How long and at what temp should I cook a 1 lb pork shoulder to get it to fall apart/shred with a fork? Thank you!!!
13 Comments
DinaMarch 9, 2015
I just did a 2.5 pound pork shoulder in my mini-crockpot, and it was so tender I had trouble getting it out! It just fell apart as I tried to pull out the chunks to shred. I did high for about an hour, then low for somewhere around 9 hours.
scruzMarch 9, 2015
from the science of cooking dot com site:
"We therefore want our meat to be cooked tender where tough collagen is converted to gelatin but with a minimum loss of moisture. The reality is that these methods are contracdictory and hence the challenge or dilemma to cooking meats. To minimize moisture loss requires temperatures less than 130F, however .turning collagen into gelatin requires temperatures above 160F and for extended time periods. As moisture evaporates, the meat begins to shrink. A slab can lose 20% or more of its weight in cooking due to shrinkage. Even meat cooked in liquid will dry out although not as quickly. So we are faced with a dilemma. To liquefy the collagen we need to cook the meat to 180F and hold it there for for long periods of time. But by then it is well past well-done and the muscle fibers can be dryed out. As a result, we need to add moisture." this is a better explanation.
"We therefore want our meat to be cooked tender where tough collagen is converted to gelatin but with a minimum loss of moisture. The reality is that these methods are contracdictory and hence the challenge or dilemma to cooking meats. To minimize moisture loss requires temperatures less than 130F, however .turning collagen into gelatin requires temperatures above 160F and for extended time periods. As moisture evaporates, the meat begins to shrink. A slab can lose 20% or more of its weight in cooking due to shrinkage. Even meat cooked in liquid will dry out although not as quickly. So we are faced with a dilemma. To liquefy the collagen we need to cook the meat to 180F and hold it there for for long periods of time. But by then it is well past well-done and the muscle fibers can be dryed out. As a result, we need to add moisture." this is a better explanation.
drshakyhandsMarch 9, 2015
I think that this is an excellent way to look at it and brings home the point that "we need to add moisture". It may be too late for the original poster, but certainly in the future something to consider is to buy a roast with a nice fat cap (especially for pork). I always try to get a shoulder roast with a nice hunk of fat on the top, that way after hours and hours at the temperature needed to break down the meat, the fat has been slowly melting and oozing into all the meaty crevices. I've never had a dry roast... And fat is where the flavor is, anyway.
nashamaMarch 9, 2015
Interesting. I cook my pork shoulder until the temp breaks 185 *because* that's when the connective tissues break down and the meat a easily. And our pork is still really juicy. I second (or third?) the bone-in preference.
Good luck!
Good luck!
scruzMarch 9, 2015
it is a really fine line once you start getting to 180...can only do it for a period of time. the point is to be careful at this temp because as you know it will continue to cook even after removing from oven.
scruzMarch 8, 2015
i try to cook mine at 275. i don't let it get over 180 degrees internally as that is when the connective tissue liquifies and you lose the juiciness.
drshakyhandsMarch 8, 2015
I usually make pork shoulder in the crock pot. For a 3-4 pound shoulder, bone in or out, on low, it usually takes about 12-15 hours. Low and slow is the key here to get it to be shreddable, and I would imagine your total time would be reduced given the small size of the cut of your meat.
Jan W.March 8, 2015
Wow - must be a very small pig! Just kidding. However, does your pork shoulder/butt still have any bone in it? I find that you get much better results with the bone not removed.
AbbeMarch 8, 2015
Lol we're making Cuban sandwiches so I don't need a giant piece. It is boneless. I have it in here right now at 300. Was thinking maybe an hour--ish?
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