Shoulder at 60 degrees: Grilling

The upper foreleg and neck, a bundle of small muscles held together by generous seams of fat and connective tissue. That structure makes it almost impossible to overcook slowly, which is why every barbecue tradition on earth converged on this one cut for pulled pork. Internal temperature has to run well past done: the collagen only surrenders in the nineties, long after the meat is technically safe.

Boston butt grades follow the carcass; look for even fat seams rather than a Prime sticker alone. Colour, sinew, where the fat sits, and thickness are what you check before you pay. Ask for the thickness that matches “Grilling.” Use 60 degrees and 60 when you cook. Salt after you know the job. Do not play with undercooked meat.

Cook Shoulder to 60 degrees and serve it as “Grilling.” The other figure to watch is 60. Do not time a hard-working muscle like a thin steak. Colour before heat is not doneness. Choose a piece with visible fat seams running through the middle, not just a cap on the outside. A cut’s grain comes from how much the muscle worked. Shoulder needs heat through to 60 degrees before “Grilling” makes sense. 60 is a stage of that heat, not a luxury score. The same cut becomes a stew, a grill, or a braise, so a steak minute does not cover a pot. Thick connective tissue wants time, not a hard sear alone. This is not medical advice.