Pork Shoulder

[3putt]

I need some tips.  I have only smoked a few boston butts and have not been really pleased with the results.  They have been tender enough but the flavor inside (deep in the shoulder meat) is not that good and they are not that juicy.  I usually use Strawberry's rub for ribs and brisket and that works great but was wondering what you suggested for the pulled pork.  Anybody marinate or brine theirs first?  I like to use a good old fashioned smoker with a side box for the first 3-4 hours and then I have moved them to an electric smoker for the remainder of the day.  I have really just tried cooking them the way I cook briskets because that's all I know to try.  Need help.  Any tips or suggestions appreciated.

[Tim Harris]

I usually try a different rub everytime I smoke so I'm not much help there.  How long are you smoking for and at what temperature?  Do you wrap them after a certain period?

I run mine about 225 to 250 the entire time on my weber smoker and haven't had any issues with them not being juicy.  I'm throwing a couple on Saturday and plan to either inject or brine them to see if it adds anything.

[HawgWild]

Have you considered Bo Ssam? It's a Korean variation of pork shoulder. Very easy to make and tastes great. There's a recipe posted in a thread below if you're interested.

[3putt]

I try to keep the temp b/w 200-225 on the smoker (first 3-4 hrs) and set it for 230 once I put it in the electric smoker.  I did wrap it after about 5 1/2 hrs the last time I tried one.  I'm not really sure how long I cooked it.  I don't go by time but temperature.  I always use a remote thermometer while smoking.  I pull them at 190 degrees internal temp.  Meat just really seems bland once you get past the outer layer.  Maybe I just need to find a good bbq sauce.

Bo Ssam...never heard of it but it looks interesting.  That may be an option for next time.  I'll let you know how it works out.  Thanks.

[DeltaBoy]

On BBQ Pit Masters they Inject those Shoulders.

[Tripod1]

Isn't 190 internal degrees a little too long on the pit?  I've always been under the impression of 140 for beef and 160 for pork.

[Tim Harris]

Isn't 190 internal degrees a little too long on the pit?  I've always been under the impression of 140 for beef and 160 for pork.

Not when doing it for pulled pork.

[jacobp]

190 is good for a butt.  I pull loins and chops at 140.

[The Boar War]

If you have the time put the pulled pork in a crock pot (on warm for four hours) with a cup of a mixture of apple juice and the extra dry rub.  I know it sounds like it might have too much of an apple taste but you really can't taste it and I've had really good results. 

It might also be the meat.

[3putt]

I like that idea.  When do you put it in the crockpot?  After it is completely cooked to correct temp?  If you mean after completely cooked, do you pull it first or throw it in whole?

[jacobp]

Don't crock the pork!

[DeltaBoy]

I like that idea.  When do you put it in the crockpot?  After it is completely cooked to correct temp?  If you mean after completely cooked, do you pull it first or throw it in whole?

After it is done. 

[Tripod1]

Not when doing it for pulled pork.

Thanks

[The Boar War]

Don't crock the pork!

I wouldn't cook it in a crock pot.  Since I don't wrap it I do it just to bring some of the moisture back in. 

If you mean after completely cooked, do you pull it first or throw it in whole?

I pull it first. 

[cosmodrum]

Smoke it for 4-5 hours on the pit, then put it in the oven at 225 and go to bed. You'll wake up in the morning with house that smells like a BBQ restaurant and moist, juicy pork.

That's how I do it because I simply don't have the time to babysit a shoulder or brisket in the smoker. But every shoulder I've done this way has been fantastic. You could inject, too, but in therms of moisture if never had one close to any definition of dry.

Yes BBQ purists, the oven is cheating. Wah.

[cosmodrum]

Oh yeah, have an internal read thermometer in it (can be the cheap $5 one) and pull it out at 190-195. I start mine in the late afternoon/early evening and by noon/1 I have some killer cue.

