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Pork but looses too much weight during cooking

cikacule
cikacule Posts: 14
edited November -1 in EggHead Forum
:huh: I am an absolute newbie but not a type A personality by any means (so please take it easy on me ;) ). I have learned how to control temperature and cook low and slow by doing loads of research and the good ol’ trial and error.
I have noticed after doing a few pork buts that they tend to lose a lot of their weight during cooking.
Example: 8.6lb but cooked for approximately 15hrs at around 200-250ish F (give or take) will yield me a 5.6lb cooked but (absolutely impeccably cooked) but still 3lb short????
Is this normal or am I doing something wrong??
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Cheers from Canada.

Comments

  • gdenby
    gdenby Posts: 6,239
    No, that is completely normal, even a bit more finished product than average. Figure a 60 - 65% yield of original piece.
  • You can expect to lose quite a bit of weight. If your final product is good, then that would be normal weight loss. I'd only worry if your final butt was dried out. An 8 pound butt would probably be expected to produce about 4.8 pounds of cooked meat.
    The Naked Whiz
  • Sounds like an idea for a new diet program to me...

    Just kidding.

    I haven't done a butt myself, but I do know part of the low-n-slow technique is to render the fat and dissolve connective tissue. It would not surprise me to have lost a good bit of weight.

    How much weight is lost may very well be a function of how much fat and connnective tissue was on the butt to begin with... which may have a lot to do, perhaps, with how it was trimmed.

    Personally, the "absolutely impeccably cooked" tips me off that you must have done something right! I would assume if it is not dried out, then you did it correctly.

    Others will chime in here with plenty of feedback... so stand by.
  • cikacule,

    Yield on a butt is generally around 60% when you cook to pull. You are right there. You lose less if you cook to a lower temp to slice but it isn't pulled pork then. Where are you at?

    Steve

    Steve 

    Caledon, ON

     

  • Thanks guys. I thought, being that the but was cooked to perfection and tasted even better that I must have done it right. I just needed to know if the loss of weight is normal or not.
    Thanks again.
    Next on the menu, brisket..
    MMMM, cow!!
  • Hi Steve,
    I figured as much. It turned out perfect so It must have cooked right.

    I am in Ottawa, Canada.
  • There are quite a few eggers up there.

    Steve

    Steve 

    Caledon, ON

     

  • SmokeyPitt
    SmokeyPitt Posts: 10,490
    My problem is I always gain weight after eating the 4.8 lbs of cooked meat in a day :).


    Which came first the chicken or the egg?  I egged the chicken and then I ate his leg. 

  • I have experienced 50% weight loss on large butts. The smaller ones yield a little more but normally around the 60% range.
  • Carolina Q
    Carolina Q Posts: 14,831
    The Naked Whiz wrote:
    You can expect to lose quite a bit of weight.

    Unless you actually EAT the stuff. :laugh:

    I hate it when I go to the kitchen for food and all I find are ingredients!                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

    Michael 
    Central Connecticut 

  • My 8lb. butts have always taken only 9hrs. to cook. Why did his take 15hrs. to cook? and i do mine at 250deg. also.
  • Not sure.
    Mine, at 10.5 hrs, was at 175F internal temp.
    SO at that point I raised the temp of the dome to around 275-300 and waited until the internal temp of meat was at 200 (or done to perfection :) )...
    it is possible that being that I am in Canada and it was a bit chilly outside, it took the egg a bit longer to cook as it was fighting the elements...? Not sure.

    Big D.
    Ottawa, Canada
  • Have you checked your dome thermometer? I think your cooking at higher temps then you believe. My butts always take 15-18 hours at 250 dome...errr, almost always.
  • stike
    stike Posts: 15,597
    if it is at a certain temp, then it is holding at that temp, and outside temp has no effect. it might burn a little more fuel in keeping the whole system (meat, dome, etc.) at your desired temp, but the dome thermometer at 250 means it's at 250... it won't cook any more slowly if the outside temperature is colder, because the dome temp is the only thing that counts, and 250 is 250
    ed egli avea del cul fatto trombetta -Dante
  • Carolina Q
    Carolina Q Posts: 14,831
    What he said.

    I hate it when I go to the kitchen for food and all I find are ingredients!                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

    Michael 
    Central Connecticut