Bone-in Pork Shoulder

Hey Everyone,

I just finished cooking a bone-in pork shoulder for 24 hours @ 140. I am a novice at sous vide. Is it alright if the meat is still pink, with a decent amount of blood? I used the zip lock immersion technique, as the butt was too big for my vacuum sealer. I now have it cut into steaks, sealed and in the fridge. You think it's alright? Thanks!

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tshewman

The color does not = blood. That's been taken are of. If you have pink pork, that isn't a bad thing and assuming everything was within calibration (which it should be) the shoulder should be good to go. For what it's worth, I've done about 8-10 of these (maybe more) now and when I create steaks, I always remove the bone, trim (occasionally cut, usually not) brine and use a bit of activa for the cook (put the roast back together), chill and then cut into steaks. You can then use the bone and the trimmings to make a small amount of stock and/or use them to add to a current stock while creating a nice Jus. So, yes, it is likely quite alright. Enjoy and share. :-)

Ty_Cato_274086

Thanks Todd! I did submerge the shoulder in an ice water bath for about an hour before cutting into steaks. Even with an hour in the ice, the middle was still a little warm. Most of the "bloody" undercooked parts seemed to be located around the bone itself. Maybe the heat doesn't transfer through the bone as well as the meat? I'm hoping the reheating process will ensure that there is no danger in the meat.

tshewman

Hi Ty The blood is drained during slaughter and the color is generally myoglobin (a protein) or a source of red marrow from within the bones. The bone will conduct the heat along the length of the bone and this heats the inside (obviously), as heat increases, this renders the marrow and any associated color (and water, and connective tissue) from inside the bone. The take home is bones are not rigid, they have many many holes and are porous....so they leak :-) They also conduct electricity (yet are electrically neutral), so they can conduct heat (at a different rate than muscle or fat). To help with speeding up the cool down process there are a few things you can do, use a stainless steel vessel (or something insulated). If I use a stainless steel pot or large bowl, place it in the freezer for a while before you are ready to cool down the product (most important for larger portions). Add salt to the water to decrease the temperature of the water (making things colder). The transfer rate will still be slow, but this will help maintain the cooler temperature. Lastly, one of the best investments that can be made (that no-one talks about) is a second refrigerator (even a cheap one). It opens things up for things such as this. So the ice water stock pot (or whatever) can be helped along by the temp of the fridge.

Ty_Cato_274086

Thanks Todd! That is very helpful. I will convey the results after I cook the steaks tonight. That is, assuming I'm still alive!

Ty_Cato_274086

Well, the steaks turned out great! I might cut them thinner next time. 1 3/4" steaks are almost too much.