cruzmisl Posted July 19, 2009 Report Share Posted July 19, 2009 Hi, I submitted my pulled pork tutorial on instructables.com Hopefully someone here can benefit. Enjoy. http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-make-pulled-pork-A-classic-low-and-slow/ Joe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mguerra Posted July 19, 2009 Report Share Posted July 19, 2009 Super! Wow, that was a great and pro quality tutorial!':supz:' Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fetzervalve Posted July 20, 2009 Report Share Posted July 20, 2009 I can't seem to find how I vote... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hitman Posted August 30, 2009 Report Share Posted August 30, 2009 Hey, cruz. I am going to try my first pork shoulder in a couple of weeks. Any suggestions/tips for temp control without using a Guru or Stoker? I don't mind getting up in the middle of the night if I have to, but would rather enjoy my sleep! Planning on a dinner time of around 4-5 PM. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sanny Posted August 31, 2009 Report Share Posted August 31, 2009 Hey, cruz. I am going to try my first pork shoulder in a couple of weeks. Any suggestions/tips for temp control without using a Guru or Stoker? I don't mind getting up in the middle of the night if I have to, but would rather enjoy my sleep! Planning on a dinner time of around 4-5 PM. Have you mastered getting the fire going and having it maintain a consistent temp for a couple of hours? If so, you can do that, put meat on, and go to bed. It should still be going when you wake up. I've had the fire go out overnight (operator error). It's annoying, but not the end of the world. But I guess there's no avoiding the "first overnight cook" lack of sleep. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Conodo12 Posted August 31, 2009 Report Share Posted August 31, 2009 Interestingly - the KK burns whether there is food on the grill or not! Rather than risk your first overnight cook on trial and error, why not set up your KK for an overnighter doing a dry run? Make sure the ash compartment is empty, Load up the basket full of lump, light up, put your heat deflector in and let it go. You'll have your draft door wheel open about 1/8" or so and your top open about 1/4 turn or so. This should get you dialed in around 225 - 235 F. It will stay rock steady at this temp burning away for many, many, many hours! Let us know how you make out! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeffB Posted August 31, 2009 Report Share Posted August 31, 2009 My thermometer (Maverick ET-73) monitors the meat and the cooker temperature. It has an over/under alarm for the cooker as well as an over alarm for the meat. That way you can go to sleep knowing that you will be woken up in the event that something goes wrong (or your meat finishes). The only trick is to ensure that the cooker temperature goes above your lower threshold before dozing off, otherwise you won't get an alarm in the event the fire goes out. I have decided I don't need a Guru/Stoker for now but do like to know what is going on from the comfort of my bed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mguerra Posted August 31, 2009 Report Share Posted August 31, 2009 advice To be sure your meat is ready for a planned serving time, I suggest starting a butt 20-24 hrs ahead. The meat will be done in time, in fact some hours ahead. You then simply foil it, wrap in towels and put in a cooler. It will still be hot when you pull it. This is going to allow you several hours til bedtime to get your cooker temp stabilized. You should then be able to go to sleep no problem. Figure 2 hrs/ lb, ball park. You also have plenty of time to get a wireless remote thermometer before your party, my suggestion would be the Oregon Scientific AW-131, it has good transmission range. The problem with a Maverick is you never know which ones have a decent transmission range. If your cooker isn't less than 20 feet from your bedroom, you can't trust it. The AW-131 has one probe, use it for the meat. Or get two and use one for the pit. What it won't do is give you a low temp alarm for your pit. In my experience, that is not a problem, you are WAY more likely to get a fire too hot. Especially if you stabilized it before bedtime. If the meat gets done while you are sleeping, it will alarm you. Don't waste battery life by turning it on at the beginning of the cook, your meat won't be done anytime soon. Turn it on and verify it is working just before sleep. Your meat should NOT get done while you are sleeping if you have the temp between 200 to 225. Your only concern is controlling the fire. Start with a full or over full basket of lump. The top vent opening you need for a 200ish fire is going to be less than you think. Since you will have plenty of time before bedtime, you can get this right. It's going to be barely cracked off its' seat, less than a half turn. The bottom vent will also be open a smidge only, about the thickness of a coin, as others have stated. Maybe a dime, maybe a quarter, you'll get it. A pork butt is a super forgiving cook, you almost can't screw it up. I do at least one every week. Shoot, you should throw one on there this afternoon just for the fun and the practice. And what a value, the stuff is so cheap! To be honest, I'd just as soon eat a KK pork butt as a filet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hitman Posted August 31, 2009 Report Share Posted August 31, 2009 Great tips, everyone! Thanks! Once the meat is cooked, how long will it stay warm in a cooler if it's wrapped in a couple layers of foil, with some towels around it? Will it stay warm for 12-16 hours? