Pork butt toughness

[NTX_Overland]

Smoked a couple pork butts this weekend, 225 for 8.5 hours with internal temps being 193 and 196 each. When I went to shred they were super tough, like I eventually had to pull out knives instead of my meat claws to chop it up...

Where did I go wrong? Temps were maintained the whole day, and im really not sure what happened to make it so tough

 

[RayClem]

How did you measure your temperatures?

If your controller was set to 225F and the actual temperature was only 200F, you would not have enough heat to properly break down all the fat and connective tissue in the pork butt.

I love pulled pork. I typically cook butts at 225F as measure by a 3rd party thermometer until they reach 165F as measured by a 3rd party thermometer. Then I wrap the buffs in foil adding some butter and a mixture of water, apple cider vinegar and apple juice, but any liquid can be used. I turn the cook temperature up to 275F as measured by a 3rd party thermometer. The liquid allows the pork to steam inside the foil. I will allow the butt to cook until the temperature reaches between 200F - 205F. Remove the butt from the grill and allow it to rest wrapped in foil until it is cool enough to pull. You should find the pork to be tender.

If you still have the tough pork butt, place it in a crock pot with a little liquid and allow it to cook on high until tender. If you do not have crock pot, you can accomplish the same thing in a dutch oven or covered stew pot.

 

[NTX_Overland]

I forgot to add, that I wrapped in foil for 45 minutes to an hour after pull... did not put liquid inside, good info...

I used at Thermpro probe for each butt, and a flir temperature laser to get accurate readings of smoker...

 

[RayClem]

I forgot to add, that I wrapped in foil for 45 minutes to an hour after pull... did not put liquid inside, good info...

I used at Thermpro probe for each butt, and a flir temperature laser to get accurate readings of smoker...

The key to tenderness is getting the temperature above 200F; target 203F to be sure. That is difficult to achieve if your grill temp is only 225F. Once the butt is wrapped in foil, it can no longer absorb smoke. Thus, you can bump up the grill temp (275F suggested), to finish off the cook more quickly. In fact, if you want to save pellets, you can even move the wrapped meat to your kitchen oven set at 275-325F without altering the flavor.

 

[NoGood Traeger]

I forgot to add, that I wrapped in foil for 45 minutes to an hour after pull... did not put liquid inside, good info...

I used at Thermpro probe for each butt, and a flir temperature laser to get accurate readings of smoker...

FLIR won't show air temperature. It measures surface temperatures of objects such as grill walls, grates and food surface temps. Don't assume metal temps in the grill represent grill air temp.

 

[Shedd]

FLIR won't show air temperature. It measures surface temperatures of objects such as grill walls, grates and food surface temps. Don't assume metal temps in the grill represent grill air temp.

I set my 780 Pro on 235 because I know it’s up and down. I let mine cook until they hit over 200 but not over 205, I wrap in foil for a few hours in the Yeti. I use a Meater probe in each and I don’t worry about my ambient temp because it’s a Traeger lol. Mine literally fall apart. However on my Big Green Egg I cook in turbo, I go the first hour or so at 250 then 325 until it hits 195 then I wrap in butcher paper and put in my yeti for a few hours. I go 195 because I chop it instead of pull. The egg puts such a good smoke flavor it’s better chopped and more texture. The butcher paper keeps my bark from being soggy it compliments my chopped meat. I’ve been so busy with my homebuilding business I haven’t had the time to cook much. Too damn hot here in South Carolina to cook outside. Especially working in it everyday.

 

[RayClem]

FLIR won't show air temperature. It measures surface temperatures of objects such as grill walls, grates and food surface temps. Don't assume metal temps in the grill represent grill air temp.

Another issue is that FLIR are affected by emission levels. If you are aiming at a matte black surface such as the inside of the cooking chamber covered in soot, then you will get an accurate reading. If the surface is reflective, such as the metal grill grates or drip pan, the reading won't even be close to actual results. For that reason, it is best to save the FLIR for measuring temperature of a properly seasoned griddle, but avoid using it on a pellet grill.

 

[tomdav]

I’ve had that happen before. Sometimes, even with low and slow cooking, if the pork butts aren’t wrapped well, they can dry out and turn tough. I usually wrap mine in foil for the last few hours to help keep them moist. Also, make sure to check if they're tender enough before shredding. If they're still tough, they might need a bit more time to break down properly.