I have a 17-18 pound pork shoulder I am going to smoke for my daughter's 18th birthday party. Two questions.
1. Should I cut it into pieces for easier cook?
2. How much time am I looking at?
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To answer your question, to the best of my ability with the given information:
1. Yes! I'm a huge proponent of hacking large butts into 3, 4, or 5lb pieces. You get more surface area for salt/rub, smoke, and bark development which goes a long way to improve the overall flavor of the end product, in my opinion.
2. That's a loaded question. First, let us know what cooker you're using, and what temp you're cooking at, and if that's an actual grate-level temp as reported by a digital thermometer probe or if it's a lid/door thermometer on your smoker/grill (which can be wildly inaccurate, not in your favor).
2b. If you have an actual cooking temp of 225-250 where the meat sits, and you're cooking ~5lb butts, well spaced apart from each other to allow good hot air circulation, then are you wrapping in foil (crutching)?
2c. If you are crutching at or after "the stall", then I'd say allow a good 10-12hrs. Probably 10 or so to cook them up to ~200deg, then another 2 hrs to hold them in a faux cambro.
2d. If you don't plan to wrap them at all, you could be anywhere in the 12,14,18, 20hr range, it's very hard to estimate that. I'd suggest if not wrapping them, take them to around 195IT and then check for "probe tender" that point where they're soft enough for a temp probe to slip in easily and could be shredded. They usually don't need to go all the way to 200+ when unwrapped due to the time it takes to get that far.
Agree! A 17# to 18# shoulder would come from a humongous hog. Unless you have an entire front shoulder (butt & picnic portions). If that is the case for sure cut it into workable size pieces. Most likely you have 2 butts in a cryobag. Can still cut them in half & have 4 pieces if you want.
Hi, my name is Darrell. I'm an OTR truck driver for over 25 years. During my off time I love doing backyard cooks. I have a 48" Lang Deluxe smoker, Rec-Tec pellet smoker,1 Weber Genesis 330, 1 Weber Performer (blue), 2 Weber kettles (1 black and 1 Copper), 1 26" Weber kettle, a WSM, 8 Maverick Redi Chek thermometers, a PartyQ, 2 SnS, Grill Grates, Cast Iron grates, 1 ThermoPop (orange) and 2 ThermoPens (pink and orange) and planning on adding more cooking accessories. Now I have an Anova sous vide, the Dragon blower and 2 Chef alarms from Thermoworks.
As smokinfatties said, I bet you have two butts in that cryo-vac. If possible, I would remove the bone and cut each piece in half. You will get more bark that way, and the bone can lead to uneven cooking. I always remove it, if I get one with the bone.
Because of the weight I think you have a Boston Butt (upper shoulder) and a picnic (front leg) connected together. If you can separate them I think that would be a good idea, since they they are different even though they cook similarly. I typically cook 10# Boston Butts for 12 hours at 225 and less frequently the Picnic for a little less. The Picnic has a much larger bone and runs the length of the meat while the Boston Butt has a much smaller and looks a little like a 7 on the exposed end. I hope that helps. With a photo or two I think I could tell if you have a Boston Butt only or a Butt and Picnic still connected. I have no experience separating them.
jj16127 I can see what you have now - two Boston Butts. I've done two at a time on my BGE At 225. You might figure on 14 hours. I leave the bone in and don't cut them. They should feed 35.
Sounds like th' perfect opportunity to tell SWMBO that y'all need another smoker!
Yer Daughter only turns 18 once, an' ya' want this to be Perfect!!!!
Jus' sayin'...
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This may be sacrilege, but with limited smoker space, getting them started one at a time in the smoker and then finishing up in your indoor oven would be an alternative. I had to resort to this for a large group not long ago, and it worked out fine, with many compliments.
Been there, done that. Get your bark, wrap them up and put them in the oven at 250 +/- and start the next batch. Once they are wrapped, it matters naught where the heat comes from.
Inside oven is a (potential) ally in any cook, as I see it, an' definitely not sacrilege...
Once sumpin' is sufficiently smoked, an' especially wrapped, it jus' needs more time, 'n heat...
If yer cooker(s) are overtasked, then right into th' oven it goes...
I do this alla th' time, when needed.
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