- Jun 11, 2015
- 20
- 10
I'm new to smoking and I have a 30" MES.
I got a 10# pork shoulder and trimmed some of the fat off and put a dry rub on it and left it in plastic overnight in the fridge.
Preheated the MES to 225 and put the pork shoulder in and put the MES meat probe in and also a Maverick probe. Both probes essentially reported the same temps.
Used applewood chips. No water in the tray but had an aluminum foil pan to catch the drippings on a lowest rack underneath the pork shoulder, which was on the second rack.
Added more wood chips every hour for the first three hours.
When the meat probes said the meat was at 165, I double wrapped the pork shoulder in heavy duty aluminum foil and spritzed it with apple juice before sealing it, put the meat probes in and put the meat back in the MES. Temp dropped to about 180 but since it was out of the MES during the wrapping, I wasn't concerned.
The instructions I was using said to wait until the meat was 200 to 210 before pulling it out of the smoker. The meat plateaued at 183 for three hours, crept up to 185 for another 3 hours and by this time I decided to put it in an oven because a storm was coming and I needed for the MES to cool so that I could take it into the garage from the patio.
The pork was great before I put it in the oven. The temp was still 185 and the meat was very juicy and tasty - I couldn't help myself and had a taste. At this time the pork had been in the MES for 16 hours. The meat was still in the foil.
I left it in the oven, which was set for 230 for five hours. The meat temp inched up to 189 from 185. By this time the meat was dry and I took it out (it had been cooking for 21 hours).
I put the pork in a cooler with towels and let it sit for 2 hours.
Took it out and it was still dry but falling off the bone. It was extremely easy to pull the shoulder bone (scapula) out. The meat was falling apart but it was dry. It is tasty but dry.
My wife and kids like moist meat, not dry.
Any pointers on what I should have done? Other than stop cooking it and not put it the oven? Was it done when it first got to 185?
Thanks.
I got a 10# pork shoulder and trimmed some of the fat off and put a dry rub on it and left it in plastic overnight in the fridge.
Preheated the MES to 225 and put the pork shoulder in and put the MES meat probe in and also a Maverick probe. Both probes essentially reported the same temps.
Used applewood chips. No water in the tray but had an aluminum foil pan to catch the drippings on a lowest rack underneath the pork shoulder, which was on the second rack.
Added more wood chips every hour for the first three hours.
When the meat probes said the meat was at 165, I double wrapped the pork shoulder in heavy duty aluminum foil and spritzed it with apple juice before sealing it, put the meat probes in and put the meat back in the MES. Temp dropped to about 180 but since it was out of the MES during the wrapping, I wasn't concerned.
The instructions I was using said to wait until the meat was 200 to 210 before pulling it out of the smoker. The meat plateaued at 183 for three hours, crept up to 185 for another 3 hours and by this time I decided to put it in an oven because a storm was coming and I needed for the MES to cool so that I could take it into the garage from the patio.
The pork was great before I put it in the oven. The temp was still 185 and the meat was very juicy and tasty - I couldn't help myself and had a taste. At this time the pork had been in the MES for 16 hours. The meat was still in the foil.
I left it in the oven, which was set for 230 for five hours. The meat temp inched up to 189 from 185. By this time the meat was dry and I took it out (it had been cooking for 21 hours).
I put the pork in a cooler with towels and let it sit for 2 hours.
Took it out and it was still dry but falling off the bone. It was extremely easy to pull the shoulder bone (scapula) out. The meat was falling apart but it was dry. It is tasty but dry.
My wife and kids like moist meat, not dry.
Any pointers on what I should have done? Other than stop cooking it and not put it the oven? Was it done when it first got to 185?
Thanks.