Hi everyone, I'm trying to smoke a small pork shoulder (first time ever) and I'm feeling a little overwhelmed. When I bought the roast yesterday I expected it to be a solid piece of meat. When I opened it up, it split in half, so now I'm dealing with 2 smaller pieces. It was 4.74 lbs total, boneless. Wanted a little bigger and bone-in but this was more in my price range for my first attempt. I got up and set it all up this morning and I'm about 90 min in. My temp range was surprisingly easy to maintain and I haven't opened the lid at all yet. It's holding 240-250 pretty well. The meat temp is 135 and I've read to wrap it at around 150-160. I can only probe one of the halves so hopefully they'll be close. Where it's now split into 2, I don't know what to expect as far as times. Also, the thermometer I am using said not to close the probe wires in the lid, so I ran them through the bottom vents, bad idea? Not sure where else to go. I am using the minion method, I don't know if all the wood chunks have caught yet, it was smoking great when I put the meat on, but I expected to see it still. Any advice is appreciated.
I have seen / heard of people running the probes thru the bottom. Did a search, but can't find the thread. Should work fine.
As far as the smoke, you don't want to see thick, bellowing white smoke. You want to see whispy, blue smoke, or no smoke at all.
Hang in there ... You will learn lots from your first time.
I personally don't fret over temperature too much anymore ... It's done when it's done. Then eat. :) :)
Haha ok great thanks for the reply. I was a little concerned that the temp was rising too quickly, but now it's creeping a little slower so I'm feeling a little better about it.
Yeah have the wires between the lid and bowl could crimp and lead to failure at some point. Mac is correct about the quality of smoke - thick heavy smoke is bad. When the wood starts up you may have some but any more that 4 or 5 minutes is not good....I pull pieces out that won't burn clean. Wrap around 160 internal if you are gonna....look for good reddish colour......then when the bone wants to pull out clean.....around 195 internal.....pull it. Let it rest for a good hour or so then separate the meat from the fatty hunks. Don't worry too much about cooking temp, just get within a range.....pork butts are very forgiving.
Awesome, and that's EXACTLY my plan. I just wrapped when it hit 161, plan is to pull and rest at 195 IT. It's boneless unfortunately, so hopeful it'll still be delicious. For my first time smoking anything I'm nervous, but very surprised how well my kettle is holding the 240-250 range. When I opened it to wrap I was surprised how much fuel had burned through, I'll prob have to add some later if temp drops. Then again it's still holding temp so maybe it'll be fine. Thanks for the feedback!
For doneness you want to test with a toothpick....never go by what a thermometer tells you alone. Hardly any resistance going in and none coming out.....should feel like warm butter. If you get stuck you can always finish in the oven.
Ok, noted. Question if I may, when I put the meat on the grill to start, it was obviously very mushy and soft, when I used the rings to lift it for wrapping, it felt very solid, I assume that's right on course?
Sounds like you're headed in the right direction. While I prefer bone-in butts, you can get some very tasty pulled pork from boneless ones as well.
Post some final pics!
BD
(http://i1305.photobucket.com/albums/s541/SoupDogg77/Mobile%20Uploads/image_zpspsxtkghx.jpeg) (http://s1305.photobucket.com/user/SoupDogg77/media/Mobile%20Uploads/image_zpspsxtkghx.jpeg.html)
(http://i1305.photobucket.com/albums/s541/SoupDogg77/Mobile%20Uploads/image_zpsvqg15ccp.jpeg) (http://s1305.photobucket.com/user/SoupDogg77/media/Mobile%20Uploads/image_zpsvqg15ccp.jpeg.html)
Sorry I'm late to the party. Looks like you nailed it though. Nice smoke ring.
Quote from: TheDude on January 24, 2016, 12:48:37 PM
Sorry I'm late to the party. Looks like you nailed it though. Nice smoke ring.
What he said, save me some bark !
Dinner is served!
Quote from: MacEggs on January 24, 2016, 06:07:17 AM
It's done when it's done. Then eat. :) :)
Best advice you could hope for!
ALSO: Wow, looks great!
@SoupDogg77, that looks just right !!! Now, log your cook. Get what you did on paper (or on you computer). How a cook looks is one part of the experience, HOW IT TASTES is another. The taste your looking for is the taste YOU and your FAMILY like. If this pulled pork is IT, then you're done. If not, then make a small change next time, log the cook, and see how it turns out. The payoff for finally getting to where you & your family say "that's it" is YOU GET TO STOP LOGGING EVERY COOK ;D SJ
Congratulations! Looks fantastic!
Just seeing this post today...looks like you got great advise and probably would have done just fine with out. Very nicely done. And if you like a lot of bark, having two peices of pork instead of one was just an extra bonus. Two seperate peices would have also reduced your overall cooking time, so keep that in mind on your next one. As far as wrapping, it helps you get past the stall which can be very nerve wracking on your first few cooks.
