HolySmoke77
Knows what a fatty is.
Struggling with Comp Pork. Scores all around are very good except some 7-8 on tenderness. What the heck are they looking for in tenderness? Define perfect tenderness for a Comp? Thanks!
Comp Pork Help-Define Tenderness
- Thread starter HolySmoke77
- Start date
Winged Wheel
Knows what a fatty is.
Should feel like a soft boiled potato when the probe goes in. I dont usually go by temperature.
Bob in Corona
Full Fledged Farker
Perfect tenderness ?
Let me ask this... When judging, how do you test for pork tenderness ?
kenthanson
is one Smokin' Farker
I know this feeling, we've been struggling with pork tenderness for about 4 years now. We have been a pork call away from GC two times and if we didn't finish in the bottom 10% and just cracked the top 50% we would have won the dang thing. I think our pulled congeals between when we box it to when the judges eat it and can't seem to fix it.
HolySmoke77
Knows what a fatty is.
Just asking this question from another's view point bro....that's all, don't need be asked "how do YOU test"
Okie Sawbones
Banned
From a judge's perspective, I rarely see pork anymore that doesn't reach the tender point. I do see a lot of overcooked pork, with a mushy feel on the roof of the mouth. This gets a ding in the score.
5am
Knows what a fatty is.
Are you wondering about pulled or money muscle?
didisea
Take a breath!
Well it starts with how it feels when you are cooking it. The areas that I want to use need to feel probe tender. So how the resistance is on the thermopen. One thing is, is that you cannot get the entire butt uniformly tender. There are going to be parts of the butt that you just have to let go and not sacrifice the ENTIRE butt to get one part perfect. So it boils down to cooking the zones you use to probe tender and not worrying about the rest. Next, when I go to pull the butts, you are going to want to put your cotton gloves on with nitrile gloves over those, and feel the butt all over to figure out which butt is the correct tenderness, so you start with that one first. Then go to the best areas and start testing what the texture and taste are in those zones. Only put the best stuff in the box.
5am
Knows what a fatty is.
:eyebrows::eyebrows:
HolySmoke77
Knows what a fatty is.
Okie Sawbones
Banned
Funny, I most often find the MM to be overcooked, versus the pulled or chunks. I wondered why the cook didn't just put in the chunks by themselves. As a judge, I don't downgrade a box if it only has pulled or chunks.
fwdiii
is Blowin Smoke!
When I score PP......if it's not dry or mushy, then I score in the 8 - 9 range.
Right on Q
is Blowin Smoke!
This is how I've always approached pork. You have to sacrifice most of the butt to get certain parts the correct tenderness. But most importantly use your hands while separating the butt to feel for the most tender areas
nachos4life
Take a breath!
I eat a ton of pork finding the right parts that are tender to use when making boxes. I actually hate it because I never want to eat the brisket after that because I get full...
but yes, find the parts you want to use and get them probe tender. You will find parts that are not tender when doing that though.
but yes, find the parts you want to use and get them probe tender. You will find parts that are not tender when doing that though.
J&B'sBBQ
is Blowin Smoke!
There is some really solid advice here on pork tenderness.
I check for tenderness in my MM only when it's cooking. I have some steps to my process that'll help the other parts that I use if they're not quite there, but as mentioned above, you cannot focus on the whole butt and expect it all to be tender at the same time. Actually, when my MM is good, the rest of the butt is still way underdone. The part that I use for chunks and pulled is more tender than my MM because I feel that pulled is very offensive if it's underdone, more so than other parts of the meat. Someone else mentioned that when you put the piece of meat into your mouth, and it feels mushy against the roof, then it's overdone. This is the exact gauge that we use when picking for tenderness. As for tenderness when cooking, that is something you will learn with practice and time. You don't want it the probe to "slide in like butter" because then it's over cooked, but you certainly do not want resistance. I feel it's a small window, but certainly obtainable to find.
Good luck!
