Pulled Pork Issue/Help

mountaindewbass · August 2012

I injected my 7lb boneless pork shoulder from Costco last night. Got the egg steadied at 245F, 12 hours later my alarm goes off and tells me that the pork is at 195 internal temp. The issue:
It is some of the most dry pork ever and its tough as nails.

It was frozen, i thawed it in the fridge for three days. Injected it with apple juice/cider mixture, put it back in the fridge for an hour while getting the egg up to temp.

Rubbed with mustard, brown sugar, and Dizzy Coarse grind.

So if this cant be salvaged im thinking of doing a turbo butt..and i need assistance on what methods work best. Were having 20 people over for dinner tonight for my Birthday, most of them have not had Egg food..so i would like to do it justice.

Also were doing Ribs. THe initial plan was to put the ribs on around 11am ...but if i do tubro im not sure what ill do.

HELLLLPPP

Badong · August 2012

I've never done a turbo butt, but there are a ton of threads on here about it.

http://eggheadforum.com/discussion/1141293/turbo-vs-low-n-slow-butt/p1

Hope it works for you.

stike · August 2012

that's a fast cook, i think the meat was 195, but not in the center.

here's the paradox with pork: if it is dry and toughm, it is undercooked.

if it wouldn't oull, it wasn't ready to pull, and you were at the point in the cook where all the real moisture has driven off, but the fat and collagen haven't done their thing yet. they rewet the meat after it falls apart.

12 hours at 245 is not normal. i think your temp was not really 195 throughout hte meat. or it would have fallen apart

mountaindewbass · August 2012

So should i juat give it more time. My thermapen and maverick are saying its 190-195 in the center

mountaindewbass · August 2012

If your right then that means i would need to leave it until it becomes soft and moist. At what point/temp does the mest dry out completely?

nerdhotrod · August 2012

Pulled pork is always a tough thing to time when correct when having guests....but I do find a modified turbo method works well.

If you're going to give it a shot here is how I do it...

-2 hours @ 225-250 with 2 chunks of dry wood, and 1-2 chucks soaked wood. Your trying to get the smoke flavor into the meat quickly with out over smoking.

-Transfer to cast iron pot with either beer or juice and raise temp to 375-400, 2 more hours (adjust depending on internal temp).

-Pull out of the pot, temp back down around 300 and cook until you have a crust... you won't have as thick of a bark, so focus on your sauces.

I prefer letting them go low and slow at 225-240, but the method above always finishes with in 20-25 minutes of when I think it will.

If I were you for tonight...focus on your ribs and run out to the story for some chicken thighs/legs/wings (something easy) to replace the pork.

mountaindewbass · August 2012

I think im gonna trust in stike. If hes wrong then im screwed

stike · August 2012

it should be falling apart at 195 if it truly is 195 throughout

mountaindewbass · August 2012

Its at 200 now and its getting more moist and softer

mountaindewbass · August 2012

Been on for 14.5 hrs

mountaindewbass · August 2012

Is it possible for their to be multiple butt stalls? My meat has gone fron 200 to 175. Still have lump and dome temp is at 275 assuming the fat is still breaking down

LizzieSamps · August 2012

Trust your guy and dont live entirely by the thermos. It is done when the probe slide in and out like butter. Good luck!

Hillbilly-Hightech · August 2012

Is it possible for their to be multiple butt stalls? My meat has gone fron 200 to 175. Still have lump and dome temp is at 275 assuming the fat is still breaking down

Yes, the first time I did pulled pork I had 2 stalls, and I freaked out (originally planned on having the sides done @ the same time so they went on, but then pork hit 2nd stall unexpectedly which meant sides were done WAY earlier than pork). Long story short - family wasn't happy (luckily I wasn't having guests).

Anyway, for whatever reason, every time I've done pulled pork since then, it's hit 2 stalls - so now I just anticipate & plan for that. Some folks have never had 2 stalls, some have had 2 stalls a few times, I seem to have them every time.

Oh well, cest la vie.

