My pork shoulder stalled for hours, so I tried wrapping it in a beach towel

I was cooking a 9 pound shoulder for a family thing in Phoenix, and it hit 160 degrees and just stopped. After 4 hours stuck there, I got desperate. I pulled it off, wrapped it tight in foil, then wrapped the whole thing in a thick towel and put it in a cooler. Two hours later, it was at 203 and perfect. Has anyone else used a cooler rest as a rescue move for a stubborn stall?

2 comments

2 Comments

simonp476d ago

Oh, that's a smart save. I've done the cooler trick too, but before the cook was even done. My last brisket just would not push past 175, no matter what. I finally pulled it, wrapped it in butcher paper, then a towel, and let it sit in a cooler for almost three hours. It kept cooking from its own heat and finally got tender. Sometimes the fire just gives up, but the meat's own heat can finish the job.

ross.felix6d ago

Yeah, it's like when you gotta step back and let things finish on their own time. Works with more than just meat, I mean.