Pork Shoulder..... your recipes'

[scott_vt]

Good Mornin Guys,
Its a beautiful day in New England and we have decided to smoke a pork shoulder.

Our shoulder is 13.5 lbs and we have used a dry rub today, put it on the smoker just about 9:40. Ive never done one before, the smoker is running about 200 or maybe a bit less.

Any guesses on how many hours ?

Dry rubbed with clove, various peppers, garlic powder etc...

Im using the hickory infused charcoal, and adding an occassional handful of moistened hickory chips...

Wondering what your recipe is and what type of success you have had... Thanks...

 

[brin]

I always inject our pork butts and shoulders with a mix of white vinegar and any store brand BBQ sauce...about a 50-50 mix and inject it all into the roast.

cooking it at 220 - 250 degrees for a very long time (it'd probably take you about 16 - 18 hours to cook 13 pound Shoulder at those temps.)
I look for an internal temp. of 185 - 190 if you're intending to use it as pulled pork. But I'd pull it no higher temp. than 175 - 180 internal and let it rest for about 10 or 15 minutes for slicing to plate

 

[PossumHound]

200 F, perfect temperature for a shoulder. Should take 8 - 10 hours if you can keep the temp where it is. Don't open the grill/smoker any more that you absolutely have to. Good luck!

PH

 

[schoolsout]

200 degrees will take longer than 8-10 hours, IMO.

Brin is right...I like 220 if I can keep it there, but going higher isn't a problem.

 

[CBW1999]

What Brin said-

I try to run between 225 and 250 for pork. I run the pork on the lower level of my smoker and put chicken on the top level. That way, half way through the pork cooking we can have lunch!

I bought a remote thermometer at lowes for about 15 bucks. Can place the probe in the pork and leave it there, run the wire outside of the smoker and have the receiver with me. Found it to be very accurate and removes the need to open the smoker.

Scott- I'm up north of you, could be there in about 3 hours to see if you are doing ok and to "taste test" your results for you!

 

[scott_vt]

Thanks Guys,
This is a bone in roast, so Im hoping the bone will help cook the interior roast to some degree...

I have been maintaining about 200 - 220, so I guess I should have started about 8 am, rather than 9:30 plus''

Thanks for your tips as usual !

 

[scott_vt]

What Brin said-

Scott- I'm up north of you, could be there in about 3 hours to see if you are doing ok and to "taste test" your results for you!

Hey CBW1999,
Your allways welcome !

 

[scott_vt]

:OK Guys,
OK sorry my mistake, should have been wearing my specs, the weight is 8.9 lbs not 13.5... sorry

Even at that weight I started too late in the day, I smoked it for 5 hrs and then put it in the oven at 300, hopefully that will work so we can eat today !!!

 

[brin]

:OK Guys,
OK sorry my mistake, should have been wearing my specs, the weight is 8.9 lbs not 13.5... sorry

Even at that weight I started too late in the day, I smoked it for 5 hrs and then put it in the oven at 300, hopefully that will work so we can eat today !!!

Scotty...You will be just fine...don't even think of worrying...the smoke taste goes into the meat in the first 2 hrs. and you can put it in the oven to finish it off...even crank it up to 350 or 375 if you need to but you might want to cover it with some Aluminum foil so the bark does not burn....You will now eat tonight....good move !

 

[scott_vt]

Thanks Brin, I was hoping you would say that !!!

 

[2LaneCruzer]

I would highly recommend the digital meat thermometer; but I would take it off about 150 degrees; no higher than about 160 internal. The meat begins to dry out if overcooked. There are lots of opinions about smoking meat, but the general rule I follow is low and slow...about 225 to 250 degrees; add some Mesquite, Oak and Pecan or Hickory wood early on for that good smokey flavor, and with pork, a good dry rub with lots of garlic!

Check this out: http://www.porkbeinspired.com/Resources/Images/2924.pdf

 

[brin]

I would highly recommend the digital meat thermometer; but I would take it off about 150 degrees; no higher than about 160 internal. The meat begins to dry out if overcooked. There are lots of opinions about smoking meat, but the general rule I follow is low and slow...about 225 to 250 degrees; add some Mesquite, Oak and Pecan or Hickory wood early on for that good smokey flavor, and with pork, a good dry rub with lots of garlic!

2Lane...the Pork shoulder is a fattier cut than a pork loin or tenderloin and if you notice from the very link you provided...they do not list an internal temperature for the shoulder like they do the other cuts..."
Shoulder (Butt)* 3–6 lbs. Tender 45 minutes per lb. "

Notice they just say tender for temp. on a shoulder where on the other cuts they list an internal temp...also notice the 45 min per pound cooking time....

I just want Scotty to eat tonight...and 160 deg internal temp will not be a tender shoulder roast....Pork loin or tenderloin ...yes....

Check this out: http://www.porkbeinspired.com/Resources/Images/2924.pdf

2Lane...the Pork shoulder is a fattier cut than a pork loin or tenderloin and if you notice from the very link you provided...they do not list an internal temperature for the shoulder like they do the other cuts..."
Shoulder (Butt)* 3–6 lbs. Tender 45 minutes per lb. "

Notice they just say tender for temp. on a shoulder where on the other cuts they list an internal temp...also notice the 45 min per pound cooking time....

