Pulled pork smoke

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aschmiesing

Fire Starter
Original poster
Nov 20, 2014
68
12
I am doing a big load of pulled pork next weekend and want to see what u guys think of my game plan. I have 4 shoulders and 4 hams I am making into pulled pork, 4 masterbuilt propane smokers running at 250 with hickory wood. Plan on putting the hams on at 6am and the shoulders on at 8am Saturday morning.

Rubbing them all down with mustard and this dry rub Friday night. - 1/4 cup/60 mL paprika
2 tablespoons/30 mL salt
2 tablespoons/30 mL sugar
2 tablespoons/30 mL brown sugar
2 tablespoons/30 mL ground cumin
2 tablespoons/30 mL chili powder
2 tablespoons/30 mL freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon/15 mL cayenne pepper

Smoking for 4 hrs and hoping to get the temp around 160. Going to put in foil pans and cover with foil and 1/2 batch of JJ's finishing sauce and then back in the smokers at 275. Going to take them to 205 it and let rest for 3 beers and start pulling with my bear claws. Then I'll dump the rest of JJ's finishing sauce on top and proceed to fill 1 gallon zip lock bags. Once it is all cooled thru they will be going into the freezer and I'll proceed to drink many more beverages. I'm hoping to be done around 6pm.
 
I'll offer a thought or two, if it's okay. I'm certainly no pro, but I've done my fair share by now over several years. And of course I have no idea how much of this you've done, so this may all be stuff you're well aware of.

Please take it as just responding to what I've read, not suggesting you don't know exactly what you're doing!

First I've got a Masterbuilt propane and the therms they come with are pretty notoriously off. Mine was off by as much as 30 degrees. So if you're running 4 of them, I hope you have 4 additional good therms to get you to the right cooking temp. They will each probably also run at different temps at different dial settings.

Course, if all 4 of these are yours, you certainly know them better than I.

I think 4 hrs to get to 160 might be of wishful thinking. I'd allow a pretty generous time window(s).

And honestly, guessing "time" on a shoulder is a bit like nailing jello to the wall. You know to do it by temp, so that's good, each of them will be going along at their own pace and unfortunately we mere mortals have no say over how much they'll cooperate.

I like the bark to have some pull or bite to it, but that's preference of course. If you foil and and add liquid then take the smoker to 275 it's going to braise the meat as well as steam it. That will soak the bark some, I'd bet, but maybe that's what you are looking for. 

Anyway, just some thoughts. You've got a pretty serious smoke in front of you, so I wish you good luck. Hope it all comes out amazing and let us know!

Pics too if you can, would love to see a massive 8 roast cook!

Happy smoking.
 
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Thanks for your insight backyard boss. I agree with the smoker temp gauge, junk! I always use dual maverick probes and put one in the meat and hang one in the smoker. Not worried much about the bark since it's going in the freezer bags. If it was just for me then yes I would be, but I'm trying to do the quickest easiest method besides baking them in the oven lol. I could not remember want kind of internal temp I had last time I did shoulders but I was thinking I foiled them around 160, can I foil at 135? I'm more worried about doing it in a timely manner, I don't want to be pulling pork at 10pm all drunked up lol.
 
I'll try to post pics if I have time, I know I'll have my hands full with this, but it'll be fun. Just hoping for some good flavor and juice filled pulled pork!
 
How much do your shoulders weigh? 10 hours seems like a short time frame. If you are just going to freeze them and your comfy with your smokers why not run them overnight. I have never pulled a ham but if it's already cooked I would think they will cook quicker that raw meat, not that I couldn't be wrong.:biggrin: Good luck sounds like a fun time!
 
Not sure how much they weigh, I know both hogs weighed just above 200lbs
 
I'm more worried about doing it in a timely manner, I don't want to be pulling pork at 10pm all drunked up lol.

Just keep in mind..you can't rush good food! It will be ready when it's ready.
Good Luck with your smoke!
 
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It would be a help if we knew how many lbs these weigh. I smoke my butts at a lower temp, 215-225, and they take about 20-22 hours. Usually they weigh 7-9 lbs. As for foiling at 135. I wouldn't do it. I don't think they will have much smoke flavor. I think your missing the point of this hobby. Don't focus on the goal. Enjoy the journey.

Al
 
An observation.... You said that you couldn't remember what internal temp you had, etc. etc.

That is one of the best reasons to keep a log. I may not include as much data as some but meat kind, weight, time to temp, etc. etc. are some pretty basic things you will want to refer back to in the future.

With this big job you have in front of you, you could get a lot of good data points for the future.

Since we cook to temp and not time you will have 4 or 8 chunks for data points.

Sorry, don't mean to dwell on this but I refer to my logs over and over and it has saved me from headaches and bad que.

My 2 cents worth
 
Thanks for your insight backyard boss. I agree with the smoker temp gauge, junk! I always use dual maverick probes and put one in the meat and hang one in the smoker. Not worried much about the bark since it's going in the freezer bags. If it was just for me then yes I would be, but I'm trying to do the quickest easiest method besides baking them in the oven lol. I could not remember want kind of internal temp I had last time I did shoulders but I was thinking I foiled them around 160, can I foil at 135? I'm more worried about doing it in a timely manner, I don't want to be pulling pork at 10pm all drunked up lol.
 
The short answer, and not to sound like a smartass (much), but I guess you could foil at any temp. But if you're doing that, what's the point in occupying a smoker for 12-15 hrs? Could just toss em all in a crock pot...

I don't foil my butts
biggrin.gif
at all (yes, I'm a juvenile in an old mans body), though I do my ribs. The foiling, in my estimation, is primarily to get through the "stall" a little easier, but it will keep the smoke OUT.

So I would go as long as you can until your Mav just isn't moving at all, and that generally is going to be around the 160 mark, give or take. Course once it starts to creep up again, you can always unwrap for the last leg home.

Good luck, and as suggested above I'd keep notes of some sort, if even on your phone or something. I keep a simple folder with recipes, notes, tricks, stuff I've learned, what works, what sucks, etc.

Saves a headache or two ALL the time.

Happy smoking!
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A couple thoughts that may help you in your project, take the meat out of the frig an hour or so before your going to start cooking at let it start coming up to room temperature.  I usually foil around the 150-155 IT mark.  That gets me right before the stall, the meat has pretty much taken on all the smoke flavor its going to take on and the crowd that I am usually cooking for includes a lot of kids and they aren't fans of the thick dark bark.  Good luck in your adventure.
 
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