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1st Butt Cook!

Unknown
edited November -1 in EggHead Forum
Well the dome lid seems to be aligned much better but the dollar bill test has me a little concerned! In any case I am gonna try my first slow cook tomorrow, well actually later this morning as it is now after midnight. We are planning on having pulled pork tomorrow evening for dinner. I have a 5 Lb pork butt that I got at Kroger tonight. Based on reading threads found with the search button I am gonna put a light coat of mustard on the butt and then rub it with some dizzy rub I got at the mothership. Wish me luck friends!

Comments

  • Broc
    Broc Posts: 1,398
    How lo is Slo?

    My gaskets are all fried to splintery nothingness -- but I have no trouble holding 275. If you want to go lower then that, you might have problems if you're leaking too much air by the gasket.

    Let us know!

    ~ Broc
  • Beanie-Bean
    Beanie-Bean Posts: 3,092
    As long as you're not leaking smoke, you'll be able to hold the temps. Good luck with the pork butt today!
  • Good morning Eggers! The coffee is on and more importantly so is the butt! Temp seems to be stabilizing around 260* and there does not appear to be any smoke leaking from anywhere around the gasket. Internal temp is already up to 54*!! :P Hopefully it is gonna be a great day with the BGE!
  • Hey Eggsperts I have a question on pulling the pork. Do I just shred the whole thing with 2 forks or do you slice it/trim it/take the bone out first? I have found a couple of things about this on the forum using the search button and then doing a lot of reading on here but I didn't see an answer to my question. Thanks guys!
  • The bone will simply pull out of the meat. I have always removed it to get it out of the way and then use a couple of forks to shread the pork. Although I saw a show on HGTV once where a woman chastised somebody for doing it this way...she said "pulled" meant pulled...to which she began to pull it apart with her fingers! I don't think it matters one bit. I have seen several recommendations about a bear claw or some such thing that aids in pulling....
    It's all good.
  • Hey, thanks Jay! Sounds easy enough.
  • 02Roush2
    02Roush2 Posts: 119
    Just a quick update - butt has been on 2.5 hours at a dome temp of 270* and is now up to 157* internal temp. I hope to see a plateau soon! So far so good!
  • You're doing great. You're probably just beginning the plateau.
  • 02Roush2
    02Roush2 Posts: 119
    Okay guys, if I'm giving too many updates just yell and let me know! The butt has been on for 3.5 hours (5 LB butt) and the dome temp has dropped just a hair to around 255-260. The internal temp continues to climb and is up to 173 according to my new remote redichek. So far so good.....
  • 02Roush2
    02Roush2 Posts: 119
    Continuing my review of threads the search function turns up I see some eggsperts pull their butt out of the BGE at 195* and others around 200*. Does it matter much at which temp the butt is taken out of the BGE? At the present cook rate (181* internal after 5.5 hrs) I think I will probably take the butt out about 2-3 hrs before eating so I am not sure if 195* or 200* would be better or if it really matters.
  • Hammer
    Hammer Posts: 1,001
    Blue Ridge,
    I have a couple of sets of Bear Claws that I bought from Hawgeyes. They really make pulling easier than the two forks I used to use for years.
    The claws are inexpensive and durable.
    Hammer
  • EggEd
    EggEd Posts: 88
    As many would say on this forum: it is done when it is done
    Not going to matter very much (195 or 200) IMHO. I have pulled at both temperatures and had similar results. I have read about 205 once or twice. I keep that lid closed until 195 and then I do the "wiggle" test that I found on this forum (actually archives). Wiggle the bone and if it feels like it will slide right out you are done.

    I have done multiple butt cooks and have had 205 on the bottom and 195 on the top rack. Parts of the 195 were not done as much as the others. You know you have cooked properly when the meat is very moist (from the collagen breakdown) and all of it pulls very easily. If it is not quite ready, you will see lots of "fat". That has been my experience. Hope that helps
  • 02Roush2
    02Roush2 Posts: 119
    Thanks EggEd! After 7 hours to the minute I took the butt out of the BGE. Just under 5 Lbs and reached an internal temp of 198*. I double wrapped in foil and set it in a cooler for a few hours. As suggested I checked to see if the bone would come out easily enough and indeed it did. Here is a pic of the finished product and the new use of my Weber Grill! Found the table on the Weber to be a big help in holding the thermometer remote transmitter...

    IMG_07751.jpg
  • EggEd
    EggEd Posts: 88
    I love that the bone comes out like it was sandblasted...not a pice of meat or connective tissue left. I could have used my old Weber table today as I spilled a half jar of sauce into the Egg while saucing some wings. No big deal, finishing in the oven and off to a Super Bowl party at neighbours.

    That looks like the new nomex gasket on your Egg. I am going to buy one when my dealer gets them in but will not put it on until my old fried felt basket actually starts to leak.

    Enjoy the pulled pork!
  • 02Roush2
    02Roush2 Posts: 119
    I was amazed at how easy the bone came out. I just took the butt out of the cooler and "pulled" it. I used forks and hands! What a taste! We are having pulled pork sandwiches along with baked beans and potato salad (wife is making both of those). I cooked a couple of homemade BBQ sauces that I found in my old Weber cookbook to top the sandwiches with. Now if I can just quit sneaking bites off of the pork plate until everything else is ready!

    Oh, that is the new gasket. The folks at the mothership helped me out while visiting there and telling them the story of the super sonic boom the flashback made when it fried the original gasket!