Picnic Shoulder tomorrow - Any tips?

centercitysmoke · Jul 19, 2013

I'm going to be doing a picnic shoulder tomorrow. It's my second attempt and my process generally is pretty standard but I'm looking for any helpful tips or hints.

Typical chimney starter, lump coal and hickory chips for the heat and smoke. Last time out I didn't have a problem Maintening a temp between 225 an 250 for the duration. I've heard smoke doesn't penetrate after a few hours and then I've also heard you can over smoke? How long should I keep putting wood chips on to smoke or when should I stop putting them on and let the meat just roast in the low heat.

I was thinking bone in, skin off on the picnic shoulder with yellow mustard to help the rub stick for the bark. Any ideas here?

Any one have any secrets or tips?

chef willie · Jul 19, 2013

I now allow 2 hours per pound for cooking. I'm not a huge fan of the mustard slather preferring to rub heavy and allow to rest overnight, then apply rub again before going into the unit. I remove a lot of the fat off so the rub can be on the meat & add the fat into a disposable pie pan with holes punched in bottom on the rack above the roast so it can self baste. On pig I like going with fruit wood...apple, cherry, peach with cherry being my current fav. Mesquite or hickory can taste harsh (to me) especially if heavily smoked. I don't smoke every minute but like about at least 8 hours on a big chunk of meat, but that's me. I'm a watt burner so don't have to contend with temp controls to much. Many seem to be bumping the temp to the 'new normal' of 250 to 300 for a more fast & furious cook ala Myron Mixon. 250 works for me on most everything. Sounds like a long smoke for you using lump so try to enjoy the ride and do what you can. Oh, I'm a 'chunk' wood burner, no soak and not really a foiler unless I'm doing a Johnny Trigg rib run.......Willie

centercitysmoke · Jul 19, 2013

This kind of thing is exactly what I came here for!

Thank you!

So being that I am going to smoke tomorrow, I was going to get the meat today anyway, so I will definitely remove fat and skin and just rub tonight, let it sit in the fridge over night and then rub at about 4am when I prep it tomorrow.

I do have some applewood chips left over, so it looks like i'll grab more of those and that should be a good complement to the apple juice and apple cider vinegar mix I'll use to spray when changing coals. I would do the fat drip from the pie pan, but I don't have a big enough rack above the meat to hold that.

I also agree, having now tried actually smoking meat and having done a lot of research, I like the idea of lower and slower better, I hope to keep it hovering righrt around 240. I know the Mixon way is rather trendy as his fame has grown with TV shows, but I do like the slower idea.

I've been starting with lump and then just adding Kingsford briquettes to maintain temp as need.

Any other great suggestions?

centercitysmoke · Jul 19, 2013

This is my smoker PS

Chair Broil 590.jpg

centercitysmoke
Jul 19, 2013

chef willie · Jul 19, 2013

Hmmm, not really. Hoping you have 2 temp monitors or a dual probe unit. One for the chamber temp & one for the meat. And I don't probe the meat until way into the smoke. Enjoy the smoke, don't stress, expect a stall and ride it out. I like Kingsford as well....fortunately Costco by me has the Competition brick-ettes with no additives. They sure burn nice...a little spendy but worth it to me.

dave c · Sep 1, 2013

I am actually doing a pork shoulder tonight. I'll put it in at midnight and will not check it until 8 am at a temp of 220 in an electric smoker. Its a 9lb shoulder and I normally do not utilize a dry rub. I use 1 cup of olive oil, 1 Tbs of salt and pepper, 1 Tbs of Adobe, 5 spoons of olives and capers, and 6 cloves of garlic. I inject it and also put T cuts into the meat and stuff the garlic, olives and capers. Set it over night or two and then smoke it for a total of 12-14 hrs.

Skin comes out crispy and the bone all you have to do is grab it and pulls right out. When I do it without the bone it only take me about 7-8 hrs. I don't do the pulled pork thing with this mixture I just slice it up and serve.

Dave

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Picnic Shoulder tomorrow - Any tips?

centercitysmoke

Fire Starter

chef willie

Master of the Pit

centercitysmoke

Fire Starter

centercitysmoke

Fire Starter

Chair Broil 590.jpg

chef willie

Master of the Pit

dave c

Newbie

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