Jim Bounds
TVWBB Fan
I've got 4 kids and the youngest is graduating from HS this Friday. I foresee the future and it is an 'empty nest'! My wife and I decided to throw a graduation party this past Sunday along with another couple whose kid is a buddy of my son. I was hosting. I was in charge of 4 - 10 pound pork shoulders. They were in charge of their famous New Orleans Crawfish boil. 50 pounds of crawfish. We invited over 120 people. Picked up the pork shoulders from Wilson Meats in Catlett, VA: a nondescript hole in the wall with excellent meats/cheeses and always fresh and high quality. Dry-brined the shoulders Friday morning in salt. My wife convinced me to smoke on Saturday and reheat on Sunday to ensure i was well rested. I agreed with some trepidation b/c i have never 're-heated' such a large quantity of Pulled Pork. Small quantities on stovetop - yes. Dreaming of PP, I ended up waking at 0200 and prepping the shoulders with Dizzy Dust from Dizzy Pig. The obligatory shoulder shot:
By the time the 22" WSM was up to temps it was:
The WSM was chugging along for a few hours at 225-235 as the sun came up:
I have never smoked this much meat at once on the 22" WSM and the four shoulders fit fine, but not much room left. Ambient temps from Low 60's to low 70's. The top rack 2 shoulders were done in 10.5 hours. I was using water in the pan. I wrapped the first 2 shoulders in foil and put into a faux cambro and moved the 2 bottom rack shoulders up top and continued smoking for another 2 hours! They were at 170 when i moved them while the 2 I foiled were at 195. Quite the difference between the two heat zones. I'm sure the normal temp gradient between the top and bottom rack was further influenced by a full water pan.
Pulled the last two at 195:
Let them rest with in faux cambro for another 1.5 hours. Pulled them (bone fell out) and put them into 6 disposable aluminum trays and covered with foil.
I do not have a pulled pork pic, but we all know what that looks like. Sunday I spritzed with apple juice and mixed up the PP. Spritzed again and mixed. Did this 4 times then poured a small amount on top for good measure, re-foiled and into oven at 275 for @ 45 minutes. Served.
It was fantastic. I expected leftovers, but as I heated each tray and put out for guests.... all gone 4 hours later!
Lessons Learned: Water Pan worked magic inside the smoker, but need to take into account temp gradient and cooking each shoulder to TEMP not TIME. Dry-brining is the way to go. Yes, you can reheat PP to perfection as long as you add a bit of apple juice for moisture and mix in good.
Next Time: Putting rubs on Pork Shoulder is a labor of love, but I wonder if it really makes a difference? By the time you pull all this meat the rub flavor is lost in and you are left with pure and simple pork taste perfection and not the taste of the rub. Gets lost in the quantity of meat. I may go old school next time and just dry brine then pepper and let the "hog do the talking" without expensive rub slathered all around.
What do you all think about eliminating the 'rub' for such large hunks of meat?
By the time the 22" WSM was up to temps it was:
The WSM was chugging along for a few hours at 225-235 as the sun came up:
I have never smoked this much meat at once on the 22" WSM and the four shoulders fit fine, but not much room left. Ambient temps from Low 60's to low 70's. The top rack 2 shoulders were done in 10.5 hours. I was using water in the pan. I wrapped the first 2 shoulders in foil and put into a faux cambro and moved the 2 bottom rack shoulders up top and continued smoking for another 2 hours! They were at 170 when i moved them while the 2 I foiled were at 195. Quite the difference between the two heat zones. I'm sure the normal temp gradient between the top and bottom rack was further influenced by a full water pan.
Pulled the last two at 195:
Let them rest with in faux cambro for another 1.5 hours. Pulled them (bone fell out) and put them into 6 disposable aluminum trays and covered with foil.
I do not have a pulled pork pic, but we all know what that looks like. Sunday I spritzed with apple juice and mixed up the PP. Spritzed again and mixed. Did this 4 times then poured a small amount on top for good measure, re-foiled and into oven at 275 for @ 45 minutes. Served.
It was fantastic. I expected leftovers, but as I heated each tray and put out for guests.... all gone 4 hours later!
Lessons Learned: Water Pan worked magic inside the smoker, but need to take into account temp gradient and cooking each shoulder to TEMP not TIME. Dry-brining is the way to go. Yes, you can reheat PP to perfection as long as you add a bit of apple juice for moisture and mix in good.
Next Time: Putting rubs on Pork Shoulder is a labor of love, but I wonder if it really makes a difference? By the time you pull all this meat the rub flavor is lost in and you are left with pure and simple pork taste perfection and not the taste of the rub. Gets lost in the quantity of meat. I may go old school next time and just dry brine then pepper and let the "hog do the talking" without expensive rub slathered all around.
What do you all think about eliminating the 'rub' for such large hunks of meat?
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