Help with a pork shoulder

[10,000 Casts]

I'm smoking a pork shoulder for pulled pork. It's 11 lbs and I rubbed it with mustard and then added my rub and it is in the fridge waiting to go in the smoker tomorrow. I plan on smoking it at 240 degrees for 11-14 hrs or how ever long it takes to get to 190 degrees internal temp.

I'm smoking all day saturday to eat it for lunch on Sunday. My question is, what can I do so it is moist when we eat it at 1pm on Sunday? I assume I'll have to pull it right away and then wrap it in tin foil and reheat it in the oven on Sunday. Any suggestions? I was hoping to not have to douse it in BBQ sause so people can add there own.

Thanks!

[Surface Tension]

Put it in a pan while it is smoking.

Mop it every hour with a mixture of apple juice, cider vinegar, and spices from your rub.

When the butt is done reserve the juices and reduce them over med heat.

That will be your BB-Q sauce to add to the pork.

Pull the pork. Depending on the moisture you can add the juices to it or when you serve it.

Yes cover or wrap the pulled pork and store it in the fridge.

[Jim Almquist]

I have pretty much done exactly what you are doing and what I did was throw it into a crock pot. I would go a little lower on the temps and smoke for the first 4 hours and slow cook for the next 6 to 8 hours. If you need to pull it sooner you can make up the time in the crock pot the next day. When it is cooked you should be able to shred with a fork.

[reinhard1]

i've got to try that the next time around. the smoking can do nothing but enhance the flavor of the pork. great idea. good luck.

[dewey1]

THIS WOULD BE MY SCHEDULE: LIGHT THE WSM AT 7PM. SMOKING BY 8PM. CONSUME MANY BEERS. MIDNIGHT RESTOKE WSM WITH 2 PRESTARTED CHIMNEYS OF COWBOY WOOD. NO SMOKE. 6AM MONITOR INTERNAL TEMP. WHEN READY SOMWHERE BETWEEN 10 AND NOON REMOVE, WRAP IN FOIL DOUBLE. WRAP IN OLD BLANKET, PLACE IN COOLER WITH A COUPLE BLANKETS ON BOTTOM AND TOP. THIS CAN SIT THIS WAY FOR 4HRS NO PROBLEM. IT WILL STILL BE PLENTY HOT WHEN PULLED.

[thirdeye]

I think the 190° internal might be a little shy of easily pullable, I still go by probing and by how loose the bone is.... but many of mine are over 200° internal when they get tender. I don't use a WSM but I plan on 15 to 16 hours for an 8 pound butt in my BGE.

I agree with everyone that saving the juices is a good way to go, and I like a long cooler resting time as well.

If your roast is not coming along as fast as you want it to, you can also consider a foiled finish. Once the roast is anywhere above 170° internal, triple wrap in foil and return to the cooker (or an oven) and continue to cook until it's tender. The foil will speed up the cooking and trap a lot of good drippings, keeping it really moist.

[10,000 Casts]

Thanks for the good info guys! I stuck a pan under it to catch the juices. I don't have any apple juice but I do have an apple cider vinager and oil baste. I will wrap it in foil after it gets to 170 and finish it in the smoker, I wasn't sure I was going to do that but you confirmed it is a good idea and I remember a BBQ restaraunt doing that and their pork was amazing. Then I'll wait until 200 degrees to pull.

Thanks again!

[thirdeye]

The foil finish is a little more predictable, plus after 8 or 10 hours the butt will have plenty of smoke flavor and good color. You could even hit it a bit harder with the smoke since the foil finish is really steaming it tender.

Here is what you are looking for with the bone. It will slip easily and be clean.

Here is one that is almost spitting the bone out.

For your foiling liquid, a little apple cider is okay, and you can also add some chicken broth, or some original Coca Cola. (The Coke can also be injected before foiling if you like) Some competition cooks will use a little thinned down pork marinade in the foil.... Stubbs and Famous Daves are my favorite brands. The butt will create a lot of juice on it's own, so a few ounces of extra liquid is all that's needed.

And speaking of the Coca Cola, a little bit works good mixed in with the foil juices to keep the meat moist following pulling.

[thirdeye]

Any sampling going on yet??

[bloc004]

I agree with taking it to at least 200 internal temp. I smoke mine for about 4-5 hours or until I have an IT of about 165, double foil and put in the oven to finish. You are not going to gain much smoke flavor after that time/ temp anyway, that way I dont have to waste my propane tank. Any finished product pics?

[Farley]

I take mine to 200-205 as well.

[10,000 Casts]

Quote:

Any sampling going on yet??

It turned out absolutely awesome! We fed 20 people and everybody was saying that it was the best pulled pork that they have ever eaten. 200 was perfect and it was very juicy and the smoke flavor was perfect mixed with a little spice from the rub.

[thirdeye]

It turned out absolutely awesome! We fed 20 people and everybody was saying that it was the best pulled pork that they have ever eaten. 200 was perfect and it was very juicy and the smoke flavor was perfect mixed with a little spice from the rub.

Way to go! What was your cooking and resting timeline? That's the most asked question from most folks..... and the hardest thing for many to take a chance on.

For me, my sit down time is not as important as having something memorable like you served, that folks really enjoy. It's no problem if a butt or brisket is done early, it will hang in the cooler for hours... but when they are cooking slower than expected, some hosts get really eager to serve them up and sometimes they get served to soon.

[reinhard1]

i like to watch Bizzare Foods once in a while and Zimmerman has a recipe from a southern resturant that was posted on my facebook site. it seems very simple but i have a question about the direct heat part of the proccess. here is the recipe:

Pork Butt off the grill

1 pork butt [it called for boneless]

1 empty gallon jug

8 oz salt

12 liquid oz of vinegar

4 liquid oz of lemmon juice

warm water

pour the salt, vinegar, and lemon juice into a empty jug and fill the rest up with warm water. then shake it till its mixed well. put the pork butt on the grill over direct heat, coat with the vinigar liquid mix [a spray bottle works the best]. and close the lid.

as the meat cooks continue to spray or baste the meat to keep the meat moist and tender. cook until the meat is tender about 4 to 5 hours or that the internal temp is 160. then move over to indirect heat and cook for another 30 minutes to tenderize the meat.[ i'm assuming this would increase the internal temp which should happen]. let it rest, then serve it chipped, chopped, or sliced for sandwiches.

the spray mix sounds interesting but the cooking method is questional for me anyway. being a resturant i can see using boneless pork butts because they are less labor and usualy netted making them more uniform. plus i'm thinking they may have rotating cooking trays so the meat is not over the heat source stationary [much like a rotisary]. i could see this on a rotissary but they dont mention that this is what they do. has anyone ever done this in this manner? seems like this should be done on a rotissari or over indirect heat. good luck.

[delcecchi]

I would think pork shoulder only cooked to 160 would be pretty chewy. Doesn't it need to get to like 190 and be there a while for the collagen to dissolve?

[reinhard1]

that's what i think also. the recipe says to take the meat off "direct" heat at 160 deg. and then to indirect for 30 more minutes. will that additional time make it to 200 deg? then it said to let it rest but not for how long. i think this recipe was poorly written in my opinion. especialy the direct heat part. i dont know how you can have any piece of meat over direct heat for 4 to 5 hours before it turnes into a piece of coal. it has to be on a rotissary for this to work.

this is why the recipies and methods of cooking here on these threads are far more informative than some of the stuff on the net. we all have trial and error and then there are people like Third Eye and others steer us in the right direction. good luck.

[Walleyehooker]

I would warm it back up in a crock pot the next day and add some apple juice if needed.