[rcopela]

Smoke it for 4-5 hours on the pit, then put it in the oven at 225 and go to bed. You'll wake up in the morning with house that smells like a BBQ restaurant and moist, juicy pork.

That's how I do it because I simply don't have the time to babysit a shoulder or brisket in the smoker. But every shoulder I've done this way has been fantastic. You could inject, too, but in therms of moisture if never had one close to any definition of dry.

Yes BBQ purists, the oven is cheating. Wah.

Hey Cosmo, Do you cover or wrap in foil when you put in oven?

[cosmodrum]

Hey Cosmo, Do you cover or wrap in foil when you put in oven?

Nope. No need.

[Tim Harris]

Smoke it for 4-5 hours on the pit, then put it in the oven at 225 and go to bed. You'll wake up in the morning with house that smells like a BBQ restaurant and moist, juicy pork.

That's how I do it because I simply don't have the time to babysit a shoulder or brisket in the smoker. But every shoulder I've done this way has been fantastic. You could inject, too, but in therms of moisture if never had one close to any definition of dry.

Yes BBQ purists, the oven is cheating. Wah.

I agree.  My preference is to cook it over wood the entire time but a 4 or 5 hour smoke day and then using the oven is much simpler.

[jacobp]

Yes BBQ purists, the oven is cheating. Wah.

Meh, most barbecue restaurants anymore just use big gas ovens that get periodical hits of smoke. Same thing.

[cosmodrum]

I agree.  My preference is to cook it over wood the entire time but a 4 or 5 hour smoke day and then using the oven is much simpler.

It's just cheaper and more convenient when I'm just making a shoulder for the fam. It's not like I can't do it all in the smoker, but I have nothing to prove.

[DeltaBoy]

Thanks

[Old Tusk]

The purist can't keep quiet.

If you cook wrapped in foil, it is brazing not BBQing. not saying it isn't tasty just not BBQ. Cooking in the oven is not cheating but does not produce as good a product. Finally, there is a difference between a shoulder and a butt.

[Tim Harris]

I put 2 pork butts on first thing the morning. Trying a Carolina style rub that I haven't used before. Will be interesting to see how they turn out.

[PharmacistHog]

The purist can't keep quiet.

If you cook wrapped in foil, it is brazing not BBQing. not saying it isn't tasty just not BBQ. Cooking in the oven is not cheating but does not produce as good a product. Finally, there is a difference between a shoulder and a butt.

I bet you correct other people's grammar and spelling as well.   

[cosmodrum]

The purist can't keep quiet.

If you cook wrapped in foil, it is brazing not BBQing. not saying it isn't tasty just not BBQ. Cooking in the oven is not cheating but does not produce as good a product. Finally, there is a difference between a shoulder and a butt.

Yep. There's the picnic shoulder and the Boston butt. Also, I never wrap in foil. I want the bark.

[hoosier]

I finish mine in the oven as well sometimes. Especially if it is a larger butt. Never had any complaints from anyone yet. Now if I had an egg or some other type smoker I didn't have to babysit and watch for 12 hours It'd be different. I usually have too many things going on to stay home for that long.

[Old Tusk]

I bet you correct other people's grammar and spelling as well.   

No. Just about Que. My gammmer sucks and I can't spell.

[PharmacistHog]

No. Just about Que. My gammmer sucks and I can't spell.

Well, I'm trying another brisket this weekend.  Have one that's aged about 2 months (hope its still OK).  Wish me luck. 

[Junkyard Hog]

I try a different rub every time. I apply it 24 hours before I put it on the smoker and then I smoke it about 1.5 hours per pound at 220 degrees.  Every one has been excellent, especially the parts with the bark.

[DeltaBoy]

IT all sounds good to me.

[ncrebel]

Brine it overnight.  Rub mustard on it then add your favorite dry rub.  Smoke ~ 225 for 10 to 12 hours.  When it reaches ~ 190, take it out and put it in a cooler (put towels down at the bottom and over the meat) for an hour.  Take it out and pull some pork.  Idiot proof.

