Smoking a Pork Shoulder...

Food & beverages Discussions
wimpy
Posts: 13528
Joined: Tue Oct 03, 2006 11:20 pm
Location: Oregon

Smoking a Pork Shoulder...

Post by wimpy »

Anyone ever smoke one before? Any ideas/suggestions on a good way to do this? I'll be smoking it on Saturday and interested in ideas...
“When the people find that they can vote themselves money that will herald the end of the republic.”

― Benjamin Franklin
chef97
Posts: 18192
Joined: Sun Oct 08, 2006 7:09 pm
Location: Walla Walla, WA

Re: Smoking a Pork Shoulder...

Post by chef97 »

wimpy wrote:Anyone ever smoke one before? Any ideas/suggestions on a good way to do this? I'll be smoking it on Saturday and interested in ideas...
Caribbean spicy paste/rub recipe

I have been experimenting with this recipe for awhile now and this sweet & spicy paste/rub goes great with chicken, pork and seafood.... I hope you guys try it and let me know what you think....

2 to 4 habanero chiles * chef's notes (Use extreme care when handling fresh chiles, use plastic gloves or wear baggies on your hands)
6 scallions or green onions green and whites finely chopped
1/4 cup all spice
2 tablespoons fresh thyme chopped
2 tablespoons black pepper
4 teaspoons kosher or coarse salt
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup lime juice
1 tablespoon nutmeg
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1/4 cup fresh minced garlic
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup olive oil



I place all ingredients in my food processer but you can use a blender or just use a cutting board and knife and chop all vegetables and herbs by hand and then add wet ingredients and mix well... Also, you can vary the amount of chiles to adjust spiciness and recipe is good for at least 5lbs of meat too...

Coat either chicken, pork chops/ribs or seafood and marinate for at least two hours before grilling, broiling or roasting your meat ( for best results marinate overnight).... For chicken and pork cook meat until the juices run clear when pierced w/ a knife....

And as always happy grilling/smoking/cooking! 8)
Chef
wimpy
Posts: 13528
Joined: Tue Oct 03, 2006 11:20 pm
Location: Oregon

Re: Smoking a Pork Shoulder...

Post by wimpy »

Chef, thanks for the recipe. I will try it.

I smoked a shoulder this last weekend. A complete success. It turned out just as I hoped. Injected an apple juice brine, used a rub and basted it for the last couple of hours. I also finished it with a homemade simple sweet BBQ sauce that balanced the smoke flavor very well. Used plum wood too.

I had to finish it in the oven though. I couldn't get the center above 160 degrees and that was after 10 hours. My target was 190 degrees. I've read pork won't take much more smoke after 6 hours so I don't think it really matters at that point.

Another thing my wife did was add the smoked pork to her meatloaf the next day! Excellent!

I'll post the recipe for the brine, rub and BBQ sauce.
“When the people find that they can vote themselves money that will herald the end of the republic.”

― Benjamin Franklin
wimpy
Posts: 13528
Joined: Tue Oct 03, 2006 11:20 pm
Location: Oregon

Re: Smoking a Pork Shoulder...

Post by wimpy »

chef97 wrote:
wimpy wrote:Chef, thanks for the recipe. I will try it.

I smoked a shoulder this last weekend. A complete success. It turned out just as I hoped. Injected an apple juice brine, used a rub and basted it for the last couple of hours. I also finished it with a homemade simple sweet BBQ sauce that balanced the smoke flavor very well. Used plum wood too.

I had to finish it in the oven though. I couldn't get the center above 160 degrees and that was after 10 hours. My target was 190 degrees. I've read pork won't take much more smoke after 6 hours so I don't think it really matters at that point.

Another thing my wife did was add the smoked pork to her meatloaf the next day! Excellent!

I'll post the recipe for the brine, rub and BBQ sauce.

Mr. wimpy, just an FYI for your future culinary endeavors... The minimum internal safe cooking temperature for Pork is 155 F and that is good enough to kill any bacteria or pathogens that can cause food borne illness........ To cook it further you will begin drying the meat out which could render your meat a little tough to chew..... Raw beef roasts to 145 F, raw chicken 165 F, raw hamburger & pork to 155 F or until juices run clear when pierced w/ a knife..... For sirloin steaks I only go to 120 F because I like mine MR..... As always, happy cooking!
My understanding is that at 190 F the meat falls off the bone. I ended up carving it off. No problem though. The smoked pork was outstanding.

