help me with my pork shoulder

[Aimee]

It's ten pounds and I cooked it at 350 for 6 hours. The meat thermometer read 165 and I thought it would go up when I let it sit and rest. The ends were great (and delicious), but when I cut towards the bone, I nicked the bone and a lot of red liquid came out. I'm now thinking that it's not done enough. I don't have time to cook it anymore now, but I was thinking of throwing it into the crockpot tomorrow and continuing it that way. I don't cook meat too often so I'm a little confused by all of this. Any thoughts?

[SeanT]

you almost can't overcook pork shoulder.

[martin1026]

I agree-probably one of the most forgiving cuts of meet out there. Just remember that once you hit about 195 you won't be able to slice it, it will be more or less pulled pork

[Aimee]

can it be dangerous that I put it in the fridge when it wasn't fully cooked? I plan on continuing to cook it today. I actually want pulled pork so that part isn't a problem. I'm more worried about safety.

[toddlikesfood]

When pork's above~ 136 F it's completely cooked, in so far as there won't be any diseases, etc. I don't see any health issue with stopping the cooking and restarting.

[Gooseberry]

I often half-cook meat stews, refrigerate, and finish the next day. It allows the meat to absorb the cooking liquid and spices better. As long as you cook it to a safe temperature on the second day of cooking, it shouldn't be a problem at all.

Where people tend to run into problems is when they leave hot dishes out on the counter 'to cool down' for more than an hour in warm weather before refrigerating. It's not a good idea to leave any cooked or half cooked food in the 'danger zone' (I believe 40 to 140 in fahrenheit) for extended periods of time; it encourages the growth of pathogens. It's best to rapid cool and refrigerate food within an hour or so.