Short notice but doing some pork shoulder tomorrow

[Ausable Junkie]

I'm firing up the smoker tomorrow to do a "pork shoulder" so we can have some pulled pork sandwiches. I asked my GF to pick the meat up. She got 2 cuts labeled "Pork Boston butt roast". Is this the right cut for pulled pork sammies?
No stranger to smoking (done fish, jerky, pork loin, tomatoes, several turkeys etc.) but wondering if there's anything extra I should make sure to do to get good results.
I will be using some of the barkless oak I cut recently as its the most available wood for me. We have the meat in a brine now so that is taken care of. Just wanting to know if there's anything extra to doing larger cuts of meat like this. One of my worries is having it dry out too much. The turkeys i've done had skin on 'em so that wasn't a problem but these cuts are bare naked. There is nice marbleing of fat so that should help keep the meat from drying out hopefully.

[Firemedic]

I don't brine pork, just an overnight dry rub with an injection. I would not use the oak if it has been "recently" cut, being it could have an undesireable moisture content will give you too much smoke and yield your pork bitter.

Keep the smoker at 230-250, and foil it at 175-180. Back in the smoker (or oven) until ya get an internal temp of 205. Rest it in a cooler packed with towels for a few hours to let it rest.

BTW, how big are the butts?

[Ausable Junkie]

They're both right around 6lbs. each. The oak I cut is pretty dry. I will be using the smaller top stuff from trees that have been standing dead for a few years due to a forest fire.

[Firemedic]

They're both right around 6lbs. each. The oak I cut is pretty dry. I will be using the smaller top stuff from trees that have been standing dead for a few years due to a forest fire.

6 lb'ers should take too long. Just remember, you don't want thick, white or billowing smoke. Thin blue smoke is what you are looking for. Even if you can't see much smoke but you can smell it, it is effective.

[Riva]

I don't brine pork, just an overnight dry rub with an injection. I would not use the oak if it has been "recently" cut, being it could have an undesirable moisture content will give you too much smoke and yield your pork bitter.

Keep the smoker at 230-250, and foil it at 175-180. Back in the smoker (or oven) until ya get an internal temp of 205. Rest it in a cooler packed with towels for a few hours to let it rest.

BTW, how big are the butts?

Verily: this man speaks truth!

Do not use oak as a smoke. We aint eating kitchen furniture here. Use some light hickory or pecan or, nothing at all.

Do not take out until butt reaches 200-205 internal (go buy a damn thermometer, OK!)

Good luck

[Firemedic]

Verily: this man speaks truth!

Do not use oak as a smoke. We aint eating kitchen furniture here. Use some light hickory or pecan or, nothing at all.

Do not take out until butt reaches 200-205 internal (go buy a damn thermometer, OK!)

Good luck

Just curious why you don't use oak? Besides maple and cherry, oak is my third favorite.

[Fishbum2]

Don't use oak, stick with Hickory, Mesquite or a fruit wood like apple.
Use some liquid smoke in a water pan under the meat. This helps to steam
it and flavor it and keeps moisture in the smoker. To me, oak just does not have that aromatic aroma that I like.

Baste it with BBQ sauce during the last hour or so. This, too, helps with
the moisture.

Don't forget the coleslaw. I had a pulled pork on a bed of sweet cole slaw sanwich recently. It was just great.

[Ausable Junkie]

Firemedic, thanks for the reminder on the smoke. When I got started I was under the impression, The more smoke the better. "Look at all that smoke!, its gunna be good!" I used to say. Now I know the less complete combustion from wetter wood or oxygen depletion can make it bitter due to creosote buildup on the food being smoked. I'm always adjusting my stack vent and my firebox air intake to get the right rate of combustion. Electric would be easier, but its worth the effort to go old school to me.
Getting good smoke and keeping the temp right is a juggling act. My smoker is a mid-grade outfit. I'm thinking if I upgrade someday, it might make the juggling act a little easier for me.


Riva, I picked up a thermometer when I got the smoker, its a must have. The one on the side of the smoker is useless. I put mine where the exhaust stack is, basically measuring the temp of the gases as they escape the smoker. I'll make sure to get the internal temp to what you suggested. I know its important, especially with pork.

Fishbum2, the bbq baste for the last bit sounds like a good idea. I won't be using the liquid smoke though, seems like sacrelige to me. Thats why I got the smoker.;)


Whenever I do a new cut of meat or have new "material" in the smoker, I try to keep good notes on conditions like smoker temp, outside temp, cook time, etc. to tweek
it for the next time.

