I got a recipe from America's Test Kitchen for "slow-roasted pork" using a bone-in pork shoulder. They say to cook it at 325F until it's 190F internal temperature.
However: you normally need to cook pork only until 160F to kill microorganisms. Wouldn't cooking it until 190F dry it out? Why would they say to cook it until 190F if 160F is normally sufficient?
They say to cook until 190F because that's the temperature at which the stuff that actually makes your slow-roasted pork moist, the collagen, fat, etc. is breaking down and coating the meat. Less than that and you'll have all those bits still intact in your shoulder, which you don't want.
ATK explains this in their footnote on the recipe:
LOW OVEN
Just like in a pot roast, cooking the pork low and slow (325 degrees for 5 to 6 hours) pushes the meat well beyond its “done” mark into the 190-degree range, encouraging intramuscular fat to melt, collagen to break down and tenderize the meat, and the fat cap to render and crisp.
ATK's foot and header notes have taught me a lot over the years and I highly recommend them.
Going to that temperature ensures that the collagen breaks down in the shoulder. Much higher than that and it will start to dry out. Reaching 190 though is a good point and if you cooked it slow it will be fork tender. The bone will even slide out clean!
Now all you need is a smoker for those pork shoulders and you'll be set!
Without question low and slow is best for pork shoulder roasts. Roasting the meat to at least an internal temp of 180 degrees is critical. Once this temp is reached, remove the roast from the oven, cover loosely with foil and rest until the in the internal temp reaches at least 190 degrees.
Anyone that suggests a temp of lower than 190 degrees is not a professional chef. No offence intended. Testing my instructions against theirs will tell you everything you need to know. Best regards and good eating!
I am a former pro chef and serious home cook. I can assure you that the temperatures talked about here are way too high. Most chefs do not cook meats to 190 because that would get them fired or demoted to dishwasher. Low and slow pork is awesome at 145-150 degrees, you will not see any blood and it will be med-well. The idea with low and slow is to keep that meat at 145 for a few hours. 145 is completely safe and I've heard from the local health dept in Seattle that the USDA is talking about bringing the temp down to 135 for beef lamb and pork.
You can read the government's rules for restaurants here: http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Factsheets/Keep_Food_Safe_Food_Safety_Basics/index.asp
I roasted a pork shoulder for my poker club yesterday. It was a 9-pound bone-in pork shoulder that I seasoned with a dry rub, kosher salt and olive oil the night before. I took it out of the cooler at 6 a.m. the next morning to rest at room temp while I preheated the oven to 500F. I put the roast in the hot oven and roasted for 30 minutes with the hood vent on. This type of roasting creates a lot of smoke. Keeping the oven door closed, I then turned the oven down to 195F and then went to work. I pulled the roast out of the oven at 6:15 p.m. The internal temp of the roast was 147F. I served the roast taqueria style with fresh tortillas, salsas, cilantro, radishes and chopped onions. The meat was cooked perfectly throughout with juices running clear and the bone was completely cooked. All 12 poker buddies said that it was the best pork they've had. You can not overcook this meat using this process. I slow roasted it for 12-hours but could have gone 16-20 hours without a problem.
With this particular recipe I have had better results at 270 degrees uncovered until the pork reaches 180-185. Turn off oven and leave in until it reaches 190 then let rest out of oven covered for 20-30 minutes. Pulled pork for sure.
I have been cooking pork butts , the top of the shoulder, for years. My method is to cook them at a temperature between 210 and 225 Fahrenheit for 10 hours. I usually use butts that are 6 to 8 pounds. A nice dry rub is a good addition prior to starting the cooking process but through the years I have become a fan of the flavor of the slow roasted pork which develops naturally with low temperatures and a combination of oak and apple wood for the heat and smoke. If you cook slow and with good wood the the rub is a nice contributing flavor but not the main attraction. When the pork is done to 190 degrees or so you should pull it and as soon as possible put a nice vinegar based sauce on it so that it penetrates the meat and creates a wonderful flavor that explodes in your mouth.
Both are right. Chef Daryl's way is how I cook my roasts, just a tad different, but his way also presents the ability for the collagen to melt and the meat does not get dry. So you have moist meat with the broken down collagen.
I fry the roast on med/ med-high heat in my Dutch oven on the stove while my oven is warming up to a low broil temp. Once browned, I braise the liquid (I use beef stock because I prefer it to wine). Then I place it in the oven and lower the temp to 200 and cook for hours until I can see the collagen has melted.
I have also cooked it the other way (higher temp) and got the same result but the meat was, indeed, tougher every time.
