traeger Lil' Tex Elite - Weber Smokey Joe
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • ribmaster
    ribmaster Posts: 209
    edited October 2011

    Get or use a stay in temp probe. smoke until it is 140 to 160. Triple wrap in heavy duty foil (HDF).

    cook until 180, unwrap, cook till 200.

    Boil some water and dump into a cooler to preheat it. Pull meat at 200, Rewrap in foil. Dump the water and place Butt in cooler surrounded with newpaper. Let it sit for two hours, open and pull.

    The first cook (unwrapped) allows it to absorb smoke.

    the second cook (wrapped) pushes it through the "plateau" while keeping in juices.

    the third cook creates a "bark" on the butt. If you do not care for the "bark" cook wrapped until 200 and go straight to the cooler.

    Wrapped and coolered the butt will rise to 205 and the juices will redistribute during the 2 hour rest.

    I grill therefore I am.....not hungy.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • paulheels
    paulheels Posts: 457
    Pulled pork is as easy as it comes, unless it is under-cooked.  I know most people cook the  butt, I am a Picnic or whole shoulder guy.  Where I live now, it is difficult to find the whole shoulder.  I typically buy a picnic now, which is from the hock to the bottom of the butt.  In my opinion the picnic meat stays more moist.  
      Try  cooking a butt and a picnic and comparing the meat.  Everyone else has given you the "pull" temps, those are the most important things for great pork.  Season the outside of the meat very well.  I pull the outer crust first and after I have pulled all the meat, I chop the crust and mix it in.  That is where you will get your smoke flavor and seasoning flavor.  
      Keep cooking.  I find the pork on sale and buy it.  I cook and eat as much as we can, what I fear we will waste I give to friends.  They will be great critics.  Also comes in handy for when you need help around the house!

    Paul
    thebearditspeaks.com. Go there. I write it.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • DominicMagestic
    DominicMagestic Posts: 110
    what T_t said.  i don't do foil during the cook - butts come out moist and a nice bark.  pull off at 195ish (when the bone has a good wiggle and will come out clean), foil and hold till ready to pull.
    Suppose you were an idiot, and suppose you were a member of congress; but I repeat myself - Mark Twain
    aka Frank from Houma eggin in Corpus Christi
    Geaux Tigers - Who Dat
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • jmbduke20
    jmbduke20 Posts: 8
    Agree with T and D above. I always cook through without foiling and it always results in moist, succulent pork with a great flavorful bark. I do triple foil it when it comes off the Egg and wrap in towels and cooler for 2+ hours before pulling. At this point it is still piping hot but the juices have had a chance to settle down and redistribute. Just my 2 cents.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • ChokeOnSmoke
    ChokeOnSmoke Posts: 1,942
    One other thing.  You mention you cooked it at 220-250.  If you were going by the dome thermometer, I'd argue that's too low. That's 200 - 225 grid temp.  I go AT LEAST 250 grid temp with is about 270-275 dome temp.  No good reason to delay the cook at that low a temp in my opinion.
    Packerland, Wisconsin

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • ribmaster
    ribmaster Posts: 209
    Tweev I don't foil either but  one thing he was asking is how to keep it moister . Cooking until 200 will make it pullable but not moister. Foiling will.
    I grill therefore I am.....not hungy.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • leechrg
    leechrg Posts: 27
    I used to be like you and pull the butt off around 175 or so because before I had a an I used to smoke on a cheap smoker that didn't hold a temperature worth a crap. One time I overcooked one and it was honestly the worst bbq I have ever had. I was nervous to cook one past 190 but what I have been told is that the collagen melts or dissolves during the temperature range of 180-200. I will cook a 7 lb butt fat side up on the egg for 10-12 hours on a v rack with water pan below and after that I'll wrap thoroughly in foil and let sit in a cooler for a few hours and it will be divine. 
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Categories