The pics look great, but how did it taste? I'm guessing you were very pleased with the outcome and yourself!
Thanks, I was pleased with the outcome, as were the guests we fed and my coworkers who sampled the leftovers. It's already been requested for the next potluck! In hindsight, I know one mistake I made that won't happen again, after it rested when I removed it from the foil, I just tossed the foil in the sink, not realizing it was full of juice. I want to get one from the butcher shop next time, with the bone-in. This was one I got from the local supermarket. I also found it a bit harder to pull apart that I was expecting. I had to use a knife to reply cut it up in to smaller chunks and then just pulled it apart with forks. One of the halves was easier than the other. As far as taste I was very happy with the way it came out. I made my own rub, just copied one I found online and substituted one spice for another because I didn't have any of what it called for. I had quite a bit of rub leftover for the next one too. Thanks to everyone who helped calm my nerves and for the solid advice, I think overall it was a success and I look forward to the next one.
@SoupDogg77 I find that with smaller trimmed butts it definitely helps to brine overnight. I don't bother brining large bone in ones, just rub. With the juices, I'll let them cool, skim off the fat, re heat in the nuker and add back to the meat.
Quote from: SoupDogg77 on January 27, 2016, 11:32:07 AM
... I also found it a bit harder to pull apart that I was expecting....
My supermarket has bone-in butts, yet they are typically on the smaller size, 5lbs or less. Rare to see one there 8lbs or bigger. I've only done a few, I may or may not wrap, I've got time, pull at about 200 degrees. Bone always comes out easily. And they always take more effort than they should to pull apart.
One of these days I'll get it, but don't yet know what I'm doing wrong. I have yet to actually let one rest, wrapped up in a cooler, maybe that's my problem but it sounds like you may have done that without benefit?
I've only done two. First one pulled with no effort. Second I didn't wrap and Mother Nature intervened. Both got the cooler treatment. Second one could have used 2-3 more hours, but about 1/2 of it pulled. I'll wrap from now on. Also gonna try running around 300° next time.
You know what they say,
@SoupDogg77, practice makes perfect, and a lot of happy friends.
Great Job ! ! !
BD
Good Show!!!!!
that looks right on & if that's a 1st time, you'll be in for a tremendous treat when they improve over the next cooks......when you REALLY nail one, it is sublime!!!!
Most important part for me is the "rest period".....hour + foil, wrapped in an old, clean towel & tight packed in a dry cooler.....something magical happens during that extra time that really changes the deal......it is hard to wait the extra time, esp. smelling the aroma, but it's worth the delayed gratification...... 8)
Thanks for the tips everyone. One thing I'm wondering and maybe someone from here may know. I've read many article/tutorials and watched several YouTube videos on smoking pork butt/shoulder and there seems to be a wide range of temperatures that people pull them off the smoker at. I'm wondering what the difference is if you pull at different ends of the range. Like, what's the difference in the end result if you pull at 190 or if you pull it at 205. I've read/heard both of those and I feel like that's a pretty wide range. I pulled mine at 195. I also wrapped at 160, I've been hearing to wrap at 150, if that makes any difference.
As far as the rest, I left it in the same foil that I wrapped it in at 160, and put it directly into an empty dry cooler, no towel or anything. It took it off around 12:30pm and then had to go shopping with the wife never touched it again until 3pm or so. Was that too long of a rest maybe? It was still warm when I opened, may even say it was hot, but it didn't check.
@SoupDogg77 And now the "rubber meets the road" or, if you like, the "pork meats the table". My family LIKES the Harry Soo method (SYD; tvWBB), I try to stick with it. However, here is a link that you may want to try. If your family LIKES it, then you're done (but you can practice on your own when they are away) :)
http://amazingribs.com/recipes/porknography/perfect_pulled_pork.html (http://amazingribs.com/recipes/porknography/perfect_pulled_pork.html)
SJ
@SoupDogg77, I don't think resting it longer would make it tighten up. I think you said that part of it pulled very easily and other sections not so much. Since there area multiple muscles in there, some sections just may not have broken down.
Get a good bone-in butt, light it up, and invite us all over to be your guinea pigs ! ! !
BD
Looks awesome. Congrats! I might try that this week.
Quote from: SoupDogg77 on January 28, 2016, 11:45:26 AM
Thanks for the tips everyone. One thing I'm wondering and maybe someone from here may know. I've read many article/tutorials and watched several YouTube videos on smoking pork butt/shoulder and there seems to be a wide range of temperatures that people pull them off the smoker at. I'm wondering what the difference is if you pull at different ends of the range. Like, what's the difference in the end result if you pull at 190 or if you pull it at 205. I've read/heard both of those and I feel like that's a pretty wide range. I pulled mine at 195. I also wrapped at 160, I've been hearing to wrap at 150, if that makes any difference.
