I have been wanting to try pork cushions for pulled pork. I swung by Cash & Carry on my lunch hour (there is one 5 minutes fronm my work) and saw they have pork cushions of sale for $1.29 a pound! ;)
I figured now was a good time to give them a try! I will prep them and get them in the smoker right after work so stay tuned for pix & etc!
Isn't the cushion a part of the shoulder or butt?
From the BBQ Butcher forum.
"The "cushion" comes from the Pork Shoulder Picnic (or Arm), The picnic shoulder is more economical than the Boston Butt, but also contains more fat than the blade shoulder. When the bone and fat is trimmed from this cut it results in a very rich flavored roast. The meat from this cut is excellent for making juicy barbecued pulled pork. The Picnic has a large bone and joint that runs through the middle of the roast, one side has a large lean muscle...that is the "cushion". You can also slice and pound them for pork cutlets, stew meat, etc and use them in any chicken recipe."
Squirt you ever used the cushions?
Quote from: 4given on July 12, 2012, 11:33:15 AM
Squirt you ever used the cushions?
No I have not. I've seen them at Restaurant Depot, but I didn't pick any up.
As I mentioned in your other thread. The cushion is the long/tapered muscle located in the picnic. There are two main muscles in the picnic. I have not cooked them separate, but when I cook picnics I don't pull them but slice them. When I slice I separate the cushion after the picnic if fully cooked. For me the muscles in the picnic had a flavor more similar to fresh ham, the butt has a distinct taste of it's own, but many use the picnic for pulled pork and love it. The cushion is the leaner of the two muscles.
In the other thread, Mike provided a good link on how to cook them for pulling.
This is in your other thread
Pork Cushions vs. Pork Butts (http://forum.bradleysmoker.com/index.php?topic=306.0)
see if you can catch it before it disappears from the screen ;D ;D
Quote from: Habanero Smoker on July 12, 2012, 01:06:56 PM
As I mentioned in your other thread. The cushion is the long/tapered muscle located in the picnic. There are two main muscles in the picnic. I have not cooked them separate, but when I cook picnics I don't pull them but slice them. When I slice I separate the cushion after the picnic if fully cooked. For me the muscles in the picnic had a flavor more similar to fresh ham, the butt has a distinct taste of it's own, but many use the picnic for pulled pork and love it. The cushion is the leaner of the two muscles.
In the other thread, Mike provided a good link on how to cook them for pulling.
I wonder if they used the Texas Crutch for moistness of to speed the cooking time?
Quote from: 4given on July 12, 2012, 02:37:05 PM
Quote from: Habanero Smoker on July 12, 2012, 01:06:56 PM
As I mentioned in your other thread. The cushion is the long/tapered muscle located in the picnic. There are two main muscles in the picnic. I have not cooked them separate, but when I cook picnics I don't pull them but slice them. When I slice I separate the cushion after the picnic if fully cooked. For me the muscles in the picnic had a flavor more similar to fresh ham, the butt has a distinct taste of it's own, but many use the picnic for pulled pork and love it. The cushion is the leaner of the two muscles.
In the other thread, Mike provided a good link on how to cook them for pulling.
I wonder if they used the Texas Crutch for moistness of to speed the cooking time?
Don't see why not. After the smoke is applied.
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I decided to cook these cushions the same as I have done my pork butts so I can directly compare the two. I rubbed them with Jans and used veg oil for glue. I am not going to use a crutch. I am going to smoke with Bradley Hickory pucks for about 3 - 4 hours and leave them in the bradley untill I get an IT of about 195 - 200. I will FTC them for several hours.
OK Here are some PIX! :)
Here is rhe label on one of the packages
(http://i888.photobucket.com/albums/ac84/bearcrk/P71203361024x768.jpg)
8 little piggies.............
(http://i888.photobucket.com/albums/ac84/bearcrk/P71203371024x768.jpg)
Rubbed and ready! Using Jans Rub!
(http://i888.photobucket.com/albums/ac84/bearcrk/P71203381024x768.jpg)
In the smoker........ with Hickory pucks.
(http://i888.photobucket.com/albums/ac84/bearcrk/P71203401024x768.jpg)
That's gonna be good!!
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Those cushions look good. I'm excited to see how they turn out. Seems like I only see picnics in my area. Sweet scrolling marquee link corn1. You guys are all great.
Well I goofed up last light.............. got in too big a hurry....
Notice in the picture of the Bradley how the cabinet power light is not on.............
I woke up this mornining checked my temps and the cab never got over 120..... meat was 119.... the cabinet was not plugged in all the way. :(
It's plugged in all the way now :o :o I have my wife watching it. Should get up to temp quickly.
