Butt initial cooking temp

smoking paul · May 2007

Last night finished two butts. My problem was about 2 or so hrs in the cook the internal temp. wasn't close to the safe temp of 140 degress. I bumped the Egg temp. up to 300 till it finally got to 142, then turned it back down to 250 the rest of the way.[p]Do you fine you need to start at a higher temp? I took the butts out of the refrigerator about an hr before I placed them on the Egg, maybe they were still cold inside.[p]Paul

Sundown · May 2007

paul,[p]Did you like the way they pulled? Whatever works for you.[p]I usually just stabilize the temp at 250º put the shoulder or butt on and walk away. It all works just fine.

stike · May 2007

paul,
i'll get pilloried for saying this yet again... but the stuff you are killing is on the outside of the meat. it's not ME saying this, it's the FDA. the 40-140 rule is a good rule, but it does not universally apply (see the FDA's own food handling guidelines). [p]at any rate, the high heat, smoke, salt, etc. are what get you quickly out of any danger zone on the exterior. a bone-in primal (or chunk of a primal) does NOT have bacteria IN the meat. ON the meat yes. even then, pork is safer than beef. the origin of the bacteria of concern is the digestive tract, and contaminates exterior of the meat during processing. it is not something IN the meat which is present in meat on the hoof.[p]trichinosis, another concern, is also killed by exposure to temps of 140 or more. time is not an issue with trich. of course, there have been virtually no cases of trichinosis from the pork industry in years. usually it's farm-raised (as in 'on one's own farm') or wild boar that'll run the risk of trichinosis.[p]

Celtic Wolf · May 2007

paul,[p] Life was sooooo much more fun when I didn't know what I was eating would kill me.[p]Stike is (GASP!!!) right. You are measuring the INSIDE of the meat. The nasties are hopefully still on the OUTSIDE of the meat. The cooker is well above 140 mark before you put the meat in it..[p]Leave the egg at 250 dome, go have a beer, and stop worrying about what might kill you per the government..[p]FYI: This is the same organization that just last month released a warning that most internet pharmacies are giving out phony drugs... Who would have thunk dat???[p][p]

ronbeaux · May 2007

Celtic Wolf,
They also just printed out a new pamplet on how YOU should balance your budget![p]

Beerco · May 2007

paul,[p]I find your message a bit confusing actually. Typically, cooking a pork butt takes anywhere from 8 to 16 hours depending on size and temp. At 250o, I wouldn't expect the temp to be up to 140 in two hours. [p]If you're trying to get out of the "danger zone" as quickly as possible, sitting out on the counter certainly won't help, it might even take longer.[p]With a final temp of 190 to 200, I wouldn't worry too much about any nasties trapped in there.

smoking paul · May 2007

stike,[p]Thanks for the clarification.[p]Paul

fishlessman · May 2007

paul,
years ago i would start the cook at a higher temp to bump the internal temps up past 140 in the 4 hours. its probably not needed as has been stated, but i find i like to start higher, then cook as low as 220 dome thru the plataue, then bump it back up. it creates a chewier bark that i like much better. an 8 pounder still takes about 14 hours this way. cooking boneless butts i feel more comfartable about the safety of the cook this way.

stike · May 2007

beerco,
...remember though that even though the bacteria are killed off at 140 or better, any toxin they've produce is unaffected. if you reheat that casserole that sat in the sun all day, you don't make it 'safe' again.[p]so, if you have something that is unsafe to eat, you can't make it safe to eat. see?[p]there's a lot of information involved which is counterintuitive, and that's why the mythology takes hold. the myth makes more sense than the reality. [p]an easy example to help get it 'stuck' in your head is that it's ok to take a primal and cut it into steaks, sear it, and it eat with an internal temp of 125 in the middle. [p]but it's NOT ok to grind up that primal, make burgers, and eat the burgers with an internal of 125.[p]the difference is that in the burgers, the exterior is now mixed with the interior. and any fecal bacteria (spilled on the outside during slaughter) is now on the INSIDE. also, that grinder has processed a bunch of meat, and can get laden with bacteria of not cleaned regularly and properly.[p]the steak is virgin on the interior still, even after cutting it up. the 'new' exterior (sides) of the steak (if any bacteria during slicing gets transferred) still gets seared. he internal part never touches bacteria. make any sense?[p][p]

Beerco · May 2007

stike,[p]Thanks for the clarification. Other than my final comment I don't think I wrote anything that's contrary to what you write.[p]I think the take home would be to rinse and dry your butt before you rub and make sure your rub has plenty o salt if you're not brining. This should ensure a clean exterior.[p]Next, since we don't have bacteria inside our meat, it doesn't really matter how slowly we hit 140 interior so kick back and enjoy some maltodextrin contaminated by yeast.

Butt initial cooking temp

Comments

Categories