Pulled Pork Question

[justpassingthru]

I’m going to smoke a pork shoulder tomorrow on the GOSM; since all of our pork is raised locally it will be skin on. I've only smoked a couple on the WSM, and they came from the supermarket and were already skinned and cut in half, this time I'm buying a whole shoulder from a butcher.

Should I cut the skin off and cook it separate, will it be edible, or leave it on?

If I leave it on won’t that affect the portion that will receive the rub?

Thanks, Gene

 

[DanMcG]

Hey Gene, welcome to SMF.
I'm the last person to give advice on Pulled pork, But I was reading a thread about the same question earlier.
http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/for...ad.php?t=77060
It sounds like you can do it either way, good luck and don't forget the Q-view!!

 

[smoke freak]

I would remove most of the external fat. It will keep the smoke and rub from the part of the meat that you plan to eat. And there is still plenty of fat inside to keep the meat juicy.

 

[justpassingthru]

DanMcG, Thanks for the link.

SMOKE FREAK, Thanks, on a side note, we were the most consistantlywinning bracket car at Famosa Drag Strip in the mid 70's, 63 Falcon-351 Cleveland, gotta pull your chain, keep on smokin brother.

I'm going to buy the pork shoulder this morning, I will post pics later.

Gene

 

[flash]

Also try scoring the outside of the butt. This allows better penetration of the rub.

 

[justpassingthru]

Flash, that is a piece of art, good looking pork, thanks for the tip.

I went to the butcher yesterday morning, this is my butt, 5 ¾ pounds, I paid $8.62 per pound, …that is why I don’t smoke it too often.

http://s463.photobucket.com/albums/q...t=100_0396.jpg

Here is the skin I was talking about.

http://s463.photobucket.com/albums/q...t=100_0398.jpg

10 ½ hours at 246°, I’m jazzed, it ain’t black as a meteorite.

http://s463.photobucket.com/albums/q...t=100_0408.jpg

Pulled .

http://s463.photobucket.com/albums/q...t=100_0414.jpg


I have noticed two things with this cooker, it has some serious hot spots on the sides and burns the food placed next to them if they are not rotated which means opening the door increasing cooking time, and, even at 250° the heat boils out of the top vent. After meditating on how my oven works I decided to try and modify the GOSM to keep the heat in longer.

To cause some turbulance I had these deflectors bent at 120° out of 1mm aluminum, 2” x 3 ½”. They seemed to have worked because the butt was placed next to the left side wall and I didn’t move it once.
Left side.

http://s463.photobucket.com/albums/q...t=100_0420.jpg

Right side.

http://s463.photobucket.com/albums/q...t=100_0419.jpg

This is the deflector I mounted under the top vent, its 1 ⅛” x 16”, I bent the top vent tab up and closed it to ¾” open which between the two sides is about the same top vent area of my WSM.

http://s463.photobucket.com/albums/q...t=100_0421.jpg

I used the info richoso1 posted about propane consumption and weighing my tank before and after, I used right at 1 gal of propane in 10 ½ hours holding at 246° the entire cook. I placed the meat in the smoker at 9 pm I brought it up to temp and didn’t open the door until 4:00 am to mop; I mopped every hour after that. After mopping the temp dropped about 30°-35°, but I didn’t change the burner position after opening the door to bring it back to temp, but rather opened the top vent and within 5-10 min it was back to 246° and then I would close it down to ¾” again.

So, since I have only been smoking with the GOSM for about a month and this is the first time with these mods and the first time opening or closing the top vent has affected the temp of the smoker, I ask you that have the experience with the GOSM, have I helped the performance any?

Before I installed the top deflector the wood box would last about 2 hrs and was subject to flare ups, this is the wood box after 10 ½ hrs, filled once with guava, rambutan and lump chips.

http://s463.photobucket.com/albums/q...t=100_0426.jpg

Thanks for the help and looking at my Qview, Gene

 

[fire it up]

$8.62lb, ouch.
I see why you don't smoke them that often.
Not that it matters as much now but personally I take off most of the fat when doing a butt and just leave a layer for moisture/basting purposes.
Looked great though, congrats on a successful smoke.

 

[creative rock]

At 8.62 a pound, I can see why the butcher leaves the skin on... Double OUCH!!! The 6 butts I have in the freezer, and the two I smoked last weekend were on sale .78 a pound. Picnics on sale for .68 a pound this week.

I believe full price last I checked was about 1.50... I think I will stop complaining about full price

Considering that pulled pork from a butt has 40-60 % shrinkage and waste... That hads to the OUCH! (but still delicious)

Hope yours turned out awesome,
Matt
aka Rocky