Pulled pork smoke - temp issue overnight

[Stompandstomp]

During a smoke of some pork shoulders last night, my pellet hopper had an issue. The butts were dry brined with salt for 4 hours before adding rub and beginning smoke. The smoke started at 9:45pm last night and internal temp on both was above 140 degrees before 1 am ... and stayed above that until around 6:45 am when the hopper ran dry (I guess it was too cold for pellets to slide down hopper ...). Discovered the issue around 7:30am, and the internal temp was below 140. My temp probe monitor shows the dropped below 140 for about 30-40 minutes before we discovered. I fired put the gas grill and placed on indirect heat to get IT back up on shoulders while the smoker temp was raising back to 225 degrees.

I finished the shoulders off by raising the IT back up to 200 degrees each, and am ready to put into cambro to sweat for 1+ hours before serving.

Any thoughts on potential risk for bacteria appreciated!
Thanks in advance

[DWCowles]

Welcome Stompandstomp personally I think it will be ok

[Stompandstomp]

Thank you

[Stompandstomp]

This pork was prepared for an event hosted by my mother in law ... with 20 of her friends ... and as a result, we passed on delivering it to them. Still undecided whether we will consume it or not. Given it was fully cooked at 160 degrees before temp dropped, I am inclined to go ahead, but wife is still very concerned.

Thoughts ?

[lschweig]

A lot depends upon how quickly you cooled it. Meaning if you got it down to 40 fairly quickly you are OK to recook. If it took a while for the temp to get down consume it shortly and you should be OK.

[SMOG MAN]

I would eat it myself

[lschweig]

I would too and would probably put it back on the cooker to finish temp.

[Stompandstomp]

Thanks to everyone for their comments.

[boftx]

Go for it and get some empirical evidence for the next time this happens.

[lschweig]

Actually, I had forgotten, but a while back I had the same issue with duck being underdone. A day or two later I put it back on and it turned out fine.

[SoCalTim]

This pork was prepared for an event hosted by my mother in law ... with 20 of her friends ... and as a result, we passed on delivering it to them. Still undecided whether we will consume it or not. Given it was fully cooked at 160 degrees before temp dropped, I am inclined to go ahead, but wife is still very concerned.

Thoughts ?

First pork butt I ever did, I got this bright idea of flipping it over so it would cook even. Well something happened and i dropped it on the ground - I took a quick look around, no one saw so I wiped it with a near by terry cloth and put it back in my egg.

Best dang butt I ever made!

Eat it, share it ... anything but toss it.

[lschweig]

5 second rule. Anyone ever made mud pies?

[EdF]

SoCalTim - sounds like my Dad's "secret ingredient"!

[Ckress44]

Stompandstomp,
I also use a pellet smoker and have had similar malfunctions occur. Actually was smoking some butts today and my auger took a crap. Luckily I had my maverik thermometer in. You can set a high and low limit temps to warn you of problems. The set it and forget of pellet smokers is not always fool proof. Sometimes we learn the hard way. Definitely a must have accessory.
Good luck on future smokes.

[PaulstheRibList]

Below 140 is in the Danger Zone. You want to stay out of that zone for any period of over 2 hours. Generally, if something gets to below 140, you want to raise it to 160 (or 165?...I'm tired) before serving. You brought yours to 200...so you are altogether food safe, from a temperature point of view.

[GadjetGriller]

Salt and smoke are both enemies of little beasties like salmonella and such so that should not be a concern. Taste a little if it tastes good eat it! It will be alright. brinning and smoking was how our ancestors use to preserve meat before refrigeration. Besides 165 internal is how hot you have to get to kill the bad bacteria, and you wrote you took it back to 200. You are golden!

[Nate]

Welcome from Indiana.

[fuzzydaddy]

Stompandstomp We'd love to get an intro from you over in the Introduce Yourself channel when you get a minute. Thanks!