8 ounces or 3/4 cup molasses
12 ounces pickling salt
2 quarts bottled water
6 to 8 pound Boston butt

[BR]

I like your Strawberry's rub, but I've been using Bad Byron's Butt Rub for a couple years now and it's my favorite.
Here's what I do:
*Trim the fat layer off.  Rub doesn't stick to fat and there's plenty of fat in the butt. Put lots of rub on a day or two before you cook.
*Use cherry wood chunks at the start of the smoke, then add more chuncks about an hour before you take the meat off.  It isn't necessary to have constant smoke to have great smoke flavor.
*cook at 225-250 for 1.5 hours per pound.  Let it cool some then pull it.  Add a little more rub and mix in after you pulled it.

Your electric smoker will turn out perfect pulled pork.  Set it at your 230 for 1.5 hours per lb.  Soak some cherry chips and fill the tray when you put it on and fill it again an hour before you take it off.  It will be perfect...done it many times on an electric smoker before I left it out in the rain and fried the heating element.

Agree with this... Can't go wrong.

[Old Tusk]

Well, I'm trying another brisket this weekend.  Have one that's aged about 2 months (hope its still OK).  Wish me luck. 

Waiting for a report.

[Old Tusk]

As for cooking a butt, it is simple.

Don't waste your time trimming the fat. Put the fat side up.

Rub it at least four hours before you put them on. All a rub can do is to balance the rub saline level with the saline level in the pork cells. This doesn't take 24 hrs.  A good schedule would be rub your butts before you go to work. Put them on the cooker at 7PM and take them off around 7am. Use sufficient wood to give you 4 hours of smoke on the front end.

Sprinkling the rub on after pull is a good idea. You might consider grinding the rub into a magic dust before you sprinkle it on.

[ncrebel]

I love threads like this.  Lots of experts to learn from.  Many thanks to the contributors here.

I do get a kick out of the contradictions of what makes the best BBQ.

-  Brine vs. don't brine
-  Debates about which wood is the best
-  Trim the excess fat vs. not
-  Soak wood chunks or not (chunks not chips)
-  Mop vs. not mopping
-  Adding apple juice or cider to the water pan or not (water smokers)

In the end it is all good.  Just look across the South, and even in your own state, the differences are amazing and everyone thinks theirs is the best :-).

For the record, I do brine my port butt, use hickory, and give it a healthy rub with my favorite spices (mustard used as the glue) before smoking.  I smoke it until the internal temperature is 190 degrees.

One of my Yankee friends has a Green Egg and is proud of his port butt.  He brought one end to work yesterday.  He pulled his off at 165 degrees and you had to slice it with a knife like a freaking ham.  It was not tender enough to pull.  He was proud of it so I let it be.

[Slacker]

No. Just about Que. My gammmer sucks and I can't spell.

When Old Tusk speaks in regards to BBQ, I listen.

[BR]

http://www.hogville.net/yabbse/index.php?topic=482923.0   Photos of a great Boston Butt cooked with the fat cap on...

[Slacker]

-  Brine vs. don't brine     BRINE
-  Debates about which wood is the best     HICKORY & APPLE
-  Trim the excess fat vs. not      ONLY A COMMI WOULD TRIM THE FAT
-  Soak wood chunks or not (chunks not chips)     NO SOAK ON CHUNKS
-  Mop vs. not mopping     REALLY DEPENDS ON WHAT I'M PREPARING
-  Adding apple juice or cider to the water pan or not (water smokers)  SAVE THE CIDER FOR YOUR APPLE PIE MOONSHINE

[Tim Harris]

I like your Strawberry's rub, but I've been using Bad Byron's Butt Rub for a couple years now and it's my favorite.

Bad Byron's is probably my favorite too. I like to try others but usually go back to it.

[PharmacistHog]

Waiting for a report.

