I have been craving some pulled pork tacos for a little while now so I thought the weekend would be perfect so we could eat them for the week. As I prepared this smoke, I thought I would document it so I could share with others a reliable and consistent way to do pulled pork and be able to plan a dinner time and to get a good night's sleep without the dreaded my smoker went out and I didn't hear my alarm. The day was actually a pretty nice day for a winter smoke......
Started with a 7lber.... was digging the 1.68/lb price!!
I like to 45 degree score the fat cap when do pork shoulder. I also like to add a mustard to get LOTS of rub but its not necessary. For this one I happed to grab a sweet and hot and then I like to use a Jeffs Original (modified) rub. For those that have Jeffs recipe, I double the key spices, replace 1/2 the sugar with sugar in the raw and add 2 Tbsp of powdered butter in. I season it up to what I call dropped in the sand....Its heavily seasoned!
Next I utilize the time in the smoker to develop a finishing/braising sauce. I happen to really like this flavor profile. 2 C, broth, 1-2 C cider, 2 Tbsp AP vinegar, 1 Tbsp chicken base and 3 Tbsp sugar in the raw.
Next is I always do my pork shoulders at 265. NOTE the time.....I put this shoulder on at 8:07 am. I started prep at 7:40.....
I did get a little carried away with the amount of liquid but thats ok, it will reduce more as the shoulder smokes. The reducing and developing a nice flavor packed sauce is the design.
I happened to get these flowers for the wife and snapped a pic.... Help fight off the winter days......
Progress check... NOTE 11:45 the INT is 148 after just a little under 4 hours.... I will further note that when doing shoulders at 265 they will almost always be 140 to 145 in 4 hours' time. I have never had one that didn't get there in the initial smoke as I call it.
NOTE the color and the bark formation and that the dropped in the sand seasoning doesn't appear to be over the top. Furthermore see the reducing liquid. I will usually taste it with a spoon just to make sure it is on point....oh and I just want a taste......
Note the time 1:22 pm....This is after 5 hours 15 mins of smoking....INT of 168. So my rule of thumb with a shoulder is to have it smoke at least 5 hours prior boating/braising and if a harder back is desired up to 7 hours before boating/braising. @ 5 hours shoulders should be 150 to 155, at 7 they are almost always 160 to 165. This one went pretty quick, but I watch for the bark more than INT.... My family doesn't like a supper dark bark so I wrap at when the bark looks like below. So in truth I don't even worry about INT till the end.....
NOTE the "darker bark" and that the scored fat sections have more surface area so they render faster and more than non-scored. These are little diamonds of flavor. The sauces had reduced by 1/2 now as well. Its now time to drop it in the boat to braise while covered ( I do add on vent hole to allow some steam release.
Bingo...... 203 and NOTE 3:18! Once boated shoulders will take 1.5 to 2 hours to reach pulling temp. I have never had one take more than 2:15 min to do so. Therefore to verify dinner timing I always back up 3 hours from dinner as a min. IE if we want to eat at 6:00pm I want to wrap no later than 3pm. This timing will leave 2 hours to get to pull temp and 1 hour's rest time at 145 in the house oven. This one is done early, but no worries, it just goes in the house oven at 145 till pull time.....
NOTE the bark color and you can see its looking tender. I ended up with more sauced than normal, but that's ok, when I pull the shoulder I only use what's needed to season it. I will note that by boating it some of the rendered goodness is captured which really adds to the overall flavor as well.
NOTE, with this hot and fast method a 1 hour rest is very very important and can't be eliminated. When pulled the results are tender textured port that isn't mushy. After I have pulled it I had the reserved liquids to enhance the flavor and add a sprinkle of salt as well. I also clean my pulled of un desirable parts that didn't render. I do however, have all the barked fat cap diamond pieces as they are full of flavor.
Oh and on to my craving.... Served with some cilantro lime rice and hot marinaded grilled GO
Craving satisfied!
So some final NOTES: if you review the timing of this cook, I started at 7:40 and after an hour of resting the shoulder was ready to pull at 4:20pm. Total time with prep time was 8 hours 40 minutes. I have done enough shoulders this way to know that I always plan on a 9 hour (prep, smoke, rest and to pull time to a guaranteed dinner time. So, if we want to eat at our usual 6 to 6:30 that means I need to be prepping the shoulder by 9 to 9:30 at the latest.
