internal temp for fully cooked pork

We're talking about pork shoulders (butts and/or picnics) or hams (fresh hams, not cured), to have all the fat rendered properly and be done to the point where it pulls perfectly (falling off the bone) and holds its moisture, you're looking at 192-202. It's done around 165, but it doesnt make pulled pork worth a darn...

195+ will get you pulled pork. The fat starts to break down at 170ish

It depends on what pork you're talking about. A pork loin roast can come off at 150-155, but the shoulder/Boston butt needs to be 195 to be tender and pull apart.

Exactly what cut of pork are you cooking and how do you intend to cook it?

There is a difference between the internal temperature at which the meat is safe to eat and the temp where it is super tender and delicious. On Pork butts, picnics and fresh hams something wonderful happens on the smoker between 170 and 195-200. There is a scientific explanation with proteins and collagens denaturing and fats rendering, but it tastes like magic.

Safe to eat isn't always cooked. I'll stop cooking a pork loin when it reaches 135 because its safe to eat but its so lean I don't want it to dry out. I take my butts to 195-200 because they aren't fall apart tender yet. You'll eat a medium rare steak at 135, but your brisket will probably be leather until it hits 190-200.

I believe the .gov guidelines for food temp are often overly cautious assuming you aren't immune system compromised. I'll also put raw egg whites in a cock tail, eat a medium rare hamburger if I trust the grinder, have an egg sunny side up. Ymmv.

My rough rule of thumb for safe to eat is:
ground meat:160 for supermarket meat, 135 for hamburger i believe to be "clean"
steak: 135
chicken: 160
pork: 135 for large cuts like loin, 140 for tenderloin or chops

Fattier, poorer cuts of meat (like those bbq is often made from) often will need to be cooked to higher temperatures.

195, for pulling, temperatures are a bit lower for chopped or sliced.

Soybomb HIT the NAIL on the HEAD!!!:clap2: Even the OVERLY cautious USDA now recognizes pork as "safe to eat" at 145 internal temp.What the others said is also a fact about fattier larger hunks of meat.

I would say you have been doing it right it the bone falls right out.

Hoss said:

Soybomb HIT the NAIL on the HEAD!!!:clap2: Even the OVERLY cautious USDA now recognizes pork as "safe to eat" at 145 internal temp.What the others said is also a fact about fattier larger hunks of meat.

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