I smoked a rack of ribs and the brisket at same time.  Brisket was a smaller one than what I usually smoke.  I left it on the smoker until it reached 190, let it rest and wrapped it and threw it in the cooler.  I just warmed it back up last night in the oven and it was pretty darn good.  Maybe I little more over than I prefer, but not so much that it wasn't good.  Wasn't falling apart but wasn't hard to chew.  I think I'm getting better.  The ribs were awesome, by the way.  I also stuffed some banana peppers out of the garden with cream cheese and pulled pork and wrapped in bacon and smoked them for about 2 hours.  Hard to beat. 

[DeltaBoy]

Yumming sounding  Stuffed peppers on the smoker.

[kibster]

I just smoked a butt yesterday.   I use OakRidge BBQ rubs and I love them.  Some of the best I have found.  They have a sampler pack you can get for cheap to try it out.
http://www.oakridgebbq.com/p/about-our-products.html

[Hog Duk Dong]

Had to input my 2 cents on this.

Similar to cosmodrum and ncrebel for the most part.

1. I coat the shoulder in mustard and then cover generously with rub. (my experience is just about anything works well I have not found a favorite here)

2. Let that sit (covered) in the refer all night.

3. around 6pm the next day I secure my favorite carbonated adult beverage and then get the fire going on my side box smoker.  Once ready, I grab another cold one.  Then insert the shoulder deep into the smoker....  I let it sit her smoking till about midnightish.  Using mainly Pecan sometimes add some cherry as well.  After the six pack is done.. well i mean once the meat is at least 160ish internal temp I pull it off the smoker.

4. Next I double wrap in foil then (I hate to tell you purists this) set in the oven at 225.  Then drink one more beverage before I hit the rack. 

5.  waking up around 6ish the BBQ smell is enough to make you hungry.  But if the temp is at least 195F you pull it out of the oven and wrap in a towel then place in the cooler.

6.  after at least 2 hours to let the juices redistribute you can then remove and watch as the pork falls apart with just a good long stare...  If you are not in a hurry you can let it stay in the cooler for a few hours as it will not get cool for a long while. 

7.  Open more beverages. then enjoy good friends and great BBQ!

That is the Dongers way at least!

[roy quapaw]

1. inject that sucker!   I like peach nectar with mountain dew, mix in a good rub that will dissolve well (I like Big Mista's, check it out on the inter webs)

2. Place rub.  I put on mustard to make the rub adhere better.  I like Blues Hog rub on the outside of the Butt.

3. Cook on your smoker until a good bark forms (usually 2 to 3 hours).

4. Foil butt or place in pan and foil, cook until internal temp about 200.

5. Let it rest at least one hour.

6. Pull and sauce.

7. Enjoy, and tell 'em you did that Souther Krunk Style!

[Slacker]

3 14 oz sacks of his rubs "Bitchin beef rub", "Chicken Scratch" and Pork Rub will cost ya $41 after shipping. Damn. Does it have gold flakes in it?

[Slacker]

FWIW, I've never ever rubbed a butt with mustard. I understand the theory. Just not my thang.

[Slacker]

Stick with the yardbird I gave ya. Lol.

I need to order some more of that. Good stuff.

[cosmodrum]

1. inject that sucker!   I like peach nectar with mountain dew, mix in a good rub that will dissolve well (I like Big Mista's, check it out on the inter webs)

2. Place rub.  I put on mustard to make the rub adhere better.  I like Blues Hog rub on the outside of the Butt.

3. Cook on your smoker until a good bark forms (usually 2 to 3 hours).

4. Foil butt or place in pan and foil, cook until internal temp about 200.

5. Let it rest at least one hour.

6. Pull and sauce.

7. Enjoy, and tell 'em you did that Souther Krunk Style!

Got Pitmasters set to record tonight!

[Slacker]

I still have a ton.  Save your shaker bottle and I'll fill it up for you.  We can get another 5 pounds of it when we go to KC...  Or I will pick it up when we go to the All Star game.

Mrs. Shag is so lucky... You kick serious ass.