As far as the rest, I left it in the same foil that I wrapped it in at 160, and put it directly into an empty dry cooler, no towel or anything. It took it off around 12:30pm and then had to go shopping with the wife never touched it again until 3pm or so. Was that too long of a rest maybe? It was still warm when I opened, may even say it was hot, but it didn't check.
The conversion or "stall" happens from around the mid 150's to high 170's, approx. wrap anywhere in there & you'll speed things up some......wrapping 1) speeds the cooking 2) softens the outer bark 3) stops the darkening of the bark 4) takes extra time & effort
I wrap as they come off the cooker, then wrapped in BBQ towels (DO NOT use the wife's clean linens!!!) into the dry cooler, min. 1 hour rest......
HOW to tell when it comes off the heat is pretty simple....bone comes loose from the meat (personally, I check the twist of the bone, then leave it in place to keep the shape integrity & hold the basic heat in)
Example of clean from the bone:
(http://i1223.photobucket.com/albums/dd520/1buckie/1st%202013%20chicken/Rebellion%20Dogs%206-21-13/RebellionDogs6-21-13016-1.jpg)
If no bone (same for bone-in,without fiddling w/the bone) is to stab it gently w/ an ice pick, skewer, or the like to see if it's EXTREMELY soft, like you're going to fall right thru it if you don't pull back...likely this will be somewhere above 200f.....205f even......
The bone is basically a built-in pop up timer...... 8)
Post cooler pull................
(http://i1223.photobucket.com/albums/dd520/1buckie/2014/PPork5.png)
First off, great first go!
I agree with 1Buckie (not the first time someone has said that):
I don't wrap until completed, as I like the extra texture in the bark.
I usually cook for 14-16 hours (just plan on it), and cook until 200-205...the consistency of the meat will tell the story of when it is ready to come off.
If is all doesn't pull easily, then it needed some more patience and time.
It's much easier to gauge the perfect time to pull, if it isn't wrapped at the time of testing.
After the cook is complete, wrap in foil, line cooler with towel, insert wrapped butt, and cover with a towel and close cooler. In that hour (or two), is where the final bit of magic happens.
Keep working toward that perfect cook, that's most of the fun!
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Sounds like some solid advice guys, I've heard varying opinions on wrapping. I'll give the non-wrapping a try on my next cook. Also letting it go until a little higher, 200-205. What is your ideal cooking temp if you could set it & forget it, 225? 250?
Quote from: SoupDogg77 on February 03, 2016, 04:06:06 AM
Sounds like some solid advice guys, I've heard varying opinions on wrapping. I'll give the non-wrapping a try on my next cook. Also letting it go until a little higher, 200-205. What is your ideal cooking temp if you could set it & forget it, 225? 250?
I'm ok with my temps wandering between 225-240...not much higher, though.
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Quote from: SoupDogg77 on February 03, 2016, 04:06:06 AM
Sounds like some solid advice guys, I've heard varying opinions on wrapping. I'll give the non-wrapping a try on my next cook. Also letting it go until a little higher, 200-205. What is your ideal cooking temp if you could set it & forget it, 225? 250?
There are a few theories out there on cook temp for fatty pork cuts. Shoulders and butts have a lot of fat usually and will come out just fine at higher temps. My friend alsways does his around 300 and they have never come out dry and take a lot less time. Despite seeing this, I still do mine in the 225-250 zone, but the main reason for that is my snake technique is dialed in for those ranges. The higher heat method lets you fly through the stall you might see when smoking at lower temperatures. I'd never do beef at higher temps, but for fatty pork it's just fine.
Quote from: SoupDogg77 on February 03, 2016, 04:06:06 AM
Sounds like some solid advice guys, I've heard varying opinions on wrapping. I'll give the non-wrapping a try on my next cook. Also letting it go until a little higher, 200-205. What is your ideal cooking temp if you could set it & forget it, 225? 250?
Pivot point is 260 here......240~275, with about 260 as the central point.....moves things along so it doesn't take forever (& that's a long time, forever) with little chance of overdoing it or drying things out..... 8)
If you like lighter, a bit less crispy bark, by all means wrap the last third of the cook or something like that.....most times, I go crispy & just do a quick bit of chopping & then mix it thru the pile....only takes a minute & the flavor of the rub cooked up gets all mixed in the pile....
Looks like a meterorite, but doesn't taste burnt at all....
(http://i1223.photobucket.com/albums/dd520/1buckie/2014/Pork%20%207-27-2014/Pork7-27-2014075.jpg)
Just going into the wrap, there's some fatcap left, but it will mostly disintegrate during the rest.....
(http://i1223.photobucket.com/albums/dd520/1buckie/2014/Pork%20%207-27-2014/Pork7-27-2014088.jpg)
Nice cook 1Buckie
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