Cooked a pork shoulder today. I hadn't done that for years, I had not been impressed with past results, and it has been my least favorite meat in judging. Then I watched a Harry Soo video, so I had to try again. I didn't realize all that you can do, trimming, seasoning, etc. I had never injected the shoulders before, and never wrapped. Did both. I have missed out. I would post pics but I picked off most of the bark and ate it before I rewrapped to let it rest, doesn't look pretty. I have an entirely different opinion of pork shoulder now, it wasn't all that bad before. I have already made a western North Carolina sauce for it, my favorite for pulled pork.
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Hi Mark here in western NC we don't wrap, just let the bark develop. The WNC sauce is key. Take it to 195 over smoke for 6 or 7 hrs. then let it go. An 8 lb butt will take about 10-11 hours. There is nothing better than a properly done butt. I use apple and hickory wood for the smoke. I never inject a butt it has plenty of internal fat and flavor. But you do what you want.
Harry Soo is a competition BBQ cooker he uses every trick in the book to make his meat the best possible. It doesn't mean that that the normal NC pits are going to use his methods, without turning out outstanding butts. It is a matter of the meat, rub and smoke, time and heat. Some pitmasters that have been doing it for 50 years.
I saw a barbeque program when Harry Soo started out and he hardly knew what he was doing. So everyone has to learn from the beginning. This was only about 3 years ago so he is really a new comer. Be careful who you listen to and maybe look at the recipes on this site.
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Club Member
- Jul 2016
- 9404
- Virginia
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3 Weber Performers
1 classic kettle
1 26" kettle
1 Smoky Joe
1 PBC
4 Thermoworks POPs
2 Dot and 1 Chef Alarm
2 Temp spikes
4 Slo n Sears
1 Smokenator
2 Vortex
What are you cooking on? I also get a great one along with the not so. Pretty much with all big hunks. But I do have fun trying and thanks to this place I've gotten a whole lot better.
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Club Member
- Sep 2017
- 82
- Cambridge, Maryland, USA
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Weber Kettle grill
275 gallon oil drum whole pig cooker - gas or charcoal
Thermopen Mk4
Thermoworks Smoke
Thermoworks Chef Alarm
I did a couple of butts for a party last weekend. I was under a time constraint, so the day before I trimmed them, cut them in half, injected and dry brined. I cut them in half to make them cook faster and have more bark area. I applied MMD just before hanging in the PBC. I double-foil wrapped at about 150 and easily got them to 203 with plenty of time to cambro. They turned out great!
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I cooked two pork butts yesterday. I had trouble getting them past the stall. These were small. They were only 6 pounds and I usually look for 8 pound ones. I was sure they would be done (205 degrees) in 10 hours. Thank goodness I allowed extra time. I pulled them off at 13 hours and 200 degrees. My wife started complaining about the rub being too sweet and wanted to know what I used. I used the same rub as last time, Myron Mixon Original. I started trying to figure out what had changed. It had to be the pork. It was not labeled as enhanced but taking too long to cook and turning out sweet there had to be something going on. Next time the pork will come from my regular source, not what's on sale at Harris Teeter. My Wife is still eating it but she added extra vinegar to our regular sauce.
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