Pork shoulder questions


 
C

CaseyMcC

TVWBB Member
Hi all. I bought an 18.5 inch WSM last month and had my first smoke on Father's Day. A 7 3/4 lb shoulder and a 2+ lbs tri tip. I used Kingsford Professional briqs and 2 chunks each of apple & pecan. It was my first time ever on a charcoal smoker. Having only used gas box smokers, I was a little paranoid about my first attempt going not going well. I was very happily wrong on that worry. I would have been using it more since Father's Day if not for a dental emergency that has had me on soft foods for the last 2 weeks. But that is all fixed and ready to smoke again.

I have a shoulder a shade under 10 lbs dry brining in my fridge right now. I will be going to my family's lake house tomorrow, which is about an hour away. It is likely that no one will be there until late morning, so trying to smoke it there won't likely give me enough time to have it done before 5 or 6 p.m. dinner time. I was thinking that I can get the bulk of the cook done this afternoon, wrap & fridge it, then warm it up on the grill tomorrow. So here are my questions. What temp should I bring it to today? Should I get it all the way to finish? Should I leave it intact or go ahead and pull tonight? Should I use a foil pan on the grill to braise, or go direct? Thank you in advance for your responses. Have a good holiday, everyone.
 
Ok, we’re it me, I would smoke it planning on a two hour per lb. cook time on the pork, and be prepared for it to go shorter but, that will allow the shoulder to rest and be foiled and wrapped in a towel for the transportation to the feast.
So, that said, the problem in pulling it the night before is it will dry out more than you’d expect.
How early are you willing to wake up? Or, you could get really brave and smoke it overnight (my preferred technique) wrap in two layers of foil, then do the towel in the cooler and pull it at the party, it will be better than pulling the night before.
Just my method.
As for the tri tip, I’d smoke it then take that and finish the sear at the party site. Just an opinion.
 
Hi Timothy. No tri tip this time. That was just for the 1st cook. Hadn't considered the overnight cook route. I have an extended concrete pad on the patio, so I can set it out far enough from the house without much worry. I might just go that way now. Where should I set the bottom dampers overnight?
 
That will depend on the temperature and most importantly wind.
Do you have a remote thermometer so you can check it from your bed?
If so, I’d try for a base temp between 225-245 and “Try” to get some sleep. If it’s the first overnight, you won’t sleep much but, try!
My starting point would probably be 1/4 on the windward side (adjust until things are where you want them) the downwind side might be closed or open up to 1/2, maybe. Every smoke is different, it will be fine.
I like the relaxed thing of getting it done and resting in a cooler until folks are hungry, opening up the cooler, unwrapping and having the whole thing pull as easily as you can imagine and be nice and moist! Patience will be rewarded!
Let me know how it turns out.
 
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Looks to be clear, calm, warm & humid all through tomorrow here. I do have an iGrill device linked with my phone, but it is just 1 probe. Should I use it for ambient temp or leave it in the meat?
 
I’d probably use the probe for pit temp. Is it bone in or boneless? Bone in you can be sure when the bone pulls boneless, when it feels soft.
However the meat temperature is really the important thing so, set it for your desired temperature and be prepared to wrap when it says it’s ready. It will be fine.
 
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Tim's method for the pork is pretty much what I use, too. 2 hrs/lb smoking time, and when wrapped in foil and then a thick layer of towels in a cooler it'll easily stay hot for several hours (especially one of that size). In fact, you could even do an overnight, wrap and stash it, and have time for a 2-hour nap before you leave.

Alternatively, if you could get permission to go to the house today and do the smoke there it'd be even better, but I don't know if you can easily transport your WSM.
 
Hi Brad. Already tried to see if I could get in early and was unable to get a key. I also drew the short straw and have to work as full a day as can be today.
 
Casey, if everything went as planned the world would be a dull and boring place! Make the best of it, the pork will be fine.
 
Brad Olson said:
Are you responsible for keeping all of those convenience stores up and running?;)
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Unfortunately, no. But I do have the Bullett revved up for a long term, low & slow. Completely forgot to take a before pic, but hopefully won't be so absent minded later today.
 
Pork shoulder is pretty forgiving.

I'd smoke it overnight. So long as the cooker temperature overnight begins with a 2, it will be fine.

When you are ready to leave, pull, wrap, towels, cooler.

If it isn't quite done by the time you leave, finish it up in the oven (wrapped) at the lake house.
 
Timothy F. Lewis said:
Ok, we’re it me, I would smoke it planning on a two hour per lb. cook time on the pork, and be prepared for it to go shorter but, that will allow the shoulder to rest and be foiled and wrapped in a towel for the transportation to the feast.
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Wow, CaseyMcC doing his 2nd WSM Smoke in which he must maintain a proper temperature for around twenty(20) hours will be a hearty challenge. How about First placing the ten(10)lb Pork Shoulder inside his kitchen oven for a couple of hours and then terminate the BBQ Session inside his WSM or go the other way by first placing it in the WSM for a few hours and then Finish it in the Kitchen Oven???

The following comment is off-subject but my brother always starts his Beef Brisket Smoke in his Smoker for a couple of hours and then he will Finnish it in his Kitchen Oven. I have tasted his method many times and the meat came out very tasty and very chewable.
 
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Richard Garcia said:
Wow, CaseyMcC doing his 2nd WSM Smoke in which he must maintain a proper temperature for around twenty(20) hours will be a hearty challenge. How about First placing the ten(10)lb Pork Shoulder inside his kitchen oven for a couple of hours and then terminate the BBQ Session inside his WSM or go the other way by first placing it in the WSM for a few hours and then Finish it in the Kitchen Oven???

The following comment is off-subject but my brother always starts his Beef Brisket Smoke in his Smoker for a couple of hours and then he will Finnish it in his Kitchen Oven. I have tasted his method many times and the meat came out very tasty and very chewable.
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It was too hot on Friday to keep the temp around 225. It was running between 250 and 275, so the smoke took half the time. Wrapped it to cool and fridged it overnight. Brought it back to tell on the grill yesterday with a braise sauce my brother whipped up. Pineapple concentrate, Apple cider vinegar, Worchester, Chulula and chicken stock. We lost a good deal of crisp bark, but it stayed plenty tender and juicy.
 
Another great thing about pork butt is it reheats really well. I've done a cook the day before, pulled it in the pan that I foiled it in to retain all those juices (and fat) and then reheated it in the oven at 200 for a while or even the microwave and it doesn't even taste like leftovers.
 
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