Pork Shoulder

[toxictrucker76]

Hello all,

I’m going to be smoking a pork shoulder on Christmas Day. I’m looking for recommendations on a dry rub(or rub recipe). Also, any tips/tricks that might be helpful, as this will be my first attempt at a shoulder.
Thank you

 

[SmokyMose]

What sort of smoker are you using? Are you wanting it for dinner that day? Have you smoked anything before? Are you planning to pull it?
Lot of variables here...
If you're wanting it for Christmas dinner you might want to think about doing it the day before.

For what it's worth, this has been my go-to for about 3 years now for pork and chicken:
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup paprika
1/4 cup kosher salt
2 tbs course black pepper
2 tbs garlic powder
2tbs onion powder
1/2 tbs cayenne
Last year the Mrs had to go on a low sodium regimen so now I leave out the salt and we don't miss it.
Bump up the cayenne if you like.

I'm surprised no one has responded....

 

[Brokenhandle]

Yep, SmokyMose brought up some very good questions! Having more info and specifics will get you much better answers.
My biggest thing would be to smoke it ahead of time and reheat the day of. It will taste just as good if not better. Too many things could go wrong being your first go at it!

Ryan

 

[schlotz]

Assuming by shoulder you mean a 9# or so butt, you can easily have one ready for a same day evening dinner. See recipe in the sig below... for both rub & method(s)

 

[DougE]

I usually use Jeff's rub on butts. Makes a nice bark, and since it doesn't have a lot of salt, you don't have to worry about packing it on. I coat the meat with yellow mustard before applying the rub to help it stick. You don't really get any flavor from the mustard once it cooks down in the smoker.

After you have smoked and pulled the butt, don't skip the finishing sauce. It mellows out the gamey parts of the meat, and just enhances the flavor of the pulled pork. Finishing sauce is not the same as BBQ sauce, you can also add that, if you like.

The way I do it is to just add finishing sauce, and serve with an assortment of BBQ sauces on the side so everyone can choose their own. I like mine nekkid, with just finishing sauce.

Finishing sauce:
1 Cup cider vinegar
2 TBS brown sugar
1 tsp Tony Chachere's Cajun seasoning (or other Cajun seasoning of choice)
1 tsp coarse black pepper
1 tsp red pepper flakes

Just mix the finishing sauce up in a bottle and squirt a little here and there around the pulled pork, and mix it up.

 

[Fueling Around]

As this is your first, ahead of the big day is the best advice from previous posts.
Pork shoulder is very forgiving as long as you get them around 205° to melt all the connectives and fats melted.
At the stall finish in a foil pan to collect the juices

Wife and I don't like a "rub" as to me that means excessive amounts of sugar.
If you want a distinct bark, a sugar forward rub is the normal prep.
Equal parts paprika, black pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, and 1/2 part salt is my usual seasoning

...
The way I do it is to just add finishing sauce, and serve with an assortment of BBQ sauces on the side so everyone can choose their own. I like mine nekkid, with just finishing sauce.

Finishing sauce:
1 Cup cider vinegar
2 TBS brown sugar
1 tsp Tony Chachere's Cajun seasoning (or other Cajun seasoning of choice)
1 tsp coarse black pepper
1 tsp red pepper flakes

Just mix the finishing sauce up in a bottle and squirt a little here and there around the pulled pork, and mix it up.

Add a few tablespoons of ketchup and you have an eastern Carolina mop

 

[Cajun Smokes]

Hello all,

I’m going to be smoking a pork shoulder on Christmas Day. I’m looking for recommendations on a dry rub(or rub recipe). Also, any tips/tricks that might be helpful, as this will be my first attempt at a shoulder.
Thank you

If you cook it on Christmas day for lunch, I would plan to start early if you will be smoking at 275 or lower. Usually takes me 6-8 hrs, depending what finish temp I am looking for.

 

[DougE]

DougE said:


...
The way I do it is to just add finishing sauce, and serve with an assortment of BBQ sauces on the side so everyone can choose their own. I like mine nekkid, with just finishing sauce.

