This bad boy has been cooking for 7 hours now. It's pretty tender, but there's still tons of fat.
I'd like to eat it in the next 2 hours, but it's definitely not pull-apart-worthy yet. Do I just leave it on low for 2 hours or do I crank it to high? I'd like it to be extremely tender and not full of fat.
by UncleEpstein
10 Comments
Almost 7 pounds? Needs more time for sure.
Larger pieces always need more time.
Flip it over and just keep adding time until it’s the way you want it.
P.S. You should cut large pieces in half next time.
Well most recipes I see online say 8 hours on low for around 4lbs, which is 2 hours per lb. Yours is 6.74lbs so at minimum it’d probably need 12-13ish hours on low, but probably more. So crank it up to high and check on it in 1 hour, if not done yet check in another hour and so on until it’s falling apart
Switch it to high if in a rush.
Otherwise you got at least 3 more hours.
lmao “id like to eat it in the next 2 hours”
reminds me of my family when im smoking meats
“ITS DONE WHEN ITS DONE!”
As someone else said, you could speed it up some by cutting it in half, or in quarters. If you’re planning on shredding it anyways, it shouldn’t really have a downside.
As far as the fat, you’ll need to pull some of that out when you pull the meat.
It needs at least 3-4 more hours on low. It usually takes my roasts (5-6 lbs) about 12-13 hours on low.
People here don’t know that low and high is just how long it takes to get to temp. Not temperature settings.
I’d still go with low for however long it takes for the meat to be easily pulled. That is a big pork shoulder. It needs more time for the fat to render and for the meat to melt into buttery softness.
My SIL commented on the tenderness of my chuck roast when I had them over for dinner one night and asked how long I cooked it in my slow cooker. I told him at least 9 hours,for an average 4 pound roast. He had been cooking his for 5 hours and it was done, but still relatively tough.
It can be so difficult to wait for that perfect moment when the texture is just right. The anticipation and intoxicating smell of it cooking makes you want to serve it before it is ready.
Also, keep in mind that every slow cooker is different. Some cook hotter than others.
Fat has no where to go in a crock pot.
And yes put it on high and quit opening the lid- it sets the temp inside back so takes longer to finish
Take a turkey baster and suck out some of the fat (or a spoon) and dispose of in the garbage- not the sink