First Slow and Low Pork, very nervous

Hamm · June 2004

This 5lb pork picnic has only been on for 1 hour and the temp is already at 147, the thermom is reading 250-275, is this normal?

Deetwood · June 2004

Hamm,
You need to check your thermometer's. It should only be about 60 degrees.

Hamm · June 2004

Deetwood,
Would it hurt to open the dome and stick a instant read in the meat and see what it is reading?

Smoked Signals · June 2004

Hamm,
No it will not hurt and would be adviseable at this point. Be sure that your probe is not hitting a bone.

Hamm · June 2004

Smoked Signals,
I'm doing it now, will return and report.

Smoked Signals · June 2004

Hamm,
Are you doing this direct or indirect? i.e. is there something between the meat and the flame?

Hamm · June 2004

Smoked Signals,
Yeah, I have the plate setter, with a drip pan sitting in it. The daisy whell is closed almost all the way, with maybe enough room for a toothpick to slide down, and the same for the bottom vent. I'm surprised the fire is not out completely. The temp is at 157, with just 1.5 hours of cooking, can this be salvaged?

QBabe · June 2004

Hamm,[p]Not all meats cook alike. I've seen some of my pork butt cooks go from 40 to 140 very quickly, but then they take HOURS and more hours to reach the "pullable" stage. The 2hrs per pound rule of thumb is a good thing to aim for, but yours may be done quicker or take longer depending on many factors.[p]Unless the probe is touching a bone, I wouldn't worry too much. Give it a little time to do it's thing. a 5 lb roast at approximately 250° dome is going to be about 10 hrs, give or take. Hope you planned on a late supper...[p]Tonia
:~)

Nature Boy · June 2004

Hamm,
It does sound like you are running a little hot, but nothing to worry about. I would prolly pull out my dome therm and check/calibrate it in boiling water. If you can keep your dome at 250, then the most important part of the cook is coming up once your picnic gets into the upper 150s and the 160s it will stall. It is during this "plateau" that you don't want it running too hot. This plateau can last for hours on end. [p]The cool thing is that if you are done 3 or 5 hours early, you can wrap in foil and hold in a cooler til dinner. Do a quick therm check, and then ride it on out. Everything will be fine, and a beer might help.[p]Have fun!
Chris

Nature Boy · June 2004

Hamm,
Not only can it be salvaged, but you have some good eating ahead!
Relax.
Chris

Hamm · June 2004

Nature Boy,
It has been sitting at 156-157 for a little while now, and the egg therm is reading 250, but I'm afraid my egg is going to go out. The vents are almost completely closed. This is a test cook...I have to cook for 100 plus people in 2 weeks and I want to get the hang of this before then. I have 2 more picnics to practive on before I do the real deal.

Smoked Signals · June 2004

Hamm,
If you end up slamming through the plateau (160-170) then there might some kind of concern. It needs to cook in that plateau range to really render the fat and turn the connective tissue to collegen.[p]If things start to slow down then you should be fine.[p]Your daisy and slot openings sound about right. The fire should start to even out around 200-220. It may take awhile ... especially if you hit 275 or 300. You want to ramp up to your cooking temp rather then trying to shut the fire down to it. The egg holds heat toooooo well to drop to a temperature quickly.

QBabe · June 2004

Hamm,[p]The vents will be nearly closed for this type of cook, at least on my cookers that's how they'd be. As long as you filled it up to the top of the firebox with lump, you should have no problem keeping the fire going, particularly if you're checking on it every now and then.[p]Tonia
:~)

Unknown · June 2004

Hamm,
If your therm is accurate, and reading 250, then the fire is not going out, and everything is gonna be just fine. You'll see.[p]Do I hear a beer popping open??
Chris

The Naked Whiz · June 2004

QBabe,
Regarding checking the fire, I would refer you to book 8, chapter 3 of the Tao Tan Ching: :-)[p]TNW
[ul][li]Chapter 8 of the Tao Tan Ching[/ul]

QBabe · June 2004

The Naked Whiz,[p]Having faith is what it's all about, but I'm still in the camp that checks every now and again...that doesn't mean I adjust, LOL![p]Tonia
:~)

The Naked Whiz · June 2004

QBabe,
Don't tell anyone, but so is Lao Whiz Tzu!! LOL!![p]TNW

BBQfan1 · June 2004

Smoked Signals,
"If you end up slamming through the plateau (160-170) then there might some kind of concern. It needs to cook in that plateau range to really render the fat and turn the connective tissue to collegen."

Even in the worst case scenario (which I don't think we're anywhere near here, despite Hamm's admitted nervousness), the plateau works on the downswing too, as in, drop the temp and it will render on way back down through that 175-160 range too.
Qfan

Smoked Signals · June 2004

BBQfan1,
Thanks. I haven't ever given much thought to the cooling process or dwelling in a cooler (a better word would be stablizer or ). But now that you mention it, some of the most tender pork I have made just sat in the cooler for several hours before pulling ... probably just sitting there workin its magic in the zone.

Hamm · June 2004

The Naked Whiz,
The meat has been idle between 157 and 160 for around 3 hours now and the Egg temp is steady at 240-250, I havent messed with the vents and my nervousness is under control. Once I pull this slab off the grill, how long should I wait to pull it apart?

QBabe · June 2004

Hamm,[p]You're aiming for internal temps of around 200° before you take it off the cooker. I usually pull it at about 195°, wrap in foil, and put in a cooler filled with crumbled newspaper for an hour or so. That's for pulled pork.[p]If you 're looking to slice it instead of pulling it, you can take it off around 175° or so, but it won't have rendered out all of the fat, so you'll still find sections that have some in it. But, sliced pork is VERY good in it's own right. If you decide to slice it, after the meat comes off the cooker, let it rest for 15-30 minutes to let the juices re-distribute.[p]Have fun,
Tonia
:~)[p]

Hamm · June 2004

QBabe,
I am pulling it, so I'll try the wrap in foil, stick in cooler method. Thanks for the tip.

QBabe · June 2004

Hamm,[p]A word of caution...that cooler will always smell like "Q", so prepare to keep it as the "holding" bin unless you don't mind it smelling like pork, brisket, smoke, etc...[p]We used an old one for that and got a new one for picnics, etc.[p]Tonia
:~)
[/b]

Hamm · June 2004

QBabe,
Well, I pulled it wrapped it and just set it in the cooler. It seems like such a downgrade for the pork. It was prolly happy hangin out in the mighty Egg, now it is just in a plain ol Red cooler.

First Slow and Low Pork, very nervous

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