two small pork roasts instead of one big one

i was going to do a low-and-slow pork roast for me and the wife, so i bought a 2.8 lb bone in roast for tomorrow. now we're having friends over, so i bought another one. my question is this: i found a recipe for a 6 lb roast (5 hrs @ 325 degrees, cooking until internal temp of 190), how would my cooking time vary if i cook two small roasts? would it be halved? 

i have a decent leave-in thermometer and a thermapen, so i know i can get the internal close - but is, let's say, 3 hours @ 325 enough to get a good crackling on the fat cap and render all the fat?

thanks in advance for any advice.

Quote:

Originally Posted by French Fries 

 

First of all I wouldn't target an internal temp of 190 unless the goal is to make pulled pork.

actually, i am going for a low-and-slow pulled pork sort of thing. it's a convection oven, but i have the fan off. i'm cooking them in a roasting pan with a rack, with a quart of water catching the drippings so they don't burn.

Quote:

Originally Posted by boar_d_laze 

190 is a tiny bit on the low side for pulled pork. You want 195+. Allow a long rest. Cooking time for both is the same as cooking time for teh larger of the two. Like you, I don't do pork roasts that small often enough to be definite; and then almost never in an indoor oven. Oven temps tend to be less than exact down at the low end, and vary a great deal frfom one to another. I'll guess in the neighborhood of three hours (like you), but that's just ball-parking it. It could be 2-1/2 hours, could be 4-1/2.

Remember what I said about the long rest? Pork cooked to the pulling point, is one of those things which really cannot be over-rested. You can go anywhere from five hours to two, with the roasts individually wrapped in heavy-duty, commercial-type cling wrap (best) or foil (very good), and held whole (and unpulled) in a close-fitting Igloo or Coleman type cooler. The long rest will allow you a lot of leeway in cooking time.

If you plan on eating at 7, start the preheat at 12, put the roasts in at 12:30, keep your eye on the internal, and pull when your thermometers ask sweetly. You'll have plenty of time to cool the drippings, making them easy to defat; and all will be well.

Speaking of drippings... water is very nice and all but you might want to think about some wine or beer, and some aromatics, herbs and maybe even some fruit down in the bottom of the pan as well.

Bon apetit,
BDL

awesome advice. i cook a lot of beef and other red meats (venison, bison, lamb, etc.), but i've only just begun getting into pork. thanks!

follow-up

the pork was amazing. the exterior was almost candied. it was tender, moist and just pulled apart. cooked it to 190 and let rest for an hour. 

Quote:

Originally Posted by French Fries 

Sorry for the misinterpretation on pulled pork vs carved roast. Glad to hear the roasts turned out perfect.  Out of curiosity, how much time did it end up taking to bring the roast up to 190?

it took about four hours. i didn't realize that, though both were marked as "bone-in," only one of the two had a bone (the net should've given it away for the boneless one, but it didn't occur to me). so that was a Whole Foods screw up. the bone-in roast took a little longer to reach 190. i rested both for an hour. the temp and juiciness was perfect when we served. no matter - both tasted awesome.