Full Blonder Shoulder

[Jon Solberg]

Been reading a bit on Dr. Blonder's site after see the post about adding a touch of baking soda to the salt. Doing 1/4tsp salt to 1/16 tsp baking soda just to see what happens. [I always brine at half rate for some reason] Cant wait till Saturday!

http://www.genuineideas.com/ArticlesIndex/brine.html

Doing 8lbs in two parts

[smarkley]

I like that term...

Looking at the pork shoulder after slapping it hard around the counter a few times, I look up at my partner and say, "He ain't talkin', give 'em the Full Blonder!"



Sorry, been watching cop shows lately LOL.

[_John_]

Did this a couple weeks ago, but on an overnight cook so I couldn't see anything but flash on smoke to see if one browned faster than the other. They both looked the same in the end. I will be interested to see if it actually does make it brown faster.

I also tried this with 2 turkeys last week and though it was just a sample of 1, the soda turkey seemed a little darker. Curiously the skin mostly came off while slicing the regular bird, but all stayed in tact with the soda bird. Would like to try that a few more times.

[Dewesq55]

The baking soda alkalyzes the meat surface. It is supposed to enhance the smoke ring. I don't know if it is supposed to make the outside darker.

[docblonder]

Wish I had those kind of muscles! Baking soda will enhance the smoke ring, help chicken skin dry out and crisp (great on wings) and speeds up the browning reaction between protein and sugars. Visibly deepens bread and bagels crusts, so they look perfect without drying out. On a long smoke run, not much of a browning difference and the smoke obscures the effect. Does help with a pork tenderloin, which is cooked to a lower temp for a shorter period of time. Since the Maillard reaction (browning) requires protein and sugar, you can actually shake a bit of powdered sugar on a turkey (again, something like an 1/8 tsp lb). Won't taste sweet, but will brown faster. This is why people add sugar to their wet turkey brines.

Happy New Year!

[Jon Solberg]

Thank you Doctor. Same to you.

[Jon Solberg]

UPDATE:

I'm glad I half brined as these have been soaking for 4 days now. Just doped em up with MMD. Going on at 3:00am for what I hope to be a full no crutch cook. Weathers not looking the best. Man I love this. #totallystoked

Dinner at 5:00 or 7:00.



edit: I know, I know I should split em...

[Jerod Broussard]

Nice colored Maverick. Sure would match a kettle I got.

[Jon Solberg]

lol lol lol

(about time you got a real grill heheheheeh)

[Huskee]

Jerod I've been strongly considering getting a color coded Mav too. It just seems right you know.

[Huskee]

Enjoy the cook Jon. There's something childlike about an all day smoke, gets me giddy every time. I get to do it again later this coming week, 2 more racks of ribs in the fridge need cooked by the 10th. (Freeze them? HECK NO, cookem)

[Jon Solberg]

Thanks man! Really hoping to see a couple of meteorites at the end of the day. I just love that. Its magic to me. I don't think I've done any butt in 3-4 month.

[Huskee]

You & I will both be eating pulled pork for a few days. I still have 4 lbs roughly in a big bowl in the fridge. It will be my work lunch the next couple nights starting tonight. (Dang it, why you'd have to go and bring up work?)

[Jon Solberg]

I'm shipping most of this off to my rib "focus group" (aka GFs coworkers) for their lunch. Some will get vac sealed in small portions for bean add ins. Some will get in my belly as well. Oh yeah!

[Jon Solberg]

7:20..... I was hoping it be a while before this hit.

[Huskee]

Wow, when did you put them on? Good to stall early if you're trying to do no-wrap. Unless it's for lunch today??

[Jon Solberg]

Had them on at 4:30 Lunch is around 7:00pm. With the wet heavy air and the size of these hunks I'm betting on a 14 hour cook.

This things cooking really fast. I may be spitzin if I need to slow the roll.

[Jon Solberg]

12:50....

Still sittin in the stall at 163° No spritzin required

edit:

2:04....

​Super stall, IT back down to 154°


4:55pm...

Outside temp is falling and the winds are building 154°

5:43....

154°

Just did a hot turn refuel with 2/3 chimney. The wind is sucking the life out of it. Grabbed a table out of the shed for a fast windbreak.





6:47pm....

174° starting to push threw it. Bumped lunch back to a time not yet known.

[cdd315]

Oh, this is going to be well worth it I'll bet!!

[Jon Solberg]

7:53pm....

190°


8:48pm....

Time to deliver and pull.

[Jon Solberg]

Nice bark, good color. I'll have to wait and see what the focus group says but today was a good day for me.

[Jon Solberg]

Here's the review:


8 lbs Shoulder in 2 parts
1/4 tsp salt to 1/16 tsp baking soda per lbs
4 day brine 16 hour smoke
W/16 oz cherry/pecan mix at start
225° 18.5 WSM


Served with:
Buns.
Simple Creamy Southern Coleslaw with Mayonnaise
Jazzy Hog Competition Barbecue Glaze on the side

I did notice much more smoke ring red in the meat but it was not a clearly defined ring. A bit like marbling It looked very nice.

Bark was great. I do think the baking soda made the bark firmer for lack of a better word to describe it.

I did pick up a very slight aftertaste from the baking soda. That faint metallic, irony kind of one. No one in the group noticed even when asked after the meal. The slaw could have killed it off . I didnt have any. I'll adjust the amount as Dr. B describes.

Would I do it again on shoulder? Honestly dont know. I will play around some more with other protein.

Focus group loved it and asked for it next week. I said no. : )

[cdd315]

Wow, nice cook Jon. Love the blackened meteor pictures and appears really juicy! Good smoke ring