Warning: I stopped trusting my gut on pork shoulder temps after a bad batch in July

I used to just go by feel and a quick poke with my thermometer, figured I had it down after 8 years. Then last month I had a whole case of shoulders come out dry and stringy, lost about $200 in product for a Saturday rush. Now I use a leave-in probe and log temps every hour during the stall, it's a pain but I haven't had a bad one since. Has anyone else had a batch go south just from relying on muscle memory?

3 comments

3 Comments

wadejenkins2d ago

Bet you could've sold those as pulled pork tacos and nobody would notice.

anna7172d ago

@wadejenkins you are absolutely right, I totally could have. Actually did something similar last summer with a batch of mystery meat from a camping trip, slathered on enough barbecue sauce and nobody asked a single question. It's remarkable how far a good sauce and some tortillas will take you.

shane1702d ago

Haha yeah man, I still have nightmares about a 10 pound Boston butt I ruined back in 2018 just by winging it.