Yesterday's smoked dinner was smoked pulled pork. I had (2) 7+ pound pork shoulders that went into the smoker around 5:00 AM. It was an 11 hour smoke.Got them all rubbed up with my favorite Paprika/brown sugar rub that has about 10 other ingredients in it but it is so good and they had a nice 15 rest the refrigerator overnight. Main smoke flavor was from apple wood. Did not inject the butts with any flavoring/sodas....just left them pure pig this time.
I like to save the drippings so I placed aluminum pans under where each of the shoulders would go. It has raised the grates over where they should be but it worked out just fine. I save the drippings, siphon off the fat and return the au-jus to the pulled pork which adds some wicked flavor and moisture that why I put aluminum pans underneath.
The pork was accompanied with bulkie rolls a cherry balsamic BBQ sauce, mac & cheese, baked beans, two different cold slaws, fresh cubed watermelon and chocolate cream pie for desert. My son Ben, his wife Jessie and granddaughter Savannah were over for dinner. Everyone enjoyed and they got to take enough home for a couple of other meals.
Food and family...it does not get much better than that.
(2) 7 pounders all cleaned up.
Mustard to hold the special rub.
All rubbed up. After this they got wrapped in foil to rest overnight and soak up the flavor of the rub.
My pellet smoker/grill. It holds 40 lbs of pellets.
The grates are higher than where they should be but I think it will be fine for catching the drippings.
Here they are at 12:00 noon after having been in the smoke for 7 hours. Stopped the smoke at that point and just waited for the internal temp to hit 140*. At that point I put each in an aluminum pan with some apple juice, covered them with foil and finished off in the kitchen oven. After 6 hours in the smoke the meat will not absorb any more smoke flavor so it is just easier and cheaper finish in the kitchen oven. I kept them in the kitchen oven till the internal temp hits 205*. This is the minimum internal temp needed for tender melt in your mouth pulled pork. I let them rest out of the oven for about 30 minutes before pulling.
This is what they looked like around noon.
Out of the smoker and into the oven!!! At this point I transferred each butt to its own individual aluminum pan. I poured apple juice over each and covered each with aluminum foil before going into the oven at 275 degrees till I got an internal reading of 205 on my Maverick remote.
Finished and they got covered for their rest period. They were just falling apart at this point.
After the first pull...best and most tender I have made yet.
I like to save the drippings so I placed aluminum pans under where each of the shoulders would go. It has raised the grates over where they should be but it worked out just fine. I save the drippings, siphon off the fat and return the au-jus to the pulled pork which adds some wicked flavor and moisture that why I put aluminum pans underneath.
The pork was accompanied with bulkie rolls a cherry balsamic BBQ sauce, mac & cheese, baked beans, two different cold slaws, fresh cubed watermelon and chocolate cream pie for desert. My son Ben, his wife Jessie and granddaughter Savannah were over for dinner. Everyone enjoyed and they got to take enough home for a couple of other meals.
Food and family...it does not get much better than that.
(2) 7 pounders all cleaned up.
Mustard to hold the special rub.
All rubbed up. After this they got wrapped in foil to rest overnight and soak up the flavor of the rub.
My pellet smoker/grill. It holds 40 lbs of pellets.
The grates are higher than where they should be but I think it will be fine for catching the drippings.
Here they are at 12:00 noon after having been in the smoke for 7 hours. Stopped the smoke at that point and just waited for the internal temp to hit 140*. At that point I put each in an aluminum pan with some apple juice, covered them with foil and finished off in the kitchen oven. After 6 hours in the smoke the meat will not absorb any more smoke flavor so it is just easier and cheaper finish in the kitchen oven. I kept them in the kitchen oven till the internal temp hits 205*. This is the minimum internal temp needed for tender melt in your mouth pulled pork. I let them rest out of the oven for about 30 minutes before pulling.
This is what they looked like around noon.
Out of the smoker and into the oven!!! At this point I transferred each butt to its own individual aluminum pan. I poured apple juice over each and covered each with aluminum foil before going into the oven at 275 degrees till I got an internal reading of 205 on my Maverick remote.
Finished and they got covered for their rest period. They were just falling apart at this point.
After the first pull...best and most tender I have made yet.