Any Smokers out there?

[austin.brown]

Today I made my first adventure into smoking whole meat cuts. I smoked a pork roast, I would have rather smoked some ribs or a loin but this is what my wife pulled out of the freezer. I got on the USDA website and they suggested cooking whole meat cuts to 145 degrees F. I got a meat thermometer at Wal Mart and used it to insure I reached to recommended temp. I smoked the roast to 145 and when I pulled it off the smoker and removed the thermometer probe red juices came out of the cavity the probe left. I have always been under the impression that all meat is done when the juices run clear. I covered the roast with tin foil to help hold the heat in the meat and continue to raise the temp. I know the USDA recomdenation is to kill all harmful pathoges, but is this temp sufficent to avoid eating rare meat? I know there is are big differences on prefrence, rare, medium rare, medium, medium well, and well. I am just wondering where 145 ranks on that scale.

Also if anyone has any tips or suggestions they would not mind sharing there would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Austin

 

[VitruvianDoc]

145 is about medium rare-medium

When smoking, I shoot for 160 degree internally. I use various methods of cooking and rarely measure temp anymore.
Currently for ribs: Smoke @ 250 2 hours bone down, 1 hour meat down. Then they're done and ready to eat.
For large cuts like a shoulder: Smoke 200-210 for 8 hours, I usually start with fat side up and then flip with 2 hours to go. I then wrap and seal in saran wrap and bake at 180 in the oven over night.

 

[Brandi]

Are you sure you were looking at temps for pork? The USDA has been saying 170 forever even though that's not necessarily true these days. Cooking to 145 is safe for whole cuts (anything that's not ground). However, If you are smoking pork for pulled pork you actually take it well past 145. Smoking for pulled pork requires internal temps to reach 180 or so and stay there until the meat breaks down and begins to form collagen. If you are smoking your pork roast just to have a smoky flavored medium rare pork roast then taking it 145 is safe. There will be some pink color to the center and pink juices but it's ok as long as you are sure you got to that 145 in the center. The evil 'pink' pork is a holdover from the days when pork was more likely to have critters than not. Your best bet is a leave in thermometer that you can read outside the smoker. There are tons of great articles and videos online to turn you into a master smoker....good luck

 

[marvin]

Lots of good info here...http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/

 

[1shott]

Also dont remove the tempurature probe until the meat has rested.

 

[Stan Upchurch]

How does the meat taste when you draw it in your mouth. Does it burn well when you light. I always found that a butt roast draws better.

 

[twotonevert]

I have been looking for a smoker, thanks for the link, I spent over an hour there.

 

[Lurkerinthewoods]

I cant recall ever cooking a pork roast. When I cook a pork butt to make pulled pork, I cook to an internal temp of 205 degrees. I pull it off the smoker at around 195 and double wrap in foil and stuff it into an ice chest filled with bath towels for a few hours. The temp will rise while in the chest to around 200 to 205. For a 10 pound pork butt, this should smoke for around 12 to 15 hours at 200-215 degree.

 

[marvin]

I have been looking for a smoker, thanks for the link, I spent over an hour there.

No problem, its a great place to get some ideas.

 

[inactive]

145 is about medium rare-medium

When smoking, I shoot for 160 degree internally. I use various methods of cooking and rarely measure temp anymore.
Currently for ribs: Smoke @ 250 2 hours bone down, 1 hour meat down. Then they're done and ready to eat.
For large cuts like a shoulder: Smoke 200-210 for 8 hours, I usually start with fat side up and then flip with 2 hours to go. I then wrap and seal in saran wrap and bake at 180 in the oven over night.

These times and temps are roughly what I work with as well on ribs. For shoulder, I smoke all the way until done (no oven) so 200-225 goes for 10-12 hours. Same temp of 160 for chicken as well; boneless/skinless breasts and thighs are usually only like a 60-90 minute job. Bologna is pre-cooked, so it's about 60-75 minutes most of the time. Note I am giving approximate times to reach doneness, but I shoot for internal temp on everything but the bologna (just go by look there). I'm by no means an expert, but the times/internal temps for doneness are relatively universal.

Beef varies depending on cut but usually it's lower. You sure the 145 you saw wasn't for a beef (brisket) roast?