Internal Temp??? Pork Butt

Unknown · June 2007

I'm confused and need some eggspert advice here folks. Regular cooking of pork allows you to remove/serve around 135 - 140 degrees safely. Some web sites have recommended 160 - 170 degress for pulled pork and then this site usually states the internal temp of your pork butt should be 195 - 200 degress before removing. [p]Why all the differences of opinion (other than the obvious) and when/why should I remove at a certain temp?[p]Thanks in advance.

Unknown · June 2007

LunaNole,[p]I could be wrong on this, but I did a lot of reading before my first pork butt earlier in the week. I recall reading somewhere that "pork" could be eaten as low as 165, but that's if you're going to slice it. Wheny ou start to get in the 170's and lower 180's, the collagen that holds the fibers together starts to melt and that's how you get the "fall apart" quality of the meat. You're literally melting the fat/collagen that holds the meat together. Going higherm into the 190's allows you to make sure you got it all and it's spread into the meat, thus moistening it even further.[p]For what it's worth, I couldn't wait any longer for mine earlier on in the week and pulled it at like 194 and it was pretty darned good for a first attempt.

Car Wash Mike · June 2007

<p />ThinkandDrive,
You didn't wait. LOL I have pulled at 190, double wrap in foil, a heavy towel then a cooler. I have gone up to 4 hours before pulling and it is still warm.
Nice work on your first attempt.[p]Mike

stike · June 2007

LunaNole,
any pork needs to be taken to 140 to completely ward off trichinosis.[p]that's the 'safe' benchmark.[p]but the temps you are talking about are not related to 'safe' pork, but at which point that particular cut is best. good (i.e. expensive beef or pork) has fat and is naturally tender. like rib eyes or tenderloin. you can eat it raw, and it'd be tender. well, few people it it raw. so you cook it fast and take it off around 130-40 degrees. you are cooking it mainly to take it to a point where you feel comfortable eating it as close to raw as you can stand.[p]pork butt, and ribs. well, they are 99 cents a pound for a reason. it's cheap, bad, untender meat. in the hands of a person who knows how to cook it though, it will not be tough. if you cook it to 140, hot and fast like a steak, you;'ll have a safe piece of cooked pork. but it will be tough and dry. if you do it low and slow, and let the meat heat gently though, the collagen (which is what makes it tough) will break down and make it moist. the meat will also fall apart, making it feel more tender, because it will literally not be able to hold itself together.[p]

RJH · June 2007

LunaNole, Check out these two links from the Naked Whiz's site. The provide the best explanation you can find for all phases of cooking pulled pork.[p]Pulled Pork — The Naked Whiz http://www.nakedwhiz.com/pullpork.htm[p]And Elder Ward's, the link below.

[ul][li]North Carolina Style Pulled Pork — Elder Ward [/ul]

BurntRaw · June 2007

stike,[p]And for cooking purposes, meat consists of, lean tissue, proteins, collagen and 75% water. Collagen exists in flesh, bone and connective tissue, and is very important to the cook because the amount of collagen in a piece of meat will determine the length of time it should be cooked for. Therefore, the higher the level of connective tissue, the longer the meat will need to be cooked. So, when cooking meat, you will first need to decide whether or not it has a high amount of connective tissue.[p]Weight-bearing muscles and muscles that are constantly used, contain higher amounts of collagen than muscles that aren't used for support or aren't used as frequently. Cows and pigs have higher amounts of collagen in the legs, chest, and rump. Pork is generally more tender than meat because pigs are usually slaughtered at a younger age than cows, and so their muscles are less developed and have less collagen than do those of cows.

Unknown · June 2007

LunaNole,[p]No expert here but I'll chime in what I know.[p]135-140 - good temp for pork loin or pork chops. I usually take them off at 140-143[p]160-170 - plateau temp for pork butt as it will sit at these temps maybe for hrs. Once you get to 180 you can turn up the heat to reach the pullable 195-200. Now I'm not sure when you would take a pork butt off it you chose to slice it, not sure if pork butt is sliceable????[p]195-200 - from what I know to pull a butt a part you need to get to this temp. otherwise the meat will still be tough and you would cut it with a knife. When you get to 195-200 the meat falls off so much it usually breaks a part a little as you take it off the grate[p]Howard

Don from NJ · June 2007

BurntRaw,[p]wow, great explanation there, all simple stuff, but never looked at it or had it explained that way. [p]you guys make it easy to learn around here!![p]Thanks for the info!![p]Don

BYC · June 2007

LunaNole,[p]Cos it makes it taste good---hmmmmmm

stike · June 2007

BurntRaw,
thank you, miss vickie.[p]hahahaha
i know your tricks. take a hint from stikie. when you do that, you need to interject and add stuff in yer own patois. gotta make it sound like it's coming from you. you know that giant explanation i had last month about how charcoal burns and smokes, etc. etc. that was lifted from some frikkintreatise on firing boilers. if you stick in a couple burntraw-sims, they'll think it was you.

Internal Temp??? Pork Butt

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