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Boston Butt

MW
MW Posts: 61
edited November -1 in EggHead Forum
I have had a boston but on since 8am....have it stable arround 200 in the egg on a V frame over a drip tray. What is the crucial inside temp?...am favoring lower and slower than the book suggests.
Ideas???[p]MW
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Comments

  • Grumpa
    Grumpa Posts: 861
    MW,[p]You will need to reach an internal temp of around 200*. You may want to consider taking the dome temp up to 230*-250* or you may never reach the 200* internal.

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  • MW
    MW Posts: 61
    Bob, thanks, I understand... the BGE book says 170 for internal temp and my thermometer says 175, 200 seems high.
    MW

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  • Grumpa
    Grumpa Posts: 861
    MW,[p]If you are trying to make the "pulled pork" that is popular in BBQ then you will need 200* internal temp. If you are seeking sliced pork then the 170* internal temp will do just fine.

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  • Nature Boy
    Nature Boy Posts: 8,687
    MW,
    Great suggestion from Bob to kick your cooking temp up a bit. Once internal temp of the meat hits 170 (after a long plateau in the 160s usually), you can kick up the dome temp to 275-300 for the finish. Helps the bark a bit, and speeds things up. As long as you keep the temps under 250 during the plateau, you will end up with tender/juicy results. [p]Sometimes the prok will be pullable before you get to 200, so it is not totally a magic number. Try twisting a fork in it at 190, as it might be ready then.[p]Good luck! You are in for a treat.
    NB
    DizzyPigBBQ.com
    Twitter: @dizzypigbbq
    Facebook: Dizzy Pig Seasonings
    Instagram: @DizzyPigBBQ
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  • MW
    MW Posts: 61
    Bob,
    Thanks, all is clear. I shall be going for the pulled.
    Thank you all for the tips.
    MW
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  • Char-Woody
    Char-Woody Posts: 2,642
    Bob, your correct..[p]Strange thing happened on my last Boston Butt for pulled pork last night. I loaded up the BGE with charcoal after doing a high temp burn, and with a pre heated BGE I ran from a 200F bench mark temperature to 300F degrees after 5 hours. I put it on at 8:00 p.m. and at 1:00 a.m. it was at 300 degrees.[p]I closed the vents slightly and went to bed figuring a drop of at least 30 to 40 degrees. Got up at 6:30 for a quick check and she was still humming along at 300 degrees..About 75 degree's over my target temp. Well, I closed em up just a hair more, and went back to sleep..At 10:30 a.m. the temperature was still at 300F and I inserted the Polder. I quit using the polder during most cooks and use it for a final hour or so. Usually![p]Its fine if you want to do some charting of time and temps.[p]My Polder said 199 degrees internal in the butt, and at 11:00 p.m. I removed it (it fell in two pieced) and it was near perfect except for one thing. The meat was moist, but just a tad on the drier side of butts I have done at the lower temps.[p]The meat pulled nicely and had a very nice pinkish look in the thicker parts and the crusting with hickory smoke was about 1/8 inch thick with the smoke about another 1/8 inch penetration. [p]It had to get thru all my mustard on the butt! Don't tell Dylan, but mustard does impede smoke. Thats a secret between us "know it all" "Q" guys![p]Anyyyyyhooooooooo! The crux of the story is this..Do your Boston butts anywhere from 200F degrees to 300F degrees and the results will be predictable. At 300 degrees my cook was about 3 hours shorter in time. The butt was about 20% drier than a 200 degree cook for 18 hours. [p]Whats the gain and pain here?? You could do a sliding scale in degrees/time/and "pull" ability of the pork from 200 to 300 degrees cooking temperatures and hit it on the money. And still have near perfect BBQ Boston Butt.
    I just pulled it after refrigeration and reheating after 9 hours in the fridge and boy was it good and it shredded like a dream.

    Anywhere from 200F to 300F for pulled pork with internal at 200F degrees indirect heat. No problem.[p]Cheers..C~W (BTW..I still had 30 to 40% of my charcoal left in the firechamber)[p]

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  • Nature Boy
    Nature Boy Posts: 8,687
    Char-Woody,
    Good points about the flexibility of a butt, and cooking temps. Ain't butts great.[p]I was struck by your mention of closing the vents down a bit, but having the temp remain the same. I have also noticed that once the fire gets big enough, and a majority of your coals are burning, it is tough to get back in that 250 range again. The scenario you describe is much different than a very small fire that has been slowly stepped up to 250...where only a group of coals are burning, and temps can be decreased more easily.[p]I have also noticed that I can maintain a 450 degree burn with the daisy wheel on once all the lump is burning. [p]You noticed the same thing??
    NB
    DizzyPigBBQ.com
    Twitter: @dizzypigbbq
    Facebook: Dizzy Pig Seasonings
    Instagram: @DizzyPigBBQ
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  • Grumpa
    Grumpa Posts: 861
    Char-Woody,[p]If you haven't done one betewwn 230-250 try it. I think you will find it to be a happy medium. The moisture retention is great and the end result is tender as butter...I promise. Also, it will still shave a couple of hours off the lower method. 300* sounds just a little on the high side but, thanks for experimenting and posting the results.[p]BTW, I plan on using mustard on my next butt now that I know it's good. Wish I would have listened to you sooner :~)

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  • Char-Woody
    Char-Woody Posts: 2,642
    Bob, I agree with ya..that is a very happy medium level for a Boston Butt. The thoughts today regarding temps vs time and the final "Q" results should be close to as follows for a 7 lb Boston butt.[p]Dome---Ave time
    finish time
    meat condition
    ^
    200F @ 2.75 hrs per lb. = 19.75 hours
    very moist
    225F @ 2.60 hrs per lb. = 18.20 hours
    still moist
    250F @ 2.50 hrs per lb. = 17.50 hours
    ball park
    275F @ 2.45 hrs per lb. = 17.125 hours
    moist but drier
    300F @ 2.25 hrs per lb. = 15.75 hours->drier meat but still enough moisture to make a presentable pulled pork platter. Taste still very nice. Fats/callogen is mostly rendered out.[p]This is a rough layout of what I think the actual cook would be with 5 nearly identical butts cooking at the above temperatures and times to reach 200 degrees F internal.[p]Lets see if anyone tries it and how close it is! [p]Cheers...C~W[p]

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  • Char-Woody
    Char-Woody Posts: 2,642
    Nature Boy, absolutely..[p]Once you reach a temperature level you wish to maintain slip on the daisy wide open and leave the bottom vent wide open and it seems to stick right there. I have went as high as 500 degrees and stick it at that temperature. It might take a couple of on and off moves with the daisy to get it there as the temperature may drop 50 or so degrees right after the daisy is applied. then it will creep back up. You may be able to do the same thing as Cat suggests using no daisy and only the bottom vent. Fun thing to play with.
    Cheers..C~W[p]
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