Sheesh............. Too low and too slow.............
I looked at the time stamp of your post showing the pic of the smoker and then checked the time stamp of your post where you indicated the power to the heating elememnt was not on at all. It appears that between the two posts it was around 12 hours.
Maybe I am overreacting but to me 12 hours is a long time for that meat to have been in the danger zone of 40-140 degrees. I'll certainly yield to the other members who are more knowledgeable than me but as for me, that causes me great concern.
Quote from: KyNola on July 13, 2012, 07:15:39 AM
Maybe I am overreacting but to me 12 hours is a long time for that meat to have been in the danger zone of 40-140 degrees. I'll certainly yield to the other members who are more knowledgeable than me but as for me, that causes me great concern.
I agree.. I would err on the cautious side and toss them.
Steven
Quote from: standles on July 13, 2012, 07:47:07 AM
Quote from: KyNola on July 13, 2012, 07:15:39 AM
Maybe I am overreacting but to me 12 hours is a long time for that meat to have been in the danger zone of 40-140 degrees. I'll certainly yield to the other members who are more knowledgeable than me but as for me, that causes me great concern.
I agree.. I would err on the cautious side and toss them.
Steven
Call me an overreact-er as well, but I would toss them in the trash.
Don't fret, it's happened to all of us one time or another....
:'( :'( Sort of happened to me in another smoker I have. The pellets got stuck and did not feed into the auger to go into the firepot. >:( I had set my et732 and cought it in time. Luckly Ive never had that problem in my Bradley 4 rack. :)
So an IT of 200F would not kill any pathogens that may have formed during the night? Also what about the cure (jans rub) and the smoke? Wouldn't they inhibit any growth?
Quote from: mikecorn.1 on July 13, 2012, 07:58:15 AM
:'( :'( Sort of happened to me in another smoker I have. The pellets got stuck and did not feed into the auger to go into the firepot. >:(
The dreaded 'cone'...
Quote from: 4given on July 13, 2012, 08:00:53 AM
So an IT of 200F would not kill any pathogens that may have formed during the night? Also what about the cure (jans rub) and the smoke? Wouldn't they inhibit any growth?
Jan's Rub is in no way a cure. It is simply a flavoring rub. Please don't confuse the two.
As I said earlier, I will yield to others who are much more knowledgeable than me but I simply would not risk it.
Quote from: 4given on July 13, 2012, 08:00:53 AM
So an IT of 200F would not kill any pathogens that may have formed during the night? Also what about the cure (jans rub) and the smoke? Wouldn't they inhibit any growth?
Larry beat me to it. Its a delicious rub that at times Ive been known to sprinkle in my hands and eat by itself ;D.
Got this from the USDA site " If raw meats have been mishandled (left in the "Danger Zone" too long), bacteria may grow and produce toxins which can cause foodborne illness. Those toxins that are heat resistant are not destroyed by cooking. Therefore, even though cooked, meat and poultry mishandled in the raw state may not be safe to eat even after proper preparation."
I am so bummed.................................... :( :( :( :( :( :( :( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'(
Don't be bummed. I guarantee you every single one of us on this forum have had to throw meat away because of some sort of unfortunate mistake or series of events. Some of us have had to do that more than once. :o (Not me of course ;D) Go buy some more cushions and get them in there. Chalk the price of the tossed meat as the cost of a lesson learned.
It happens to us all.
I guess I will fess up..
I have tossed meat several times :o
Better to toss out.......... than to TOSS UP! ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
I had my wife pull them out and throw them away. They didn't smell even right...yuck! :P
I stopped at Cash & Carry and bought two boneless pork butts. They are a little more per pound but all in all it only cost me about 5 bucks more. I'll try cushions another day.
I got the butts rubbed and in the smoker... and ALL the red lights are glowing this time! ;)
I'll post picks when they are done.
Now you're talking! Back in the saddle, again!
Dere you go 4given! It's all good. :)
Maybe I missed it, but do you monitor the Bradley with a remote thermometer?
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Glad to hear you threw them out.
Better safe than sorry ;)
Quote from: standles on July 13, 2012, 04:44:07 PM
I guess I will fess up..
I have tossed meat several times :o
When in doubt throw it out!
I have never seen the neighbors dogs eating anything i messed up in the smoker ::) ::)
Quote from: mikecorn.1 on July 14, 2012, 05:28:41 AM
Maybe I missed it, but do you monitor the Bradley with a remote thermometer?
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I monotor the meat temp remotely with a 1 channel Maverick but not the cabnet temp. I foolishly bought a single channel before I read what you guys were all doing. I'll probably get one down the road. I did get my frog mats last week and am trying them out on this smoke! Hoping it makes cleanup easier.