16.5 hour pork shoulder

[Greg Ross-MN]

I forgot to weigh it but I smoked a bone-in pork shoulder last night starting around 11:30pm. Ended up taking 16.5 hours. I used smokeboost overnight for about 7 hours. I gradually bumped the temp up to 350 by early afternoon as it was stuck at 165 for quite awhile. I let it rest in a cooler for about an hour once it starting probing like warm butter.

Turned out great with fantastic smoke flavor but I think next time I'll skip the smokeboost to cut back on cook time.


Finished product.


After 7 hours.


Pellet hopper after about 7 hours.


Graph from my Meater thermometer. Keep in mind the ambient probe is affected by the close proximity to the meat so it's always lower than actual.

 

[DanHoo]

A few of us are going hot and fast pork shoulder.

 

[Bob Erdman]

Great looking shoulder! I rarely use smoke boost, never on a low and slow cook. The SmokeFire produces enough smoke flavor for me on long cooks.

 

[Bob Erdman]

A few of us are going hot and fast pork shoulder.

I may try that on my next shoulder. Whats the preferred temp? Would you wrap?

 

[LMichaels]

Looks like the only thing wrong with that shoulder is I'm not there tucking into it as well

 

[Greg Ross-MN]

Great looking shoulder! I rarely use smoke boost, never on a low and slow cook. The SmokeFire produces enough smoke flavor for me on long cooks.

I'll try that next time. This was my first shoulder on the SF so wasn't sure what to expect with smoke flavor.

 

[Darryl - swazies]

Looks good from here.
I go hotter myself lately....around 275 or so.....run it until I break through the stall and get good color then I braise it in lard.
That really speeds up the process.....usually takes about 8 or 9 hours max.....really helps out when people want to eat around 5 or 6....you know like normal people do.....I use to eat after 9 because the low n slow.

 

[LMichaels]

I've found both my Member's Mark and Big Z give off plenty of smoke flavor and plenty of smoke (at least for my tastes) when I simply put the shoulder on at 225 and let it go. Same with brisket. When they hit the stall I'll sometimes push them a little to 250-260 but pretty much only if I need them done sooner. I don't pull and wrap either. Simply let them run. Never paid attention to smoke ring on either as to my tastes it has nothing to do with the flavor. As I have gotten smoke rings on things that came nowhere near "smoke" and gotten incredible flavor on stuff that showed no ring.
Now, I might prefer a slightly lighter smoke flavor profile than some as my goal is to taste the subject (the protein) with subtle smoke rather than be "hit" with smoke on my taste buds and no real distinction of the meat flavor

 

[Greg Ross-MN]

Correct. The smoke ring is just a chemical reaction, it's got nothing to do with the level of smoke flavor.