Pulled Pork Advice

Mañana Mike

Friday at 6 PM I have 40 coming for Pulled Pork (first time for most I bet) Here's my plan & I would like any advice you have as this is only the second time I have done pulled pork.[p]I am following Elder Wards advice & recipe. I plan on putting 4 x 7 lb. butts on HIS GREENESS at about 5 pm tonight (Wednesday) hopefully everything will go as Sr. Ward says & it will be done tomarrow early afternoon. Then I will pull it and put it in pans to be re-heated on Friday before the big event. This way if I screw up, I have an extra day to deal with it & also I don't stay up all night before the event & am a zombie.[p]Sound OK? These Oregonians are used to pulled Spotted Owl so I want to introduce them to the real thing. Here's hoping![p]Manana
Mike

Tim M

Manana Mike,[p]Don't try to use 200° dome. Go higher - like 225-240° and don't sort the lump.[p]Good luck, have fun.[p]Tim

CR

Tim M,
I agree with you about not sorting the lump, except to get rid of the very small pieces of junk. I have tried it both ways and had better luck without sorting. The fire actually seemed to burn longer and more uniformally without sorting. I also think that by sorting, and getting the all the smaller lump at the top, there was a lot more ash initially and it seemed to restrict airflow(causing more fiddling with the vents). I don't think that the ash fell down through the larger lump as well intended by using the sorting technique.[p]Just my unscientific experience.[p]

Tim M

CR,[p]I agree with your assessment. I try to avoid the bottom of a bag when going for the long overnight cooks. All that dust prevents airflow very well and your fire goes out.[p]Tim

Wise One

Manana Mike, if you have 4 7-pounders, you can expect them to be done in 14-16 hours (2-2.25 hours per pound) If you start at 5PM today, look for them to be done by 7AM tomorrow. You may wish to start a little later.

Unknown

Manana Mike,
You may want to cook the butts to an internal temp of say 190 to 195º tops. The reason is if you take to higher finish temp, on the reheat it won't be as moist.
Jim[p]

Unknown

Manana Mike,
What Jim said.
Also, on the Egg you don't have to stay up to babysit them.
I throw mine on at about 10pm, stablize the temp, than hit the sack.
Hard to really screw them up, so get your beauty sleep, I says.
Doc Pigg

FlaParrotHead

Wise One,[p]We just did 2 x 6 1/2 (boneless) butts this weekend and we were right at 18 hours for an internal temp of 200. The dome temp was at or about 225 the entire cook. [p]I did a partial sort of the lump (did avoid the shake) and it was the best slow/low cook to date as far as temp control, NO flame outs and only a few minor vent adjustments needed during the cook (and they probobly were not even really necessary).[p]-b