How would you smoke this beast?!

[keywesmoke]

My butcher pal at Winn Dixie "adjusted" the price on this 17LB "Whole pork shoulder arm picnic" in exchange for some bbq, so I don't want to let him down. How would you pros smoke this? It appears to be two identical shoulders, I can put one on each rack of my ecb. Thanks!

 

[chris_harper]

i would rub it with some yellow mustard, and sprinkle on some black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, and turbinado sugar. then i would smoke it with mesquite till it hit 200° internal, let it rest, and pull it. but that's just me.

 

[illini]

Mostly Lowww and Slowwwww all the way to 205* wrapped up after 160*....even if it takes all night and day!

 

[gunslinger]

Yeah, what he said.

 

[meowey]

Nice score! As the others before me have said - low and slow, with smoker temps 225-240F. I like to smoke pork with hickory.
You are looking at two 8.5 lb shoulders. That will take a bit of time. Enjoy the experience. As Illini said, I would foil them at 165-170F in a double layer of HD foil, and put some of my spray mix (3 parts apple juice and 1 part bourbon) in the foil. That helps tenderize it and break down the connective tissue. Also after the internal temp hits 200-205, I would wrap them in a couple old towels and let them rest in an insulated cooler for an hour or 2 before pulling. (I have to assume you are going for pulled pork.)


Hope this helps.

Take care, have fun, and do good!

Regards,

Meowey

 

[keywesmoke]

Thanks for replies. Actually I am making eastern NC chopped BBQ with a vinegar/crushed pepper flakes/sugar/lemon finish. They call it 'Mr. Brown" if you include the crust when you chop it.

I hope it cooks just like a boston butt....just let them sit in there naked and cook to internal temp? Sounds like thats the thing to do, and make sure I have a bucket of wood nearby!

 

[meowey]

It should cook like a butt, since the butt is one part of the whole picnic shoulder.

Take care, have fun, and do good!

Regards,

Meowey

 

[cajunsmoker]

go to the rubs and recipes forum and get Meoweys pork rub. It is the best for butts and picnics. It'll make a nice bark for your sauce.

 

[deejaydebi]

KW -

I just did a recipe card for shoulders today. Got one for pork roasts and puled pork.


http://www.deejayssmokepit.net/Downloads.htm

Go to the bottom of the page.

 

[keywesmoke]

This is a real shoulder, hide on. Sliced that off, froze it to see how it works for bait tomorrow!

Thanks to DJ and PeculiarMike, I started prepping them tonight. Didn't realize it would take almost 2 hours, so I'm REALLY glad I did. Coated with 'turd, then rub, then Saran, then g'nite to the fridge. Have to tend to west coast business in am then it's smokin time. Have pics, will do a nice storyboard during the cook.

 

[tonto1117]

Sounds like it's gonna be good eats Key, the only thing I would add is maybe you should switch them around about half way through the cook, I think you have a brinkman all in one, bottom shelf is bound to be a bit hotter than the top. Good Luck.

 

[keywesmoke]

I'm just about 1/2 way--internal is 117F. Good idea to switch them.

 

[keywesmoke]

I'm at 3.5 hours. The top and bottom shelf meats are at 145 and 148, almost identical. I hope this is the plateau, I'm gettin' hungry. Maybe I could throw a fattie on to bide my time....

 

[tonto1117]

Real good advice there Key, I don't think your quite at the plateau yet, definetly throw on a fatty cause you got alot of time to go......and please don't crank the heat up, patience and good BBQ go hand in hand somtimes.

 

[keywesmoke]

Theresa, fatty just went on. Rolled it in rub, I guess that's one way make it not sticky. Definately not playing with heat, nothing above 250. I'll wrap soon, but want to wait until 150F or so. I guess I could cheat and put them in a 240F oven, because smoke's no longer an issue, but I love the "fireplace " smell (don't get that a lot in the islands, our houses don't even have heat!) so I'll stay on the smoker for a while.
Thanks

 

[tonto1117]

Tried a fatty with rub on it for the first time this past weekend(have always done em' naked) and gotta say we really liked it!!!

I love that fireplace smell too, I ran too the grocery store this weekend half way through the cook and when I got in the truck I could tell I smelled like smoke......lol, oh well not my first choice in fragrences but not bad either...lol. Your gonna have some great pulled pork key, take a few pics if you can.

 

[keywesmoke]

At 168F or so, I removed the two shoulders and double wrapped them, then into the oven at 240F. Left the fattie on the smoker, big wood chunks were still going good and it wasn't three hours for it yet.
Poured maybe 1 ounce of carolina vinegar finishing sauce over each one before sealing them up with a splash of apple juice.

 

[Dutch]

'wes, I saw this post AFTER you took the skin off-has you found out it does take some work to remove it. My suggestion would be to smoke the shoulder with the skin on and then remove it while still hot from the smoker-it will become hard (rind) but will be easier to remove. Then you take that smoked rind, cut it into 1 1/2 -2 inch squares and make you some smoked pork cracklin's. But hey, they work great for bait, especially when fishing for catfish!

 

[keywesmoke]

well I did get it off, took the wife's really good german knives, and put the skin in some underwater condos to attract some of my local lobster friends. I don't think we're into cracklins. I'm still at it--almost 10 hours-and the internal is at high 170's. I'm gettin' sleepy! Hope this heats up real soon!

 

[keywesmoke]

I can't stay up. Reducing heat to 170, they're sitting in liquid in double foil.....this will be low and slow times three. G'nite!