JoeNY Posted November 3, 2007 Report Share Posted November 3, 2007 At what temperature? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saucier Posted November 3, 2007 Report Share Posted November 3, 2007 PB I did a pair yesterday, 250 for 9 hours, to 185 internal. I was pressed for time, better off @ 220 or so, some claim for 16 hours, I have not gotten mine to last that long before the internal temp was up. But then I am a newby too! Best of luck!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThreeDJ16 Posted November 3, 2007 Report Share Posted November 3, 2007 I cook my shoulders /butts at 245-250 also and remove them at 185-190. Let the temp probes tell you when they are done and use times as a general estimate. Also, moving this to the techniques forum since it is not a recipe. -=Jasen=- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Curly Posted November 4, 2007 Report Share Posted November 4, 2007 Re: How long should I cook an 9 pound butt? At what temperature? I cooked 2 on the fast track last night. Around 6-7 or so hours at about 250 and then the last 2-3 hours at 300ish. Foiled them tight and let them sit in the cooler covered with towels for 4 1/2 hrs or so. They pulled great, looked great and tasted great. Indirect. About 9 hours to about 200 degrees. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dub Posted November 4, 2007 Report Share Posted November 4, 2007 The standard 'smort arse' answer is "until they's did"! Predicting finish times on butts is futile-I've had identical weight pieces finish many hours apart. I usually go for 6-8 hours at 225-300F (wherever my K wants to run that particular day) before I bother sticking the thermometer in. Watch for the 160-170F internal plateau, it'll hover there for a loooong time-stop the cook when the internal hits anywhere from 185-200F. The bone should be really loose and wiggly and the butt should look 'slumped'. Let it rest at least an hour and then pull it to pieces. dub(HTH) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Porkchop Posted November 6, 2007 Report Share Posted November 6, 2007 dub, its not necessarily a "smart ass" answer. there's a "rule of thumb" where you want to start checking, but, bottom line, you gotta let the butt tell you it's done. that being said, you are right on. i do mine lower for a little longer, but i twist the shoulder bone to test for done. a lot of times, a noob will just take that internal temp as the goal for a finish, and try to hurry up to that internal by using higher temps. but, the key is to let things move slowly thru the plateau that you mentioned in your post. what causes the plateau is collagen breaking down in the meat at that specific temp range. advice to noobs; let that plateau take it's time. if you try to rush thru it, less of the connective tissue has time to break down, and it will be tough. remember that it is art and science! let the pig tell you that it is pork, and you will have tender vittles! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trish Posted February 3, 2008 Report Share Posted February 3, 2008 Temperature differential I am doing three pork roasts. I removed one as the temperature was fairly even on the roast (192). The other two have a significant variation in that they are 192 in one portion and 178-180 in the other. This happened last time I did the pork and one area was harder to shred. Shoul I cook until the minimum is 190 or pull. I am concerned the part that is 192 will get dry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gadgetgeek Posted February 3, 2008 Report Share Posted February 3, 2008 Re: How long should I cook an 9 pound butt? At what temperature? It kindof depends on what you want to do with it... If you want to chop it into BBQ sandwich meat then getting it up to about 185º with a long rest is all that is required IMHO. On the other hand if you want to pick or pull the pork, you have to get it to 195º and hold it there for about an hour in order for the collogen to break down and make it moist but easy to pick/pull. I am NOT a know-it-all when it comes to this but I have been doing it for a long, long time and keeping good notes. The Hint about foil or paper wrapping it and sticking it in the cooler is a great idea. the best results for me have been after a long rest held at near the cooking temperature. You have to be cautious not to let the meat get above 200º or 205º as it will start to dry out, and the results will be less than desirable. I have some unusual but workable methods to speed the picking/pulling process that we used in the catering business that saves about a half hour per Boston Butt. . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fetzervalve Posted February 5, 2008 Report Share Posted February 5, 2008 Re: How long should I cook an 9 pound butt? I have some unusual but workable methods to speed the picking/pulling process that we used in the catering business that saves about a half hour per Boston Butt..Do tell... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gadgetgeek Posted February 5, 2008 Report Share Posted February 5, 2008 Re: How long should I cook an 9 pound butt? I have some unusual but workable methods to speed the picking/pulling process that we used in the catering business that saves about a half hour per Boston Butt..Do tell... You promise you won't laugh...? . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fetzervalve Posted February 5, 2008 Report Share Posted February 5, 2008 Scouts honor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gadgetgeek Posted February 5, 2008 Report Share Posted February 5, 2008 Scouts honor. Okay.. the short version....: Step one.....When the meat is cool enough to handle either have someone or you pull the meat apart into sections and pull out some of the fat and sinew and yucky stuff, remember to keep the cap intact to work back into the pulled pork when it's finished but you can certainly take out (for your own health) some of the fat and connective tissue.. Hurry with this process or have someone work with you so you can do step two... Step two involves a lab-clean rubber mallet (mine is white and goes into the dishwasher often) and some heavy duty zip-lock bags.. The two gallon bags are thicker than the others and are what I use... I toss a couple hunks of the still warm pork in the bag (turn the top of the bag away from the floor) and pound the meat until is starts to separate. You don't want to mush it, you just want it to come apart in long strands. turn the bag over and whack it a few times on the other side making sure you get the section you are working on good and pounded, but not mashed up, toss the meat in the bag into a big bowl for you and your partner to pull later and go on to the next few sections of pork shoulder. I promise you that this works, and it saves a bunch of time. I know it sounds strange, and folks that have been with me when I am whacking at that bag of pork looked at me strange, but time (in the catering business) is money, and I know I shave off a half hour per pork butt doing it this way.. pulled pork done right goes a long way, fluffing it up by pulling it extends it by at least half over chopping it. A 10 pound Butt usually gives me 6-7 pounds of finished un-pulled BBQ'd pork and 30 to 50 sandwiches depending on the size of the buns and the size of the eaters. Hope this helps. GG>- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sanny Posted February 5, 2008 Report Share Posted February 5, 2008 ... depending on the size of the buns and the size of the eaters. You mean, the size of the eaters' buns! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gadgetgeek Posted February 5, 2008 Report Share Posted February 5, 2008 ... depending on the size of the buns and the size of the eaters. You mean, the size of the eaters' buns! Off topic.. but yes... For More Pictures of some old pulled (pounded) pork click HERE . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