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bryan Posted August 31, 2009 Report Share Posted August 31, 2009 Great tips, everyone! Thanks! Once the meat is cooked, how long will it stay warm in a cooler if it's wrapped in a couple layers of foil, with some towels around it? Will it stay warm for 12-16 hours? I suggest you wrap in foil then 3-4 layers of newspaper for long time heat retention. Also works for cold items. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mguerra Posted September 1, 2009 Report Share Posted September 1, 2009 warm If you start your cook 20 hours ahead, the meat will still be warm at serving time foiled, toweled, and coolered. Guarantee. And try the newspaper trick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hitman Posted September 1, 2009 Report Share Posted September 1, 2009 Re: advice You also have plenty of time to get a wireless remote thermometer before your party' date=' my suggestion would be the Oregon Scientific AW-131, it has good transmission range. The AW-131 has one probe, use it for the meat. Or get two and use one for the pit.[/quote'] What about the AW-129? Looks like the main difference is that it doesn't "talk". They are on sale via Amazon for $5.13!!! I can certainly afford to get two, at that price..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mguerra Posted September 1, 2009 Report Share Posted September 1, 2009 why 131 Many posters have reported the AW-129 does not have the best transmission range. That the 131 talks is superfluous, I use it for the range. It absolutely transmits to my bedroom and beyond. Once you get a Guru or a Stoker, you may not use your wireless thermometer much. The reason being you will learn how to start a cook so it WILL NOT get finished while you sleep. Since you will be awake, you can check your Guru or Stoker periodically. Still, there will be times you want to just plop your ass down and not get up, then you will use your wireless, if you are nearing your finish. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeffB Posted September 1, 2009 Report Share Posted September 1, 2009 Re: advice They are on sale via Amazon for $5.13!!! I can certainly afford to get two' date=' at that price.....[/quote'] For $5.13 I would say go for it. The range is probably fine for you and it can always be improved with a little work on your side -- assuming you don't mind a little soldering. For $5.13 I would probably pick up more than one and I already have the Maverick ET-73. Unfortunately, Amazon shows it as $27.18 for me. Do you have a link for the $5.13 price? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hitman Posted September 1, 2009 Report Share Posted September 1, 2009 When I went back to Amazon, I couldn't find it again at that price! I remember it was not being offered through Amazon, but through one of their business partners --- had a disclaimer to that effect. Cheapest price now is $28.15 w/ free shipping. I should have jumped on it when I saw it at the lower price! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hitman Posted September 15, 2009 Report Share Posted September 15, 2009 I will be doing my first pork shoulder this Friday night, for a tennis party the following evening. Our parties usually have between 64 and 80 players, plus usually a few extras who show up just to party. When I checked last week, average pork shoulder from Costco was around 15 pounds. Didn't see any butts. I never did get around to getting a wireless thermometer, so I guess I'll just have to stabilize the temps, go to bed, and hope for the best! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeffB Posted September 16, 2009 Report Share Posted September 16, 2009 When I checked last week' date=' average pork shoulder from Costco was around 15 pounds. Didn't see any butts.[/quote'] I have gotten butts and shoulder from Costco. I personally couldn't tell the difference between the two. In both cases there were two pieces of meat per package. Each had the bone carved out of it so you need to "rebuild" it's shape using cooking twine. It actually is a little bit of a hassle but the meat seems good otherwise. I might try a local Asian market the next time -- they sell a full shoulder with the bone in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hitman Posted September 16, 2009 Report Share Posted September 16, 2009 Excellent suggestion --- there is an H Mart in our neighborhood within walking distance. Might be a bit more pricey than Costco though. I have three types of pork rub --- Stubb's, Charcoal Companion, and Grill Mates. Just don't have that much of any of them. How many ounces of rub should I need for a 15 pound shoulder? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeffB Posted September 16, 2009 Report Share Posted September 16, 2009 Our local HMart was what I was thinking of when I said "Asian" market. My wife was there recently and saw a full bone in shoulder for $.79 a pound. The meat at most Asian markets can run the gamut so I wanted to see the quality for myself but I haven't had time yet. As far as rub amounts, it all depends on what flavor/bark you are going for. For reference, the pork shoulder in Chris Lilly's recent book calls for 4 Tbsp of dry rub for a 16 - 18 pound shoulder. I don't think that is enough though but your mileage may vary. I hope your shoulder will be just one part of a larger menu because one 15 pound shoulder will not feed that many people. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hitman Posted September 16, 2009 Report Share Posted September 16, 2009 At our tennis parties many people bring side dishes and desserts, so there is always plenty to eat. Plus, the food is not intended to serve as a full dinner, although some of our chow hounds seem to think otherwise! Thanks for the advice though! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
