Smoking 2 whole shoulder. How do I estimate time? Need to have it ready by serving time
Smoking 2 pork whole shoulders at the same time . How do I estimate time? Need to have them ready by serving time. Assuming both shoulders are about the same in thickness; would I smoke both the same amount time as if I was just smoking 1? Or would it take twice as long for both? I know temperature is the final factor. But as usual there is a time table to stick to. I need to have it ready on time or before hand. I'm Smoking on a Rec Teq 700. Holds tempter great. And open for recommendations on type of wood pellets.
Thanks
1 or 2, shouldn't make a difference unless you are really crowding your smoker.
I would do the day/night before, plan on having a hold for 8+ hours. Maybe wrap (or don't) at 170, smoke to 190-195, pull, wrap tightly and hold in a preheated ice chest covered in thick layers of towels. It'll hold for many hours and will still be very hot when you serve 8 hours later.
Plan to be done well in advance, and you'll always serve exactly when you planned to - no hungry, waiting and crabby guests, and I've had EXCELLENT results with long holds.
Since you're on a pellet, I would do uncovered all the way until time to pull. I don't think the pellet type matters much, unless you want to use mesquite - which I wouldn't. I've never noticed much difference in pellets - although I've seen a number of videos with the new plum pellets people think they do a great job. I'm skeptical, but I don't have access to them anyways, so it doesn't matter.
Essentially - cook 2 just like 1, cook way early, long hold, that's it. Perfect.
Truthfully, when I do shoulders they are not as good if I don’t wrap them and hold them for at least 2 hours. I usually plan to finish so I can hold them 2-4 hours depending on when I finish. Holding them in the oven at 170 leavers you in control.
The only time I went 22 hours on my BGE was when I loaded 40# in and they were stacked so close to each other that the meat was as if it was twice as thick. As Meathead notes thickness determines cook time.
Last edited by LA Pork Butt; June 1, 2023, 05:03 AM.
Butt roasts tend to be thick. I should have cooked them at 250 or 275 for a while. I did the last 12 hours in the oven. It was the longest cook I’ve ever done, but they did come out great.
I also like HawkerXP suggestion to cut them in half.
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I did 2 shoulders on my Silverbac last year. I’ve really only been using the Kirkland pellets as they’re the best bang for my wallet. 40 lbs for $13 is hard to beat. I didn’t need the pork meat for like a month so I froze mine and then reheated them in the oven so my situation was a tad different. But I would give yourself plenty of time and factor in the rest too. I always wrap my butts at around 160-170 and find that not only doesn’t it help cook a little quicker it holds in those juices too. In my situation I started later in the day than I would have preferred and ended up going later in the night than I wanted too. I wanted to have them done before our dinner hut they weren’t done until closer to 10 at night. Not a big deal because they were needed right away but if they were I would’ve started them much earlier. I also found that using my stand mixer made the pulling of the pork easier and quicker. In fact people asked me how I pulled it so nicely and got it so fine.
Done early is way better than done late, so I'd plan on having them done 6 - 8 hours early. Then follow DFPS's instructions for holding. And if they do take longer than you expect, you still have a good cushion time wise.
I have cooked 2 whole shoulders a couple of times and they got done in the same time as a single shoulder. I like to use either hickory or pecan chunks or pellets depending on which cooker I'm using. Rest for at least 2 hours.
I presume a whole shoulder is as forgiving as just a butt. I smoke mine at 275 and wrap at 170 internal temp. That smoking temp will shave hours off your cook and still deliver an excellent meal. Some where between 195 and 210 internal temp they will be melt in your mouth tender. The only way to know when they are ready is with a probe of some kind, tooth pick, probe on your instant read thermometer, or my favorite a bamboo skewer. Be sure to save the juices inside the foil when you unwrap to pour over the meat after you slice or pull. Again as DFPS stated a long rest in a well insulated cooler with towels does wonders for the outcome.
When you say whole pork shoulder, are we talking a bone in picnic roast or something? Or are you simply talking Boston butts?
Either way, if you have cooked one of the same size piece of meat before and know your timing on your cooker, the timing will be the same for two, provided they are not touching. If I am targeting a special dinner or specific time, I like to target being done an hour or two early, as it is always easier to hold the meat and keep it warm, than to deal with not having dinner ready on time.
Also, there is no reason to go at 225F unless you only get good smoke on your pellet smoker at those temps. I would go for 250 or even 275 if you need to get things done faster.
225 for 6-7 hours,m you should reach 165-170. I like to wrap at 170. I bring smoker to 275 after covering, will take approx 2 more hours maybe more. I pull around 198. keep wrapped and cover with something so they come down in temp slowly (my preference as the fat continues to render) Rest 2 - 4 hours. Pull and enjoy.
Plan to start them 12-14 hours before serving and you will be good
Very forgiving. I would allow an hour to an hour and a half per pound. If finished early you can hold them for hours on end in a warm oven before pulling.
Curious if you tried it yet. I did 6 on the vertical pit poss a month or so ago. I was concerned because I usually have small cooks. I tried to maintain about 250 degrees. I rotated (spin and adjusted racks) every 45 minutes - may be extreme but I noticed the backside on certain levels run hotter). I also typically foil wrap after bark is set good, then transfer to oven. Also, others that encouraged the holding in a cooler is excellent. Start way earlier than expected and hold for a few hours. Transfer back to low temp oven if concerned about internal temperature.
the smoke out is May 20th, servicing at 1500. Planing on starting the smoking early on the 19th. I'm hosting 2 cookout the same day (2 May). Serving hamburgers at 1200. The pork must be done before starting the burgers.
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