For the 4th, I'm planning to use the PBC to make a pork shoulder and a couple large chickens (halved). My current thinking is that I'll start the pork hanging, and when I wrap it to get through the stall, I'll move it to the rack. At that point, I'll hang the chickens and let everything finish off together.
Since I'm fairly new to the PBC, I haven't tried this timing before. Any reason for concern about the heat level in the PBC at the point when I'll be adding the chicken? Or any other issues that you've encountered in a similar cook?
Great question, and one I've had recently. When I was considering this, my thought was that I'd let the pork butt cook completely before putting the chicken on. Reason being, chickens take around 1h15m for me on the PBC, and I'd want the pork butt in the hold for about that long. So the timing actually worked out in my head, just have to consider the hold time. I'm sure others will chime in with more experience...
John "JR"
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FishTalesNC has it right. In this situation, I would cooke he shoulder, then load up the chicken while the shoulder is being held. You can easily do the chicken in about two hours, which is perfect timing for the hold on the pork. Also, you want to cook the chicken hot and fast, so given that you will need two temps, you are going to need to do two separate cooks anyway. However, the hold on the pork with give you that flexibility.
I like a higher temp for the chicken.... depending on cooking temp and weather conditions your fuel level could be getting low at the end of the cook.
Personally though I would consider one of two other options:
1. Finish the pork butt in the PBC. When it is done faux Cambro it (I think it helps when you can faux Cambro for at least an hour with PB), check the fuel level and add another chimney if needed and then do the chicken..... you can then safely crack the lid and run the chicken as hot as you want without hurting the butt... with about 10-15 minutes left on the chicken you could pull and shred the pork... that way the skin doesn't get too soft on you before you serve....
or
2. You can finish the butt in your oven and cook the chicken in the PBC... if you are wanting them done at the exact same time.
What FishTalesNC and Spinaker said. If I'm understanding your plan, you were gonna continue the butt wrapped and put on the grate and then hang the chickens? If I understand correctly, I think the grate will be in the way of the chickens.
Good points above. Cook the butt 1st and cover with foil and Cambro for an hour. Start a new chimney of briquets as the pork reaches 190 so you can add them to the PBC if needed to raise the heat for the chicken. Smoke the chicken to a thigh temp of 160 take of the fire and tent, they will continue raise to 165-170. Take the pork out of the Cambro it should have cooled slightly and be at a temp of 160 or so and at a reasonable pulling temp if not let it sit and cool on a counter and cool enough where you can pull it. I have pulling claws and silicon gloves so about 160 works well. The gloves let me grab the hot fat and get it out of the meat.
Once the pork is wrapped it can withstand hotter temperatures. To me, this is fairly straightforward. Once the pork is wrapped remove the rebars and cook the chicken (and the wrapped pork) on the grate. The PBC will run nice and hot with the rebars out and the skin of the chicken will develop nice color and crisp up nicely.
Thanks everyone. I'll either cook the pork first and put it in the faux Cambro, or put the chicken on the grate along with the pork as suggested by JeffJ.
Do you think 2 large chickens (halved) will fit on the grate with your butt? What weight is the butt? Once you get your bark on that butt (after stall) it can get wrapped and put in oven to finish. Or not…...good luck, have fun. pbc, pbc, p.....
Just to close the loop on this. Since I don't yet have a chimney starter (I've been using lighter fluid), I didn't want to risk my coals burning out during the cook. So I used my sous vide to cook the pork shoulder (9 lbs, bone removed, cut in half, each half in its own bag, 165*F for 18 hours). I then chilled the meat and reserved the juices, and placed the meat on the grate in the PBC until it had a nice crust (maybe 1.5 hours). I put the meat on a sheet pan, added some of the reserved juices to the pan, covered it in two layers of foil, and stuck it in a 150* oven until dinner time. I then hung the chicken halves until they were cooked through (about 2 hours).
Everything turned out great. The pork was nice and moist, shredded easily, and had a great crust (a little too black in a couple places, maybe because the wood chunks I added were flaming up). The chicken was delicious, too.
Next step: order a PBC chimney starter so I have it on hand when needed!
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