Pork shoulder

[np482]

So I am relatively new to smoking, (only have had my smoker for a year) and I just bought a 5lb shoulder roast for pulled pork. I was looking for some recipes for it and some suggestions. I believe it’s about 2 hours per pound and internal temp around 205 F (correct me if I’m wrong). I’m looking for a sweeter recipe. Thanks in advance

 

[sandyut]

Jeffs original is a good one for sure. if you want to purchase a premade one, looks for those with brown sugar as the first ingredient, not salt.

I have read various end ITs. 195 to 205 is the general range. my last ones i took to low 200s, but when probed were very tender and ready. then rested for an hour in foil before pulling and consuming.

 

[jcam222]

Agree with Sandy , temp around 195 to 203 with the over rising factor being probe tender. Should slip in like hot butter, meat should be “jiggly” like jello. I personally put mine wrapped still in the cooler for 30-60 minutes prior to pulling. If you want to finish quicker than a very long cook a few suggestions. 1) Smoke at 275F for the first 3- 4 hours while putting smoke to it. Once you stall at meat temp around 165 wrap tightly in foil or covered foil pan with a 1/2 - 1 cup liquid. Use either apple juice or chicken broth. 2) Now crank heat on up to 300f until you hit your finish temp. In my experience this will give you every bit as good a product as a low slow smoke at lower temps and cut cooking time considerably. 3) Place a pan below the rack where the butt is filled with chicken broth and a bit of your rub mix. After the cook all the delicious pork drippings and rub and smoke leave you with what we call liquid gold. I put in frig overnight. Skim fat and then mix back into pork for amazing results. Give it a try.

 

[sandyut]

jcam222 gave good advice! depending on your smoker...my cook profile goes like this. 180 for three hours, then 275 till done, no wrap till done unless it looks like i am running short on time. this is using a rec tec bull pellet grill. I usually sprinkle the pulled product with the rub i used and then add sauce when eaten.

yield will be about 50-60% of start weight. I just did 15lbs and got just over 8lbs cooked when done. So I am not making two butts at a time.

good luck and post up some pics!

 

[WaterRat]

IF you're looking to make you own rub, here's one I've used many times: Nothing crazy just a good BBQ rub. You don't even need to watch the vid the ingredients are listed. I add more (double) the cayenne and some serrano for more heat.

For time, it's going to depend on your cook temp and your particular smoker but if you follow jcam222 's advice above you should be in the 10(ish) hr neighborhood. Just make sure it probes nice and tender all over, check several locations, the bone should also be ready to fall out. IF you finish early, wrap in foil and pack in a cooler with towels and it will stay toasty for a couple hours.

Good luck!

 

[WaterRat]

Oh, don't forget @soflaquer 's finishing sauce!
https://www.smokingmeatforums.com/threads/finishing-sauce-for-pulled-pork.49892/

 

[noboundaries]

Please please please don't sweat smoking a pork shoulder roast. You can cook/smoke them at any chamber temp between 225F to 375F, so use the cooking/smoking temp you are comfortable using. The only thing that changes with temp is the time to finish.

Use meat temp and time as a guideline for when to probe for tenderness. An underdone shoulder will taste dry and tough. An overcooked shoulder, which is actually kind of hard to do if at 250-275F chamber temp if not wrapped, will be soft, juicy, and mushy, but definitely tasty and edible.

Relax. Your eyes and brain are not microwave transmitters, so you can't watch or think it done. Let it do its thing in the heat and check for tenderness toward the end of the cook.

Pork shoulders are easy and forgivable. The vast majority of folks who roast their first one take them off too soon, get tough and dry meat, and believe it was overcooked. Take their lesson to heart and be patient.

Enjoy your pulled pork...and definitely use a finishing sauce!

 

[sandyut]

Pork shoulders are easy and forgivable.

SO TRUE!

 

[RiversideSm0ker]

You have already been given the best advice I can think of. For a rub you are going to be hard pressed to find something better on pork than Jeff’s original rub. He literally hit the sweet spot with this one. I suggest you purchase the recipes from Jeff which supports the site and tastes amazing.

For the shoulder I will second the cook at whatever reasonable temp you can hold on your smoker then start checking with a probe at about 195. Once you can poke that into several spots and it feels like you are sliding into a warm stick of butter you have achieved pork nervana. Good luck and I look forward to seeing pictures of your triumphant cook.

G

 

[np482]

So It came out beautifully, thanks for the tips everyone. Smoked it at about 230-245 ( 30 degree weather made it difficult to get the smoker any higher )for around 10 hours final pork temp was 199 and had a very nice bark. Again thanks for the help

 

[TheBombGuy]

I've recently done 2 separate cooks, both an average of 8 hours between 225-275. Pulling both off around 205, letting them rest anywhere from 30 mins to an hour. The issue that I'm having is most of the meat is pull apart tender, but the same parts near the bone are fairly tougher than the rest. Any thoughts, or tips would be appreciated.