Originally Posted By Wid

I never cook at real low temps, for me it's 240 or 250 for most things except poultry.

The lowest i've tried was 215F but it just takes too long to cook. 225F is my bottom now but 250F is usually my target as well.

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I never use a meat probe and really don't find it all the necessary. After a while you get a pretty good idea when things are getting done by feel or just using a meat therm like the thermapen.

It is not possible to know by touch when any meat is hitting its proper temperature regardless of what people say.
A thermopen IS a probe. I just leave ours in the meat full time so i don't have to keep opening the lid.

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It was told to me that inserting a probe before the out side of the meat hits 140 degree could introduce bacteria into the inside of the meat. Then with large muscle meat you run the risk of not getting out of the danger zone (40 to 140) in enough time (4 hours).

Nonsense. Unless you have a horribly unclean probe with pork blood on it a few days old and ripe, and even then...

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I agree taking the shoulder to 195 then letting it rest.

I've read anything between 195 and 200F but i tried both and didn't find any difference in tenderness or doneness.

"Those who preach the myths of audio are ignorant of truth."