Internal temperatures question

Unknown · September 2008

What does it mean when internal temperatures of food register way below what it should be for ‘done’, yet the meat looks and tastes done?

I recently bought a used BGE a couple of months ago and it is in great condition. I’ve cooked several different types of food (steaks, fish, shrimp, ribs, chicken, and some boston butts) and most everything has come out pretty good, though 50 % of the time the food has been drier than I would have expected based on the cooking times and temps I’ve read about. Sooo, I bought two different thermometers to check the internal temperature of the food in order to guarantee that it was done, but eliminate overcooking it. This did not work.

I smoked some small boneless skinless chicken breasts and after two hours of cooking at 220 the temp read 145. I pulled them off anyway and dang if they weren’t bone dry. The same exact thing happened on two different boston butts. The 3.6 pound butt cooked 9 hours at a range of 200-220 and the internal temp never rose above 155. I finally pulled it off and tried it and it was nearly too dry. I’d read 1.5 to 2 hours of cooking per pound would be plenty, but I got it off just in time. At this point I turned up the BGE to 250 so that the 3.8 pound butt would cook a little faster. After another 45 minutes it’s temp read 160 and it was perfectly cooked. Fall off the bone pulled pork.

What the heck is going on? Why is my meat seemingly over cooked, but yet the internal temperature is so low?

Thanks for any help!
John

gdenby · September 2008

Seems like you are cooking by dome temperature, not grate temperature. The dome thermometer, being higher up, is in warmer air than food at the grate, at least during shorter cooks. And, if you are cooking indirect, the center of the grate above something like the platesetter can be much cooler than the dome. I've measured as much as 50 degrees, That is, with a dome of 250, the grate at the center above the platesetter was just 200 after 20 minutes.

So, your food is cooking too long, and the moisture has enough time to waft away.

The rule of thumb is that the grate is about 25 degrees cooler than the dome for shorter cooks. Over longer periods, more than 4 hours, the grate will start to approximate the dome, depending on the mass of the meat.

One exception is if ypou are cooking direct, and the grate is on the fire ring. Because of the proximity to the coals, and the strong IR, I've measred temps 60 degrees higher than the dome.

hopw this helps

fishlessman · September 2008

what type therm did you buy, the only one that i find thats accurate is the thermapen. a couple other things, that butt is too small, you need a 7 or 8 pounder minimum and you need to get it up to 190 degrees minimum, i pull mine at 195, same would go for ribs, dont cook them long enough and they are chewy almost dry tasting. that chicken breast would be better if you cooked it at a high temp and it had skin and bones on it, thats not really a candidate for low and slow

Rascal · September 2008

Interesting.... I do 3-4 pound butts all the time and they always come out moist and tender for pulling (195F). Just my two cents worth..

The Naked Whiz · September 2008

I wouldn't cook chicken breast low and slow. They are lean meat and need to be roasted at 350 degrees or so to get them done before they dry out.

Boston butts need to be cooked to an internal temperature of 195-200 degrees if you want nice moist pulled pork. This allows the collagen in the meat to be converted to gelatin which is what makes the meat so nice and moist and tasty.

fishlessman · September 2008

actually ive never tried to make a small one, seems like the bark might overpower it and make it seem dry. do you wrap part way thru the cook

Rascal · September 2008

Often times I'll use two temperature probes for a cook like pork butt. If you're using just one, it might be off due to the tip being in a fat pocket or perhaps touching a bone. Then, after some experience, if they differ, you'll most likely know which to rely on. Unfortunately, the dome thermo on the BGE is not of the greatest quality and mine failed after just a few months. For that reason, I use a unit that reads right on the grill at the level of the meat. Who knew it would be this simple!! 8 - )

Jeffersonian · September 2008

Yes, but did you see how long he cooked that little butt? Like 9 hours. No wonder it was as dry as a popcorn fart. I'm guessing that his thermometer is reading high and that's his grate temperature is well below 200.

Unknown · September 2008

I was smoking indirectly so I'm thinking the theory of the temp at the plate was way lower than what the dome thermometer indicated might be part of the problem.

Still, does that explain why the meat was 'done', but still reading 155 with two different thermometers and being inserted in several different places?

Unknown · September 2008

Rascal, how long do you cook your 3-4 pound butts? Do you cook them indirectly?

Rascal · September 2008

No, I just keep it over a drip pan (using plate setter, legs up) in which I maintain an inch or so of water. Also, I spray the butt with a 50/50 mix of apple juice & cider every hour or so. The bark always has great color and just the right crunch. This one was done using McCormick's Pork Rub. After experimenting with John Henry's pecan rub, it will be the choice for my next pork butt! 8 - )~~~

Rascal · September 2008

I've never heard popcorn phart... Is it because the temp was too high?? 8 > )

Jeffersonian · September 2008

Fiber, man, fiber! :woohoo:

Rascal · September 2008

Yes.. indirect. My setup is: inverted plate setter(legs up) with a drip pan placed inside. On top of that is the grill. Depending on the size & shape of the butt, I'll either put it directly on the grill, or on a meat/rib rack atop the grill (sometimes I use a few skewers to hold the butt together). This way, during the cook, I can still toss some chips for smokin' down below and also add some liquid to the drip pan. Works for me!! 8 - )~~~

stike · September 2008

what temp do you think "done" should be?
chicken is safe at 145. after that, it's an issue of texture.

when people recommend 160 or 165 for chicken it includes a VERY safe margin of error. most folks don't check temp, and even if they do, thermometers are often out of calibration.

take dark meat for xample. conventional wisdom says it is 'done' at 185. that doesn't mean it's unsafe at 170, it means most people find it unpalatable at 170, and prefer it to be firmer. dark meat firms up and loses a bit more "greasiness" at higher temps. crispy fried wings are probably way beyond 185 for example.

but they are safe at much lower temps.

i remember cooking a turkey to 155 in the breast, and people were wondering if it was done, because it was so moist.

as fishless said, though, slow cooking a very lean chicken breast to 155 is a lot more likely to dry it out than a fast sear would.

Rascal · September 2008

You got it!! 8 > )

Essex County · September 2008

I've cooked lots of those little 3-4 lb butts. The 2-hour rule doesn't work too well with small cuts. If you were at 155 after 9 hours and found the meat dry it was because you were in the plateau. Somewhere around 155-165, the meat stops going up in temp (if you're slow cooking) because the collagen in the tissue is breaking down and absorbing the energy of the cook. After several hours in the plateau, the temp should resume its climb. I'd let the meat tell me when it is done and that would be around 195. If you found it dry at 155 and then were happy after another hour or so when you got the temp to 165, you will be escastic if you keep it going to 195.

Grandpas Grub · September 2008

If you don't have a Thermopen thermometer, then get one. Quit playing around with a bunch of different 'cheap' thermometers. You will see a huge difference in the quality and taste of your food.

If you are cooking to time, then stop, cook to internal meat temp. If you use cheap thermometers, anything other than a Thermopen is a cheap thermometer, leave the thermometer in the meat long enough to get an accurate read.

Pork for slicing should taken off at about 140° - 145° internal. At rest the internal temp will climb.

Pulled pork, as stated by others should be taken off at 195° - 200°. At rest it will climb. I pull at 195°

I would well expect the chicken breasts would have been bone dry. However, they should have a lot of smoke flavor and when thinly sliced would be great on salad, thin sandwiches and such. Or eaten with a lot of Q-sauce

GG

Pdub · September 2008

I do small butts also, I cut them in half to make the cook time shorter. That way I can make it a day cook instead of an all nighter. I have always thought the pulled pork came out good.

Internal temperatures question

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