Finishing sauce:
1 Cup cider vinegar
2 TBS brown sugar
1 tsp Tony Chachere's Cajun seasoning (or other Cajun seasoning of choice)
1 tsp coarse black pepper
1 tsp red pepper flakes

Just mix the finishing sauce up in a bottle and squirt a little here and there around the pulled pork, and mix it up.

Add a few tablespoons of ketchup and you have an eastern Carolina mop

I don't take credit for the finishing sauce recipe; I got the recipe a long time ago from the pork section of this site, and almost always use it on my pulled pork. Adding ketchup kinda sounds interesting. I might have to find a way to work that in somewhere.

 

[bigfurmn]

Trucker.. These guys will get you on the right track. Telling us about your smoker and wood choice will help a lot.

 

[MCQSmoker]

Hello all,

I’m going to be smoking a pork shoulder on Christmas Day. I’m looking for recommendations on a dry rub(or rub recipe). Also, any tips/tricks that might be helpful, as this will be my first attempt at a shoulder.
Thank you

enjoy. Best advice I have is not to rush it and don’t be tempted to take it off before it hits temp. My last go was about 6 hours before I took it off around 200/205. After the rub was on and the smoker temp was where I wanted it, I didn’t touch it once untiI the end when I checked whether it’d hit temp or not.

 

[uncle eddie]

I use an electric smoker (set it and forget it) so I almost always put mine in at 9:00 - 10:30 PM the night before serving.
It usually gets done around 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM.
Sometimes, the next morning, I wrap it - sometimes not - depends on the meat temp.
When it is probe tender, I wrap it and keep in the cooler until it is time to shred & serve.

 

[toxictrucker76]

Trucker.. These guys will get you on the right track. Telling us about your smoker and wood choice will help a lot.

It’s a Masterbuilt vertical, propane fired. I was going to use mesquite.

 

[912smoker]

It’s a Masterbuilt vertical, propane fired. I was going to use mesquite.

Hey tt have you used mesquite before?
I never have but it has pretty strong flavor profile.
Something milder like hickory or a fruit wood like apple is usually recommended for pork.

 

[DougE]

I use mesquite on poultry and beef. Poultry is kind of bland and I don't mind mesquite being the primary flavor with the poultry flavor as an undertone. Beef has a strong enough flavor to stand on top of the mesquite, making the mesquite a secondary flavor. Now pork has an awesome flavor, but it's subtle, and easily dominated, or even covered up by a strong wood like mesquite. In my opinion, hickory, pecan, or a fruit wood enhances the subtle flavor of pork without covering it up.

 

[rileybowler]

I would be on the side of smoking the day before that way next time you will know what to expect and as mentioned it will be just as good rewarming or maybe even better since it has had time to sit.

 

[toxictrucker76]

Hey tt have you used mesquite before?
I never have but it has pretty strong flavor profile.
Something milder like hickory or a fruit wood like apple is usually recommended for pork.

I’ve got some hickory- that was actually my first instinct.

 

[PolishDeli]

I know you said smoked, and it looks like everyone else has got you covered.

If youre interested in something a little different than bbq flavors, try pernil.
It's a roasted pork shoulder. Traditional Christmas dish in Puerto Rico.
I rotisserie it, in part because that way you get some smoky flavors.

Link to a post i did about it:

Pernil - Puerto Rican Roasted Pork

Made a Puerto Rican style rotisserie pork shoulder on Sunday. Here are some pictures and notes of the process: Slather a pork shoulder in sofrito. Peel back the skin to get seasoning everywhere. Stab the meat in several places and insert a garlic clove into each slot. Wrap and refrigerate...

www.smokingmeatforums.com

 

[smokeusum]

It’s a Masterbuilt vertical, propane fired. I was going to use mesquite.

Mesquite is usually a hard flavor on a Butt. I use apple & cherry.

 

[toxictrucker76]

Thank you everyone for all the advice. Shoulder came out awesome.

 

[Fueling Around]

awesome