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Adding Lump To Egg

Unknown
edited November -1 in EggHead Forum
I was cooking a picnic shoulder the other day and it wouldn't come up to the proper temperature. After 8 hrs it only got up to 170 internal. Should I have added more lump and continued cooking? If so, what's the best method of doing so?

Comments

  • Lump Chump,
    You should fill the Egg with enough lump to start with, and then you won't have to add lump during the cook. For an overnight low and slow, I fill the Egg up so that the lump comes 1/2 way up the fire ring (not the fire box, but the fire ring that sits on the fire box). This is enough lump to cook at 250 degrees for 30 hours.[p]TNW

    The Naked Whiz
  • Lump Chump,
    In addition to starting with enough lump, I guess I should also ask if you know about the "plateau". Your question makes it sound like you don't. When a butt or picnic gets to somewhere around 170 degrees, it will stay there for hours and hours. This is the plateau. While the pork stays at this temp, the connective tissue in the meat, the collagen, is being converted to gelatin which makes the meat moist and tender even though you are cooking it to high temperatures. Once this conversion is more or less complete, then the temperature of the meat will begin to rise again. So, yes, you should have kept cooking, letting the meat sit in the plateau until it was ready for the temperature to climb again.[p]TNW

    The Naked Whiz
  • i'd have let it go for bit longer, maybe it was just stalled at that temp. and the collagen was just starting to break down. i try and cook mine at 210-220 deg. for 14-16 hrs. ken i just pulled a sholder this morning after 15 hrs. absolutley incredible !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!