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Anything wrong with doing this? Butt question

Hitch
Hitch Posts: 402
edited November -1 in EggHead Forum
Butts finished early at 5:30 this morning. Was shooting for more like 9:00. They hit 200 internal so I took them off, triple foiled them real well and they are currently resting in my oven at 170.

What I want to do is leave them there till noonish and then put them in a warm cooler for 3 or 4 hours for a trip with towels below and above to keep them warm.


Thoughts?

Comments

  • How long did you cook them?
  • Hitch
    Hitch Posts: 402
    These (surprisingly) took about 1.5 hours per pound. Right at 12 hours really. Just a bit more actually. It got away from me at the beginning for a couple of hours and was above 250 grate for a bit, but got her settled down after that.
  • I would keep the oven temp at 200 degrees until I put them in the warm cooler just before I leave. The higher the temp when you put them in the warm cooler the longer they will keep a high temp.
    I usually cook my butts 24 hours, starting at 6 AM an go 6 or 7 the next morning. I then wrap in 2 layers of foil, put them in a styrofoam ice chest lined with foil, cover with foil and then put a small towel or tow on top. I then use masking tape and tape around the entire top to seal.
    I take this to customers for lunch. The internal temp at lunch is between still above 160.
    Good luck.
  • Zippylip
    Zippylip Posts: 4,768
    What dome temperature do you cook for 24 hours? Also, are the butts seperate or tied together?
    happy in the hut
    West Chester Pennsylvania
  • Hitch
    Hitch Posts: 402
    I am a little worried about them drying out mainly. Crankin the oven to 195 now, but just don't really want to keep it drying out. Thanks for the input so far...thoughts on drying these out?
  • I follow Elder Ward's method, I use a Stoker and cook at 195 then go to 300 for the last 1 or 2 to get the internal temp to 200. I use a plate setter, a drip pan covered with foil, including a little over the sides to help shield the butts. 3 large butts on a large egg pretty much filles up all the grill space, the kind-a touch the sides of the egg in places when I start.
    I cooked 29 lbs (14 lb and 15 lb)of brisket before, I turned them on edge and tied them together to make a tee-pee looking thing. I cooked them together for 22 hours at 200. Came out great.
  • My butts don't come out dry, there is very little fat left though. I think it all cooks out which is fine with me.
    If you have them in 3 layers of foil they can't dry out much.
  • Sounds like you want to serve the pulled pork for dinner about 200-250 miles away this evening and its already done. Why take a chance with something you have spent a lot of time on. I would take em out and pull em. Put a litte 50/50 apple juice/apple cider on the pulled pork and refrigerate (Use straight apple juice if you don't have apple cider - use coke if you don't have apple juice). When you pick it up use a container that will fit in your ice chest and preferably one you can reheat in on the other end. Plenty ice for the trip. Heat it up on the other end.
  • Spring Chicken
    Spring Chicken Posts: 10,255
    Good observation Frank. I heard somewhere on this Forum to use "regular Coke" instead of the diet types.

    I haven't needed to add moisture yet but I'm sure I will one of these days. Might try the apple juice & cider too.

    Spring "Rum Makes Coke Taste Better" Chicken
    Spring Texas USA
  • I don't think it would hurt to put a little 151 with the coke. That would make it a Cuba Libre Pulled Pork. :woohoo:
  • fiver29
    fiver29 Posts: 628
    If I were in this situation I would foil, towel, and cooler it. Thats it. I think you will be surprised when you open it later at how hot it is and the amount of steam that rolls off. I only pull my butt when I plan to each eat it. It dries up after it sits pulled for a while. Unless you add all sorts of other stuff to it. Which I don't prefer.

    Whatever you choose you will be fine.

    Enjoy that! :)
    -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Strongsville, Ohio

    Yes.  I own a blue egg!  Call Atlanta if you don't believe me!
    [I put this here so everyone knows when I put pictures up with a blue egg in it]

  • Zippylip
    Zippylip Posts: 4,768
    Frank, I am serving my pile o' pork at 6pm, it'll come off the egg at about 4pm, I'll wrap it & put it in the cooler till 6pm, pull it, then it'll go into a heated serving tray & sit there for the duration of the party; every time I do this, it tends to dry out pretty quickly, I have added apple cider with a little rub dissolved in it to keep it moist, I am not so sure it works that well however, do you have any suggestions on long term dry pork prevention?
    happy in the hut
    West Chester Pennsylvania
  • I've been taking mine off at 190 - they pull easily and haven't been drying out. I suspect when you pull it off and serve they are fine initially but may be drying out over time in the serving pan. Not sure what I would recommend, but taking off at 4 and serving at 6 sounds like a good plan.

    There are a lot more folks here that have many more years of eggperience that may be able to weigh in.

    Good luck with it and remember that regardless of how you feel about it, it will be Eggstanding for everyone else.
  • No doubt about it but he is taking the butts off at 5:30 and not serving till say 6 this evening - seems like a long time to hold the butts in a cooler. Just my dos centavos.
  • When I have brought pulled pork for pot lucks' I have used a crock pot to put the pork in once I pulled it. I then add some apple juice or cider (about 8oz) for moisture and try to keep the lid on to keep the moisture in it. This has seemed to work rather well for keeping it moist. Though I after a couple of hours, the pork is always gone anyway, so it probablly does not have a chance to dry out.

    Good luck!
  • Zippylip
    Zippylip Posts: 4,768
    You know I think you are right, the cook is always the most critical of his own work :blink:
    happy in the hut
    West Chester Pennsylvania
  • Hitch
    Hitch Posts: 402
    Thanks for all of the comments! I had them unpulled in the oven for a couple of hours @ 195. I will put them in a very well packed cooler, and they will be at the very least 195 internal when they go in. We will be able to pull them around 4:00 and eat pretty much right then. One of them and the leftovers will be for sammiches the rest of the week. Fully confident that they will be quite good. Really hard to screw up a butt, but last night I gave the old college try it seems. Little stressful and I am tired. Actually doing it again next week but will get her stable better, and not go to dinner and a movie within an hour of putting them on.

    Regards...