So in closing this is my method to simplified and reliable dinner time pulled pork and have a full night's sleep every time.
OH and the PS pic is desert....root beer float...... NOTE the frosted crystal glass!
Started with a 7lber.... was digging the 1.68/lb price!!
I like to 45 degree score the fat cap when do pork shoulder. I also like to add a mustard to get LOTS of rub but its not necessary. For this one I happed to grab a sweet and hot and then I like to use a Jeffs Original (modified) rub. For those that have Jeffs recipe, I double the key spices, replace 1/2 the sugar with sugar in the raw and add 2 Tbsp of powdered butter in. I season it up to what I call dropped in the sand....Its heavily seasoned!
Next I utilize the time in the smoker to develop a finishing/braising sauce. I happen to really like this flavor profile. 2 C, broth, 1-2 C cider, 2 Tbsp AP vinegar, 1 Tbsp chicken base and 3 Tbsp sugar in the raw.
Next is I always do my pork shoulders at 265. NOTE the time.....I put this shoulder on at 8:07 am. I started prep at 7:40.....
I did get a little carried away with the amount of liquid but thats ok, it will reduce more as the shoulder smokes. The reducing and developing a nice flavor packed sauce is the design.
I happened to get these flowers for the wife and snapped a pic.... Help fight off the winter days......
Progress check... NOTE 11:45 the INT is 148 after just a little under 4 hours.... I will further note that when doing shoulders at 265 they will almost always be 140 to 145 in 4 hours' time. I have never had one that didn't get there in the initial smoke as I call it.
NOTE the color and the bark formation and that the dropped in the sand seasoning doesn't appear to be over the top. Furthermore see the reducing liquid. I will usually taste it with a spoon just to make sure it is on point....oh and I just want a taste......
Note the time 1:22 pm....This is after 5 hours 15 mins of smoking....INT of 168. So my rule of thumb with a shoulder is to have it smoke at least 5 hours prior boating/braising and if a harder back is desired up to 7 hours before boating/braising. @ 5 hours shoulders should be 150 to 155, at 7 they are almost always 160 to 165. This one went pretty quick, but I watch for the bark more than INT.... My family doesn't like a supper dark bark so I wrap at when the bark looks like below. So in truth I don't even worry about INT till the end.....
NOTE the "darker bark" and that the scored fat sections have more surface area so they render faster and more than non-scored. These are little diamonds of flavor. The sauces had reduced by 1/2 now as well. Its now time to drop it in the boat to braise while covered ( I do add on vent hole to allow some steam release.
Bingo...... 203 and NOTE 3:18! Once boated shoulders will take 1.5 to 2 hours to reach pulling temp. I have never had one take more than 2:15 min to do so. Therefore to verify dinner timing I always back up 3 hours from dinner as a min. IE if we want to eat at 6:00pm I want to wrap no later than 3pm. This timing will leave 2 hours to get to pull temp and 1 hour's rest time at 145 in the house oven. This one is done early, but no worries, it just goes in the house oven at 145 till pull time.....
NOTE the bark color and you can see its looking tender. I ended up with more sauced than normal, but that's ok, when I pull the shoulder I only use what's needed to season it. I will note that by boating it some of the rendered goodness is captured which really adds to the overall flavor as well.
NOTE, with this hot and fast method a 1 hour rest is very very important and can't be eliminated. When pulled the results are tender textured port that isn't mushy. After I have pulled it I had the reserved liquids to enhance the flavor and add a sprinkle of salt as well. I also clean my pulled of un desirable parts that didn't render. I do however, have all the barked fat cap diamond pieces as they are full of flavor.
Oh and on to my craving.... Served with some cilantro lime rice and hot marinaded grilled GO
Craving satisfied!
So some final NOTES: if you review the timing of this cook, I started at 7:40 and after an hour of resting the shoulder was ready to pull at 4:20pm. Total time with prep time was 8 hours 40 minutes. I have done enough shoulders this way to know that I always plan on a 9 hour (prep, smoke, rest and to pull time to a guaranteed dinner time. So, if we want to eat at our usual 6 to 6:30 that means I need to be prepping the shoulder by 9 to 9:30 at the latest.
So in closing this is my method to simplified and reliable dinner time pulled pork and have a full night's sleep every time.
OH and the PS pic is desert....root beer float...... NOTE the frosted crystal glass!
