Smoking Pork Shoulder Question

[JohnnyChance]

Ive used that Jack Daniels pulled pork before, but I dont have my own smoker setup. If you ever need great baked beans in a hurry: dice bacon, render bacon, add diced onions/garlic, sweat, add canned beans, bring up to temp, check for seasoning, usually needs some sweet/hot mustard, and then add in a package of the pulled pork. As a major procrastinator, this is great when I start cooking 45 minutes before I am supposed to leave for a cookout.

 

[chazmtb]

:jawdrop:

:eeew:

:censored:

:angry2:

:angry1:

:soapbox:

WHO ARE YOU???!!!! AND WHAT DID YOU DO TO BAO???!!!

I feel dirty, but I am pressed for time this weekend....

It is a path to the dark side but...

If I can clone myself and do the family duties too, I would smoke....

Hope you don't feel any less of me.

Yeah excuses, excuses.:doublebanghead:

 

[99Limited]

I grew up on smoked shoulders and have doing my own for 30+ years. If you strip away the bark, what you have left tastes the same whether it was cooked for 10 or more hours on the smoker or in a slow oven. The smoke doesn't penetrate that far into the meat so you really have to blend the bark with the rest of pulled meat to get that smokey flavor in each bite. I wouldn't feel bad about what you needed to do. I've done the same thing with ribs before. Bought some precooked/packaged ribs, threw them on a slow grill to warm them up and served them. I never said what I did and nobody asked, it was all good.

 

[chazmtb]

The I used the Jack Daniels for the family picnic. But for the main event, I couldn't bring myself to do anything but good ol home made smoked pulled pork.

Here is a picture pre sauce. It will be ready for my wife's one year anniversary of opening of her office.

 

[mhlee]

Welcome back from the dark side Bao. :happy3:

Pork looks gooood!!

 

[sashae]

I have a 12lb bone-in shoulder ready to go over some pecan and applewood on Saturday... pretty stoked. For folks that make their own sauce, how do you prefer to do it? I'm fond of the Carolinian sauces -- both the tomato-vinegar NC and the mustard-vinegar SC, love to hear some recommendations.

 

[chazmtb]

Michael,

It was good, better than last time. This time, I didn't have a lot of time this time. Only smoked it for 5 hours and put it in the oven afterwards. Internal temperature was at 145. I set the convection oven at 250 and the automatic temperature probe setting at 190 so the oven would shut off when the temperature is reached. I went to bed, and woke up six hours later, and it was done. Don't know how long it took to get to 190. The meat wasn't as "soft" as last time, but I thought the low and slow of 18 hours made the meat too mushy. I liked that this time was a little chunkier. I played around with the rub, adding a little more salt this time, and it came out better. It is a good sign that the meat taste good without the sauce. Everyone really liked it and gave good compliments. They said it was the best pulled pork they had ever eaten, but I think they were being nice.

All in all, it went pretty well, and the best thing was, the people enjoyed it.

 

[99Limited]

I have a 12lb bone-in shoulder ready to go over some pecan and applewood on Saturday... pretty stoked. For folks that make their own sauce, how do you prefer to do it? I'm fond of the Carolinian sauces -- both the tomato-vinegar NC and the mustard-vinegar SC, love to hear some recommendations.

Yummm, sauces. Here's a reason for a whole new thread. I only like dry rub brisket and ribs, but good sauces on pulled pork sandwich. :drool:

 

[mhlee]

Michael,

It was good, better than last time. This time, I didn't have a lot of time this time. Only smoked it for 5 hours and put it in the oven afterwards. Internal temperature was at 145. I set the convection oven at 250 and the automatic temperature probe setting at 190 so the oven would shut off when the temperature is reached. I went to bed, and woke up six hours later, and it was done. Don't know how long it took to get to 190. The meat wasn't as "soft" as last time, but I thought the low and slow of 18 hours made the meat too mushy. I liked that this time was a little chunkier. I played around with the rub, adding a little more salt this time, and it came out better. It is a good sign that the meat taste good without the sauce. Everyone really liked it and gave good compliments. They said it was the best pulled pork they had ever eaten, but I think they were being nice.

All in all, it went pretty well, and the best thing was, the people enjoyed it.

Nice job Bao. Sounds like it did come out better.

I personally favor less mushy meat. When I went to the KCBS judging class (Ed Roith was the head instructor), we were told that if you could mush the meat between your fingers easiliy, it was overcooked. And, I agree with that observation.

At that level of softness, it will almost dissolve in your mouth. It also seems to have less flavor than when it still has structure. Then again, I also like my ribs NOT falling off the bone. Maybe I was just brainwashed by the KCBS judges because I'm one of very few people that likes my ribs like that out here in Southern California, which is kind of a BBQ wasteland compared to other parts of the US.

But, don't think they were just saying that to be nice. Most people have NO FRIGGIN' IDEA what real barbecue is. You probably completely wowed them since pulled pork to them is probably braised pork, with (maybe) some liquid smoke.

Cheers on a great job! :thumbsup:

 

[sashae]

Ended up doing a smaller shoulder (10lb) and 18lbs of pork spare ribs (dry.) Turned out fantastically...