more starter pork questions!

[LondonBBQ]

Hello!

Thank you all for your helpful comments before...

Since i've just started i still have lots more questions unfortunately!

I cooked a rolled sainsbury pork shoulder (very cheap!) and it turned out ok - but very dry inside (and a little tough).....

what are the ways to keep it moist and tender right inside the joint? or what have i done wrong?

It could have been the piece of meat - it was smallish, bone out with some fat on the top, and cheap

also - now i have all this pork - does any one know a good way to reheat it the next day?

In the smoker? or mixed with some water in a pan?


With thanks

[lakemirror]

I cooked a rolled sainsbury pork shoulder (very cheap!) and it turned out ok - but very dry inside (and a little tough).....

The cheaper the better is my motto. Dry and tough, eh? Sounds like my ex wife. Sorry, what I meant is it sounds like it might have been cooked too hot/fast.

what are the ways to keep it moist and tender right inside the joint? or what have i done wrong?

It could have been the piece of meat - it was smallish, bone out with some fat on the top, and cheap

Some say bone in keeps the meat moister. Bone out works too, so disregard at this point. Smallish shouldn't be much of an issue unless the size kept it from cooking slowly enough, in other words it hit doneness too soon and could have been helped by lower cook temps for a longer time.. Fat on top is generally a good thing. My guess is it didn't go low and slow enough to render the connective tissue. How much did it weigh and how long did it cook?

also - now i have all this pork - does any one know a good way to reheat it the next day?
In the smoker? or mixed with some water in a pan?

Ah, a leftover tough pork requisite! I heartily suggest shredding the meat and putting it in a slow cooker, like a crock pot or a Dutch oven, with some added moisture like a little apple juice maybe, and then some bbq sauce added later for more moisture and some flavor. Heat at VERY low setting and for a long time. Serve on a toasted bun. Or Texas Toast is even better.

With thanks

As always, my advice is worth what you paid for it! Good luck.....

[esselle]

Hello!

Thank you all for your helpful comments before...

Since i've just started i still have lots more questions unfortunately!

I cooked a rolled sainsbury pork shoulder (very cheap!) and it turned out ok - but very dry inside (and a little tough).....

what are the ways to keep it moist and tender right inside the joint? or what have i done wrong?

It could have been the piece of meat - it was smallish, bone out with some fat on the top, and cheap

also - now i have all this pork - does any one know a good way to reheat it the next day?

In the smoker? or mixed with some water in a pan?


With thanks

You could try injecting it next time.

[Steve]

You also want to be sure you cooked it enough. Undercooked shoulder will be dry and tough. You're looking for 195f+ internal in the centre. Depending on cook temp it may need to be higher. I cook pork at 260f and find it needs to go to 200f internal or there abouts before it's right.

[LondonBBQ]

hey-

Thanks for the help..

I cooked it at 300F and got the internal to 175F?

is that too high a cook temperature and too low an internal temperature?

Thanks...

T

[esselle]

In my opinion yes and yes. I would personally cook at 230 - 250 until internal is 190.

[Steve]

You can cook at that temperature. Everyone has their own opinion on temperature ranges for cooking. I cook at around 260 for example, I know Myron Mixon (three times world champion) cooks up in the 320+ range, something I wouldn't do personally, but he's a much better Pit Master than me

I used to cook around 230F and 190 is about right as Scott says. However if you cook hotter you will need to go higher, I go to 200F (ish) it's all about melting that collagen in the joint and the time the joint sits in the sweet spot where it melts.

Trial and error mate, what I can tell you to help is that when it's cooked a probe or skewer will go in without much resistance. If it feels like a hot knife through butter you've gone too far, just a little more resistance than that and you're perfect.

[MadCow]

If it feels like a hot knife through butter you've gone too far, just a little more resistance than that and you're perfect.

Hmmmmm ... where have I heard that before !!!

[Steve]

At least it shows that I do listen to you Jackie.

But you said that about brisket, it was just a good description of how my pork feels when it is right. I've still never cooked a brisket perfectly, it's always a little over or a little under