People like food the way they like it, there are no right or wrong answers there and I'm glad you and yours enjoyed the smoked pork.... I just wanted to make sure you and my fellow TTR culinarians know minimum safe internal cooking temperatures for meats... I'm also glad to hear you use a meat thermometer... As always, happy cooking!
“When the people find that they can vote themselves money that will herald the end of the republic.”

― Benjamin Franklin
chef97
Posts: 18192
Joined: Sun Oct 08, 2006 7:09 pm
Location: Walla Walla, WA

Re: Smoking a Pork Shoulder...

Post by chef97 »

wimpy wrote:
chef97 wrote:
wimpy wrote:Chef, thanks for the recipe. I will try it.

I smoked a shoulder this last weekend. A complete success. It turned out just as I hoped. Injected an apple juice brine, used a rub and basted it for the last couple of hours. I also finished it with a homemade simple sweet BBQ sauce that balanced the smoke flavor very well. Used plum wood too.

I had to finish it in the oven though. I couldn't get the center above 160 degrees and that was after 10 hours. My target was 190 degrees. I've read pork won't take much more smoke after 6 hours so I don't think it really matters at that point.

Another thing my wife did was add the smoked pork to her meatloaf the next day! Excellent!

I'll post the recipe for the brine, rub and BBQ sauce.

Mr. wimpy, just an FYI for your future culinary endeavors... The minimum internal safe cooking temperature for Pork is 155 F and that is good enough to kill any bacteria or pathogens that can cause food borne illness........ To cook it further you will begin drying the meat out which could render your meat a little tough to chew..... Raw beef roasts to 145 F, raw chicken 165 F, raw hamburger & pork to 155 F or until juices run clear when pierced w/ a knife..... For sirloin steaks I only go to 120 F because I like mine MR..... As always, happy cooking!
My understanding is that at 190 F the meat falls off the bone. I ended up carving it off. No problem though. The smoked pork was outstanding.
People like food the way they like it, there are no right or wrong answers there and I'm glad you and yours enjoyed the smoked pork.... I just wanted to make sure that you and my fellow TTR culinarians know minimum safe internal cooking temperatures for potentially hazardous foods like raw meats... I'm also glad to hear you use a meat thermometer... As always, happy cooking!
Chef
wimpy
Posts: 13528
Joined: Tue Oct 03, 2006 11:20 pm
Location: Oregon

Re: Smoking a Pork Shoulder...

Post by wimpy »

chef97 wrote:
wimpy wrote:
chef97 wrote:

Mr. wimpy, just an FYI for your future culinary endeavors... The minimum internal safe cooking temperature for Pork is 155 F and that is good enough to kill any bacteria or pathogens that can cause food borne illness........ To cook it further you will begin drying the meat out which could render your meat a little tough to chew..... Raw beef roasts to 145 F, raw chicken 165 F, raw hamburger & pork to 155 F or until juices run clear when pierced w/ a knife..... For sirloin steaks I only go to 120 F because I like mine MR..... As always, happy cooking!
My understanding is that at 190 F the meat falls off the bone. I ended up carving it off. No problem though. The smoked pork was outstanding.
People like food the way they like it, there are no right or wrong answers there and I'm glad you and yours enjoyed the smoked pork.... I just wanted to make sure that you and my fellow TTR culinarians know minimum safe internal cooking temperatures for potentially hazardous foods like raw meats... I'm also glad to hear you use a meat thermometer... As always, happy cooking!
You bet. I didn't know what the temps are for safe eating. Thanks.
“When the people find that they can vote themselves money that will herald the end of the republic.”

― Benjamin Franklin
wimpy
Posts: 13528
Joined: Tue Oct 03, 2006 11:20 pm
Location: Oregon

Re: Smoking a Pork Shoulder...

Post by wimpy »

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/awar ... ecipe.html

This is for the recipe, minus the BBQ sauce.

Directions

4 cups wood chips, soaked in water for 1 hour

Preheat a charcoal grill to 225 degrees F. Carefully edge the coals to 1 side and then add 1/2 cup drained wood chips. Place 1 cup of water in metal drip pan on opposite side.

Inject the pork butt with brine about every 2-inches and then rub with marinade and dust with dry rub. Place the pork on the grill, directly over the drip pan and cook. Be sure to replenish the coals as the temperatures drops, the chips as the smoke dissipates and the water in the drip pan.

After 6 hours, spray the pork with cider mop every half hour. Cook until a thermometer placed into the thickest part of pork reaches 195 degrees F. Transfer to a platter, brush with the sauce and let rest 30 minutes. To serve, slice into 1/2-pound servings, place on plates and serve with extra sauce alongside.

