Boston Butt shrinkage

MR H

I cooked my first boston butt today. It has been on for 11 hours.
I couldn't wait to check it. The meat looked nice about 7lbs, now it appears to be maybe 4 lbs. The temp is reading 230 in dome.[p]MR H

Unknown

Mr H,[p]Stump Baby, I feel a story.[p]Kurt

bigmikej

Mr H,
What is the internal temp? Pull it at 195-200.

Mike in MN

Mr H,
There is a certain amount of shrinkage....maybe that's why I do 2 when I cook 'em.[p]The internal temp of 200 is key. 230 is very good for a dome temp. Keep it up.[p]If you are watching the internal temp (necessary w/Shoulders/Butts) it will "hang" when it reaches somewhere between 145 and 165. This plateau is where all the good stuff is taking place. If you continue watching the internal temp, it will finally start to rise at some point. Once the rise starts, you are on the home stretch. 1-2 more hours and it will be done. 200, that's the number. Remove from the grill, cover with foil, towels, pot holders, place in a cooler...just let it set for at least 15-20 minutes to set the juice.[p]It should fall apart when you try to move it around. Pull it with a couple of forks and your hands. Chop the long pieces in half. Clean off most of the fat and save as much usable bark as possible. Don't eat the whole thing yourself![p]Mike in MN[p]Mike in MN

Unknown

Mr H,[p]Expect about 50% shrinkage from raw to cooked butt. [p]How was it?[p]Lee

StumpBaby

Kurt,[p]Now that does remind me of story..ahh the life of circus folk..[p]We had gone up to my cousins house in the hills...nuttin but a small shack..with a privy out back..but things sure got interesting there..that's for sure. I think my cousin Tina plum forgot we was visitin..cause one day I was outside her window..pickin paw paws from their prized paw paw patch..and when I looked over I done seen her gitin undressed..and at first I thought maybe she was some kinda contortionist...cause all I saw was a giant pair of what I seen once in poppas special magazines.. stickin straight up..but then I seen her stand up..and I done realized that them things were not only lower than any I'd ever seen..which is sayin a lot..considerin the time the outhouse door was gone for a full week and I seen more of gramma than I'd ever cared to..but they was also on the wrong side. For some reason I just couldn't pull myself away from that window..and I sat and quietly watched as she slowly stood up and pulled on one of them giant braziers over her bottom half. [p]It was then that I realized poor Tina had been livin with a secret..she apparently had been born with a giant butt..that had the realistic characteristics of a womens top half. I decided to ask poppa bout that..and he sat me down and told me the whole story...[p]Seems when Tina was being born..she sorta got stuck..on accounta she was comin out butt first..and from what poppa said she was wedged in there pretty darn good..forcin the doctors to have to grab onto either butt cheek with something what looked like salad tongs..and they pulled as hard as they could..and still nothing budged..then they called 2 more doctors in ..and in pairs they clamped both hands down on them there salad tongs..as hard as they could..and they pulled with all their might..and slowly...Tinas..flesh stretched out..and red rings formed around the flesh that was clenched in the salad tongs..till finally....with a sickening..popping sound..out came Tina..dangling from her stretched out butt flesh..still clamped in the salad tongs..and the doctors all rushed her over to the baby basket..and gingerly released her from the mighty grib of those useful instruments..[p]Ahh..but the damage had been done..as everybody looked into the baby basket..Tina was sitting upright..and behind her..slightly protuding from the back..were what looked like tiny cake decorating bags..ending in little red marks where the instruments had taken their toll. Poppa went on to tell me that over time..even though the doctors thought there'd be an eventual reduction in the size of them cake decoratin bags..the fact of the matter was that..as Tina grew..so did them bags..matter of fact..much more so than any other part of her body..till she had to take to wearin more than one brazier.[p]Then poppa tol me the real reason for our visit..Tinas folks were takin her down to a doctor in the big city of Boston..to have them there bags reduced..and we was to watch the other youngins till they got back. It took a full three days before they came back..but when they did..Tina walked up the car path with a certain lightness in her step we ain't never seen in her..and at everybodies insistance..she showed us what the doctor had done..and as she stood there..in the hot summer sun..pointing her greatly reduced butt at us..she began to cry tears of joy..and we all whooped with delight..decidin' then and there..we was gonna throw one hell of a shindig to celebrate this momentous occasion...which would include a barnfire..fueled by ten very dirty..double d..braziers..[p]Ahhh..the life of a Stump...[p]StumpBaby

BeerMike

QSis, Shrinkage! This reminds me of a Seinfeld episode. Poor George. 50% sound about right. After swimming in a real cold lake, it could be more![p]BYO Beer, BeerMike