I just want Scotty to eat tonight...and 160 deg internal temp will not be a tender shoulder roast....Pork loin or tenderloin ...yes....

 

[PossumHound]

Glad that method works for you, Brin. I have cooked many hundreds of pounds of pork butts, whole hogs, ham, you name it, and I have never had any trouble using my method with the time I recommended. There's more than one way to skin a cat or cook a hog. Of course, Scott needed to eat today so he had to alter his method for practicality's sake. Hope it was good!

PH

 

[2LaneCruzer]

2Lane...the Pork shoulder is a fattier cut than a pork loin or tenderloin and if you notice from the very link you provided...they do not list an internal temperature for the shoulder like they do the other cuts..."
Shoulder (Butt)* 3–6 lbs. Tender 45 minutes per lb. "

Notice they just say tender for temp. on a shoulder where on the other cuts they list an internal temp...also notice the 45 min per pound cooking time....

I just want Scotty to eat tonight...and 160 deg internal temp will not be a tender shoulder roast....Pork loin or tenderloin ...yes....

I concede...to be pullable, the internal temp should be 190 degrees at least. I have found that with big cuts of meat, the digital thermometer is the best indicator of when the cut is done. I have produced some spectacular pork roasts that way...especially a cut called "rib end pork roast". I smoke a lot of pork on my Big Green Egg; and overcooking has always been a problem. The digital thermometer mitigates this to a great extent. One thing I have learned; sometimes you are a hero and produce the best BBQ in the world, and the next time you may not be so lucky. My specialty is baby back ribs on the BGE; I do have a reputation in about a 10 mile radius...but free BBQ is not often criticized, at least severely. I have come up with a couple of dry rub mixes of my own; one fairly mild, one a bit spicier...that I would be glad to share if anyone is interested.
Guess it's time for me to smoke another pork shoulder; it's been awhile.

 

[Carl_NH]

Scott,

You must be about ready to eat or are already enjoying that pork butt!

I do one or two a year - lather in brown sugar, garlic and spices, smoke for 3 hours then transfer to a sealed foil pan on the grill for 2-3 more hours @ 225 grill temp.

I do stick a digital thermometer in it and when it gets to about 145-150 in the smoke I transfer to the covered foil pan with some applesauce and a lite shot of apple cider vinegar.

Comes out great every time this way and cuts the cooking time to about 6 hours.

Carl

 

[s219]

All great advice here -- let us know how it turns out. Reminds me that I haven't smoked pork in while, and I actually have two 30-gallon rubbermaid containers full of hickory chunks from a blowdown tree we sawed up when Irene came through last fall.

I use a digital thermometer for roasting beef or smoking poultry where you could over-do it, but for pork BBQ I go by hours because you're generally getting the meat up to the BBQ temp and keeping it there for a long time. For instance, for ribs (I like the St Louis cut) I do 2 hours in the smoker at 250F, and then wrapped in foil for another 4 hours in the oven at 250F. The ribs come up to 250F within the first 2 hours on the smoker and stay at that temp for the rest of the time. This results in fall off the bone meat.

I forget what my timing is for shoulders, have to find my notebook. But same deal there -- it will be cooking at 250F for a while and sits at that temperature for hours while the meat turns into BBQ magic.

I tend to like my pork to fall off the bone and melt in the mouth, with plenty of fat juices to help it slide down. I know some other folks like their pork to have a bit more fight left in it, but to me, if you need toothpicks afterwards, you blew it. So I always go low and slow for a long long time.

Dang, I need to BBQ next weekend!

 

[Cat_Driver]

Take a look at this, MMMMMM, not Pork, but I think Pork can be used

Authentic Mexican Style Chili Colorado (Beef Chunks In Red Sauce) | One Stop Cook

 

[scott_vt]

Good Evenin Guys,
Thanks for all the suggestions and advice, I pulled it out of the oven at 5:30 and I checked the temp. I have 200 degs, it looks good to me !

I will let it set a few minutes and then its chow time !!!

Here is a pic, you guys better get here quick/////

 

[Carl_NH]

Looks good my mouth is watering... Looks like the table needs to be set... of course on this nice evening having it outside will be fantastic.

Do suggest you pull it now and let it sit for a few minutes - I usually pull it and dress with the foil pan drippings then lightly put some BBQ sauce and mix it up.

Enjoy your feast!

Carl

 

[scott_vt]

Looks good my mouth is watering... Looks like the table needs to be set... of course on this nice evening having it outside will be fantastic.

Do suggest you pull it now and let it sit for a few minutes - I usually pull it and dress with the foil pan drippings then lightly put some BBQ sauce and mix it up.

Enjoy your feast!

Carl

Good Evenin Carl.
Yes thanks, thats just about exactly what we did ! I used the Jack Daniels brown sugar BBQ sauce, it was perfect for this cut of meaT

Im really glad I didnt have lunch today !