Brine:

1 cup apple juice
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon granulated sugar

Combine all ingredients in a bowl until the salt and sugar dissolve and then place into meat syringe for immediate brining or reserve, refrigerated, for later use.

Dry Rub:

1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup sweet paprika
1/4 cup kosher salt
1/4 cup chili powder
1/4 cup dry mustard
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons crab boil seasoning (recommended: Old Bay)
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl. Mix well and store in an air tight container for later use.

Cider Mop Spray:

1 cup apple juice
1 cup water
1/4 cup cider vinegar

Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl. Mix well to combine and store in the refrigerator until needed.


http://www.gimmesomeoven.com/homemade-bbq-sauce-recipe/

For the simple tasting, sweet BBQ sauce:

In my humble Kansas City opinion, this really is the best homemade BBQ sauce recipe! It's sweet, it's tangy, it's smoky, and it's perfect on just about everything. It is also naturally vegan and gluten-free (*see note below).

Prep: 5 mins Cook: 25 mins Total: 30 mins

Ingredients:

•1 (15 oz.) can tomato sauce
•1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
•1/3 cup honey or agave nectar
•1/4 cup tomato paste
•1/4 cup molasses
•3 Tbsp. worcestershire*
•2 tsp. liquid smoke**
•1 tsp. smoked paprika
•1 tsp. garlic powder
•1/2 tsp. freshly-ground black pepper
•1/2 tsp. onion powder
•1/2 tsp. salt
•(optional: a few pinches of cayenne powder for extra heat, which I recommend)

Directions:

Whisk all ingredients together in a medium saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer (uncovered) for 20 minutes, or until the sauce has slightly thickened.

Use the sauce immediately, or refrigerate in a sealed container for up to 1 week.
Last edited by wimpy on Sat Apr 04, 2015 11:56 pm, edited 1 time in total.
“When the people find that they can vote themselves money that will herald the end of the republic.”

― Benjamin Franklin
wimpy
Posts: 13528
Joined: Tue Oct 03, 2006 11:20 pm
Location: Oregon

Re: Smoking a Pork Shoulder...

Post by wimpy »

A couple of notes:

I used plum wood (supposed to be a sweet smoke). I trimmed the fat off the shoulder first. Prepped the shoulder and left it in the fridge over-night. I suggest smoking the shoulder for 6 hours and finishing it on the oven. Instead of slicing the pork we pulled it apart for sandwiches. The smoke balanced very well with this BBQ sauce. We mixed the pork the following day in a meatloaf. It was excellent too. Both received high praise.
“When the people find that they can vote themselves money that will herald the end of the republic.”

― Benjamin Franklin
chef97
Posts: 18192
Joined: Sun Oct 08, 2006 7:09 pm
Location: Walla Walla, WA

Re: Smoking a Pork Shoulder...

Post by chef97 »

Sounds really good wimpy, and thanks for sharing your recipes!
Chef
User avatar
the13r
TTR
Posts: 147245
Joined: Thu Sep 07, 2006 3:11 pm
Location: Miss You John & Kevin

Re: Smoking a Pork Shoulder...

Post by the13r »

chef97 wrote:
wimpy wrote:Anyone ever smoke one before? Any ideas/suggestions on a good way to do this? I'll be smoking it on Saturday and interested in ideas...
Caribbean spicy paste/rub recipe

I have been experimenting with this recipe for awhile now and this sweet & spicy paste/rub goes great with chicken, pork and seafood.... I hope you guys try it and let me know what you think....

2 to 4 habanero chiles * chef's notes (Use extreme care when handling fresh chiles, use plastic gloves or wear baggies on your hands)
6 scallions or green onions green and whites finely chopped
1/4 cup all spice
2 tablespoons fresh thyme chopped
2 tablespoons black pepper
4 teaspoons kosher or coarse salt
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup lime juice
1 tablespoon nutmeg
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1/4 cup fresh minced garlic
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup olive oil



I place all ingredients in my food processer but you can use a blender or just use a cutting board and knife and chop all vegetables and herbs by hand and then add wet ingredients and mix well... Also, you can vary the amount of chiles to adjust spiciness and recipe is good for at least 5lbs of meat too...

Coat either chicken, pork chops/ribs or seafood and marinate for at least two hours before grilling, broiling or roasting your meat ( for best results marinate overnight).... For chicken and pork cook meat until the juices run clear when pierced w/ a knife....

And as always happy grilling/smoking/cooking! 8)

I used that rub with big pieces of pork on Meshoui rotating bars and iT's execellent... just don;t touch your nose after chopping the habaneros lol

Return to “Chef's Kitchen”