Hi everyone, this is my first rime trying to make pulled pork with pork shoulder and after 14 hours on high, the pork only reached a temperature of 139-140F. I don’t know what to do now and i have to go away to work soon and wont be back home for another 15 hours.
I will add that the pork wasn’t room temperature when i put it in the slow cooker yesterday and i also put cold liquid from the fridge.
I am really worried i have effed this up badly. Please help.
by Kid_of_Mary_Jane
29 Comments
The pork shoulder is around 4.2 pounds
14 hours on high is an insane amount of time to cook something in the slow cooker.
Does the meat shred? If it shreds, you’re fine, although it might be total mush. If it doesn’t shred at this point, there is something wrong with your slow cooker and it’s not heating properly.
Your slowcooker is definitely messed up, if the temps are stabilizing around 140 then you should toss it and buy a new one
140 should be fine for slow cooker pork shoulder unless you have some reason to think otherwise?
A low temperature for a longer time is… the entire point. What even is your concern here? Food safety? Melting collagen?
I think the slow cooker isn’t cooking properly or your thermometer is off..
# Slow Cooker Function Test:
# 1. Fill with Water
* Pour about 3 quarts (or enough to fill it halfway) of room temp water into the insert.
# 2. Turn it on LOW
* Plug it in and set it to **LOW**.
# 3. Check After 2 Hours
* The water should be **hot to the touch** (at least 180°F if measured with a thermometer). You might see light steam.
# 4. Check After 4 Hours
* The water should be near a **gentle simmer**, and you should be able to measure **around 190–200°F**.
# Optional: Try it on HIGH
* Repeat with the **HIGH** setting—after 2 hours, it should be over **200°F**, and possibly lightly bubbling.
_______________
# How to Test a Cooking Thermometer for Accuracy
# 1. Ice Water Test (Should read ~32°F / 0°C)
* Fill a glass with **crushed ice and cold water**.
* Stir and let sit for 2–3 minutes.
* Insert the thermometer probe into the center without touching the sides or bottom.
* It should read **32°F (0°C)**.
* If it’s off, many thermometers have a calibration screw or digital reset.
# 2. Boiling Water Test (Should read ~212°F / 100°C)
* Boil water in a pot.
* Carefully insert the probe into the water, again avoiding sides and bottom.
* It should read **about 212°F (100°C)** at sea level.
* **Note**: Boiling point drops with altitude! For example, at 1,000 ft: ~210°F, at 5,000 ft: ~203°F.
I’m stoned to the bone. To me, the 2nd photo, at first glance, looked like you threw a newborn in the slow-cooker. Damn near had a heart attack.
There is not enough liquid. When you cook with a slow cooker the ingredients should be more or less submerged. A slow cooker is basically a slow boiler.
It’s not internal temperature. It’s internal temperature over time. Check the charts.
So why don’t you just finish it off in the oven? Yeah, toss the crock
Are you sure the thermometer is calibrated right.
Also 140F is the minimum temp to kill bacteria. 140 at several hrs should be enough to have sterilized food.
Edit.
You also need more liquid. At least half should be submerged
The fat looks rendered though. Check your thermomometer.
I appreciate all the replies. I am going to abondon mission., tried cutting into it and its tough and still a bit pink in the middle. There is a fox that wanderers around near me. I think its going to him.
Did it go into “warm” mode after a while?
Is it on warm now? As in cooked on high for X hours and then went to warm and cooled down?
Mine can’t be set for 14 hours on high.
Take the pot out with the meat still in it and stick the entire pot in the oven. Add some more liquid, if you have a timer that will turn it off after 7-8 hours, do that.
What it turned on?? No way that’s been cooked
Slow cooker thermostat may be faulty, double check your temp probe also with some fridge water and boiling water to check its within for both cold and hot calibration.
Your slow cooker is broken. Discard it and the meat and start again later. Maybe keep the porcelain pot as a backup in case the primary breaks.
Just leave it and then blast it in the oven to bring the internals up to temp when you’re ready to eat
When I make pulled pork it’s good to shred after around 8 hours on low, if even.
You plugged the slow cooker in, right?
I didn’t see anyone else mention this. Maybe I missed it, though. Did you leave the lid on the whole time?
Key piece of information missing here: lid or no lid?
Was it set for warm?
Two choices remove from pot and transfer liquid to a pot stick in fridge then roast in oven when you get home.
If was not on warm keep ceramic vessel as a spare and dump crockpot as heating element has gone bad.
How old is your slow cooker? Still under warranty? Might be worth it to call company customer service, just a suggestion.
Sounds like the power went out at some point or your cooker is not working right.
Is it the thermometer? I literally just got one for my parents and the first time we cooked pork it never got up to temp and ended up being overcooked and dry AF.
Time to get a new slow cooker
Either the slow cooker or the thermometer is malfunctioning; that should be impossible.
But as a side note, you should run it on low for meats. Low for about 10-12 hours should be great for shredded pork