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Elder Ward's Pulled Pork Process

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VInyljunkee
VInyljunkee Posts: 20
edited November -1 in EggHead Forum
Hello:

Many of you refer to Elder Ward's process of perfection to prepare pulled pork, from the Naked Whiz site. And you know who you are! Well, I am only about 18 months into this but I have a couple of questions to raise about this process:

1) In his cooking section, as he describes getting the temperature going he mentions "open the bottom vent all the way and open Miss Daisy all the
way" but then goes on to say "we will get maximum smoke for a long time if
the top vent is kept narrow". This seems contradictory.

2) He goes on to tell us to set the dome temp at 195. I can tell you that that pork will NEVER Reach the desired temp of almost 200 if the dome temp
is 195. The grid temp and the pork will at 165-175 best case. My experience says grid is lower or maybe equal to the dome in the egg always.

Can you comment?
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Comments

  • ResQue
    ResQue Posts: 1,045
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    NM
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  • Hoss
    Hoss Posts: 14,600
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    B)
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  • ResQue
    ResQue Posts: 1,045
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    I have never done that style cook so I decided to erase my post. ;):)

    I don't want to give the wrong interpretation or advice.
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  • smoky b
    smoky b Posts: 648
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    it's been a while since i've read elder ward's write up though i've read it several times. and i've cooked a ton of pork butts on the egg. he must be saying to leave the vents open to initially get the fire enough fuel so as not to choke when the vents are closed. and the vents have to be nearly closed to keep the temps that low. as for 195*, there aint no way to cook a butt at that temp unless you like your bbq medium rare. :woohoo: 250* dome or higher for me. B)
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  • Hoss
    Hoss Posts: 14,600
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    Me neither. ;)
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  • OMG Eggs
    OMG Eggs Posts: 118
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    For point 2, Once you hit the platue, he tells you to kick the temp up to 275 or 300 until your meat hits 300. It's at the end of section 3. No idea on point 1.
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  • Little Steven
    Little Steven Posts: 28,817
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    VInyljunkee,

    Cool handle! His method is pretty much right on for learning, with the one exception of the temp. Should be 250*.

    Steve

    Steve 

    Caledon, ON

     

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  • fishlessman
    fishlessman Posts: 32,747
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    i like his method but 250 works better for a cook temp. his method will get the internal temps up because he raises temps toward the end of the cook to get those temps up. what he does differently is to not stabilize the egg before the meat goes on and to not wait for the smoke to burn cleanly with the smoking woods, it seems less important with really long cooks to have the smoke burning really clean before the meat goes on. if you follow the directions the cook takes 20 something hours, his writeup was on of the first on the forum, it works well, but its been tweaked over the years to 250 dome, its not that long ago that the prefered temp here was around 220 dome to cook a butt. this was my first cook and it does work. its good for someone that likes the full story, for those that dont its "250 dome, indirect, til meat reaches 195/200." somehow i like elderwards version better :laugh:
    fukahwee maine

    you can lead a fish to water but you can not make him drink it
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  • Mflyer
    Mflyer Posts: 59
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    I have tried using 210, 215, and 225 grid temps using the DigiQ and your meat will get up to 195. Also, I have never ramped the temperature up! The longest cook was about 18 hours and the meat was outstanding!! Just my 2 cents….
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  • fishlessman
    fishlessman Posts: 32,747
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    are you placing the probe on the grate or in the dome
    fukahwee maine

    you can lead a fish to water but you can not make him drink it
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  • javabreath
    javabreath Posts: 9
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    I have used this method for a couple of years. I go 200 at the grid using a DigiQII. He recommends opening the vents after the meat has reached 175-185 to push it to 200. This is a low and slow technique. It has taken up to 21 hours to do four eight pound butts
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  • VInyljunkee
    VInyljunkee Posts: 20
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    Thank you all for your input. Just for clarity, the way I am interpreting Elder's instructions is that 200 degrees is dome. I also use the DigiQ II, and I have been clipping the probe on the grid and setting the temp at 225 with wonderful results (18 hours or so is an average for me)

    I think I get it know. Elder is setting the Egg lower but giving the meat a blast at the end once it exceeds the plateau temp. It makes sense that the Egg can drive the meat to 200 degrees.

    As for the cold smoke process in his instructions, I like the concept but still find his instructions confusing and somewhat contradictory.

    Anybody that comment and clarify?
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