[Firemedic]

Don't use oak, stick with Hickory, Mesquite or a fruit wood like apple.
Use some liquid smoke in a water pan under the meat. This helps to steam
it and flavor it and keeps moisture in the smoker. To me, oak just does not have that aromatic aroma that I like.

Baste it with BBQ sauce during the last hour or so. This, too, helps with
the moisture.

Don't forget the coleslaw. I had a pulled pork on a bed of sweet cole slaw sanwich recently. It was just great.

Don't use oak? That is what alot of chunck/lump charcoal is produced from! Hickory and mesquite are too strong to use throughout the whole smoke. They will over power the pork. I have never really heard of basting pork butts with BBQ sauce, except ribs. I use a mop, 1/2 apple juice, 1/2 Captain Morgan every hour on my butts. Different style I guess, I prefer Carolina style with a vinegar based finishing sauce.

Oak has been a staple wood for me, and I know Spanky uses alot of it too. Personal preference I guess. I prefer Maple, cherry and oak for pork. Beef and fish are a whole other episode. But if you are only smoking the smaller butts for a few hours, I will bet you will never tell what wood was used, especially if you baste your's in BBQ sauce.........

[Ausable Junkie]

3 hrs & 15 mins. in and things are looking and smelling good. I remembered some bbq sauce ingredients I saw the "pros" use that enter the big city "Q" contests. Decided to baste with a sauce made of grape jelly, apple cider vinegar, and some hot sauce.
Did the first baste 2-1/2 hrs in. Doing next one when we hit the 5 hr mark.
As long as my stepdaughter leaves the cam, i will post some pics.

[Ausable Junkie]

This is how they looked at the 2nd basting at roughly 5 hrs.
Not lookin' too bad if I do say so myself.

http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/photopost/data/500/medium/pulled1.PNG
http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/photopost/data/500/medium/pulled2.PNG

[Firemedic]

Looking good! Just remember, your baste is not a sauce. Please post some pics when you are finished!

[Spanky]

Butts are lookin good. Hey Ryan, thanks for keeping these guys on their toes.

Oak is a very good wood for smoking and is used very much, and yes, most hardwood lump charcoal is made from red or white oak, post oak, ect.

I use about 80% oak in my stickburner, with an occassional maple, cherry or apple log tossed in at times, especially early in the smoke process. Haven't had any complaints yet!.
http://i241.photobucket.com/albums/ff55/Captspanky/firebox.jpg


Yes A J , liquid smoke is for the folks who use ovens and crock pots to make bbq.:D. I have seen a few Q chefs sneak it into marinades for pork or chicken, but I'm with you on the aspects of purity when possible, and for me thats always.


Them butts are lookin good. I hope you planned enough time for them, and don't freak out when the meat stays at 160-165 internal for 60-90 minutes without changing temps. Just wait it out, and keep smoking it the way you have been so far.

http://i241.photobucket.com/albums/ff55/Captspanky/virtualsmoke5.jpg


When the butts get to 170 or so, take them off the smoker mop them with your mop or baste, wrap them with heavy duty alum foil nice and tight, make sure the bottom is sealed and the openings are at the top. you want to retain them juices from the pork. Put it back on the smoker for a few more hrs, until they get to 200-205. Then take them off, wrap over that foil with clean foil carefull not to pour out the juices, and stick them in a nice large clean cooler and cover with clean rags or towels, old blanket, ect. for at least an hr. If company is gettin antsy, try to go at least 45 minutes.
When you take them out, they will be very:

Hot:yikes:

Tender........:)

and Juicy.............;)

Pour off the juice while its still in the foil. You will need some welders gloves or heavy insulated gloves. Then open up the foil and with tongs or rubber gloves, slide that clean bone out the side of the roast. Should come out clean and easy. break the roast into smaller pieces and let set while you pull each one into the sized pieces that you want. while you are doing this, put the juice into a clear container. after the pork is all pulled, use a turkey baster to pull the dark juice off the bottom of the settled glass container. the fat will rise to the top, you only want the darker stuff on the bottom.

using the bater, spread the juices back over the pulled platter of pork, shake on a few tbs of your original rub and mix it all up while its still warm.

Grab the buns, make the announcement, and stand back!

http://i241.photobucket.com/albums/ff55/Captspanky/virtualsmokepp2.jpg

[glnmiller]

Nice looking pork, and yes, oak is good. I use a mix of Oak and a apple or cherry, and sometimes hickory.

[Ausable Junkie]

I will post pics of the final product when the digicam comes home again.:lol: