cooking BBQ

Jerome Poole · June 2005

I am going to try to cook 3 boston butts on the 4th I am concerned about holding the temp. between 250&300 for about 10 or 11 hrs. will this be a problem, I am new at this.
thanks for the help!

fishlessman · June 2005

JEROME,
first read elder wards recipe under pork in the recipe section, theres 4 parts. my first cook in the egg was following those directions. i would however do a sample run first with a single butt, my first cook went about 20 hours at 220.

Sandbagger · June 2005

fishlessman, are you doing the bone in butts. I've done two boneless butt cooks, (2 butts per cook) of the costco packages and both times the cooks never went more than 12 hours at 240ish temp. The 12 hours does not include the time in the cooler. tom

MickeyT · June 2005

JEROME,[p]A couple of questions need to be answered first. What is the weight of the butts, and what size egg do you have? That will determine your cooking time. Not really the size of your egg, but the weight.[p]Mick

Chris · June 2005

Sandbagger,
Why do you put the bigger meats in the tin foil then a cooler or whatever after they are done??

Jerome Poole · June 2005

MickeyT,
Thanks for the comeback. I don't know - haven't bought the Boston butts yet but will get the largest ones I can find due to large number of people. Will do bone-in. I noticed someone had mentioned that in one of the posts. My concern basically is the fluctuation of temperature over a long period of time. Is this something you need to check often; will it hold the temperature? Probably will be using chunks of cherry and hickory for flavor and smoke. Is that a good idea? Size of the green egg is the largest one - about 20".

Sandbagger · June 2005

Chris, I can't give you the scientific reason other than, that is what other experts suggested to me on my first cook. Something to do with breaking down the fat and making the butt easier to pull and more tender. It works.[p]Hopefully, one of the more experienced will chime in and help with more detailed info. Tom

The Naked Whiz · June 2005

<p />JEROME,
With a little vigilance, you shouldn't have trouble maintaining a temperature around 250. 300 would be a little high for pulled pork, but not a big problem. If they get done early, wrap them in foil and put them in a cooler with towels. They will keep at least 4 hours like this and still be too hot to pull by hand. If you are doing 3 or 4 8-pound butts, you should count on more like 15-20 hours, by the way. If you have a large egg, fill it up with charcoal 1/2 way up the fire ring you won't have any trouble lasting well over 20 hours at 250 degrees. Like others have suggested, read Elder Ward's writeup, either here or on my website in the recipe section under pork. I also have a page under pork about my first butt cook. Finally I have a page on temperature control in my Info Central section. Good luck![p]TNW
[ul][li]The Naked Whiz's Web Site[/ul]

Adrian B. · June 2005

Chris,
Putting it in the foil for at least an hour helps the meat redistribute the juices, making it better and more moist overall. [p]It all serves another purpose: You can't really time BBQ perfectly. Like Dr BBQ says, it is done when it's done. :~) Putting it in a couple layers of foil, then in a cooler with some towels on top of it will keep it warm for HOURS. I pulled one out a few weeks ago after about 6 hours and still burned my fingers several times as I pulled the meat.

katman · June 2005

JEROME,
Like others have said, read elder ward's material, put plenty of lump in with larger pieces on the bottom to make sure the holes don't get blocked. Start a slow fire and let the egg get up to your cook temp slowly. Make sure it is stable at the temp you want to cook (I'd keep it around 225-250, measured at grill level. Figure your dome temp is going to run higher by 50 or so). Put your meat on after your temp is stable and don't mess with it if the temp appears to fall. You just put a bunch of cold meat on and that will influence your reading. Have a cold one.

fishlessman · June 2005

Sandbagger,
i would say my average cook is about 14-16 hours, i start with a hotter fire and drop the temps when it hits the plataue and then raise them again after the plataue. the thing with doing a first low and slow is that i would want a practice run before planning a big feast with company. following elder wards recipe makes for a longer cook, but his advice on everything makes the first cook much more easy

Crab leg · June 2005

Jerome,
Temp fluctuation should not be a problem, so long as you introduce your meat to an established fire. I load the egg up to the top of the fire ring, light it, and try to get the temp around 240*. I will hold it there for about 1/2 hour to get the fire burning nice and clean. Put the meat on and let it all settle in for a good hour or so and see where your temps are. Adjust from there if needed, and then leave that egg alone. I think you will need closer to 16-18 hours to cook at this temp. That has been my experience anyway. If they get done early, foil and put in cooler, but you do not want to rush them and then pull right away. Good cooking to you.
Seth

cooking BBQ

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