Anyway, yes, two stalls are not too uncommon to be worried about (see what I did there w/ all the "to's") :D

HTH,

Rob

double · August 2012

Does it have bone in? Could you be taking temP read next to the bone?

mountaindewbass · August 2012

No bone. I ended up pulling it after it got to 188 and foiled it, it will hopefully cook up to 195

Phoenix824 · August 2012

Last butt I had stalled at 190 to 192 for like 3 hours. Pulled it at 195 when the probe slid in like butta.

mountaindewbass · August 2012

End result. Pulled pork super dooper dry=tossed

Doc_Eggerton · August 2012

Those 5 degrees from 195 to 200 make a difference. I also wrap mine in foil when taken off the heat, and put it in a cooler to stay hot for awhile longer before pulling apart.

ribnrun · August 2012

Maybe next time try a bone-in butt. The bone is like a built in thermometer. When the bone wants to slide out nice and easy, it is done. Then wrap it in foil, a crappy towel and throw it in a warm cooler for an hour before you pull it. I would skip the injecting next time, the egg is pro at keeping food moist. Every piece of meat is different, maybe yer last butt was one that was not ready until 210 internal. The bone is a good way to check doneness and is completely in sync with the piece on the grill. Bummer the last one was no good. Give it another try though, you will nail it.

ribnrun · August 2012

Maybe next time try a bone-in butt. The bone is like a built in thermometer. When the bone wants to slide out nice and easy, it is done. Then wrap it in foil, a crappy towel and throw it in a warm cooler for an hour before you pull it. I would skip the injecting next time, the egg is pro at keeping food moist. Every piece of meat is different, maybe yer last butt was one that was not ready until 210 internal. The bone is a good way to check doneness and is completely in sync with the piece on the grill. Bummer the last one was no good. Give it another try though, you will nail it.

ribnrun · August 2012

Stupid double post, sorry.

XLBalco · August 2012

No bone. I ended up pulling it after it got to 188 and foiled it, it will hopefully cook up to 195

i thought you pulled it off the egg at 200 degrees? are you saying you pulled it off at 188? that seems way too early

newegg13 · August 2012

I had two two stalls on my first bone-in butt. Also, I think 188 is a little low to pull it off. However, it shouldn't have been completely dry.

SkinnyV · August 2012

I would say skip the injection, it should go from package to smoker with just a rub and hours later once it hits temp fall apart. I have had em turn out drier than I would have liked but they were always maskable with some of the fat and a wet sauce. Never bone dry though.

mountaindewbass · August 2012

yeah thats what ill do next time, i was trying to get as much flavor as possible..but maybe the needle just created to many holes in the meat or something.

Also the ribs turned out super dry as well...not sure whats going on. Both were in the freezer, then thawed in the fridge. I wonder if that has something to do with them being so dry? I dunno. But it was pretty disappointing

LizzieSamps · August 2012

Have you calibrated your thermo, I had a rib massacre because my thermo was way off, like 100 degrees off!

mountaindewbass · August 2012

Yup, calibrated maverick, dome thermometer, and party q thermo day before cook

LizzieSamps · August 2012

Darn, wish we could figure out what the problem was.

mountaindewbass · August 2012

Yeah. Im clueless on this one. I attribute the pulled pork due to injection l.. Ribs.. Not sure

mountaindewbass · August 2012

XLBalco said:

mountaindewbass said:
No bone. I ended up pulling it after it got to 188 and foiled it, it will hopefully cook up to 195

i thought you pulled it off the egg at 200 degrees? are you saying you pulled it off at 188? that seems way too early

It was 200, then the temp dropped to 188 and started to toughen up so i pulled it

the_alchemist83 · August 2012

Could just be the cut of meat. I was talking with my friend the other day and we were both saying how we've had pork shoulders that just were not good cuts of meat despite not doing anything noticeably different in the cook. My last shoulder turned out like a giant pork chop & he's had a similar experience, despite the fact that I didn't do anything different. I've been getting most of my meat from a local butcher shop & almost everything has been great. Maybe you want to try a different source for your meat?

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