Smoked Pork Shoulder

Well gents, tomorrow is Thanksgiving and my beautiful wife made the poor decision to put me in charge of the meat     However, since it's only going to be us and she doesn't eat meat often, I guess it wasn't too bad of a decision.  Since 2020 has been a bummer of year, I decided to try something I've been wanting to do for a long time...smoke a pork shoulder and make some pulled pork.  After watching numerous BBQ competition-type shows and YouTube videos over the past couple weeks, I prepped the Green Egg this afternoon and the meat this evening.  I don't know if it was a mistake or not but I did cut the strings holding the should together.  The meat really opened up and I'm afraid it's going to cook much faster now.  Oh well, if it doesn't work there is always a good pecan pie I can eat instead   

Here's a couple pix and I'll try to get a few more throughout the cook.  It's only a 4-pounder so I am hoping it will only take 7 or 8 hours plus a 45 minute cool-down.  Since we plan to eat at 2 pm, looks like I'll be lighting the charcoal around 5 am....oh how the neighbors are going to love me when they smell that delicious pork smoking at 7 am 

Happy Thanksgiving!

make sure we get progress photos!

Ha! Great minds think alike.  I’ve got two turkeys in the smoker now and will pull them off probably about 6am.  My kids would kill me if i didn’t make a smoked bird.  Don’t get me wrong, only my eldest son, and almost next door neighbors family will be here but one will go n the freezer for the time others can join us.  There’s a 15 lb smoked pork butt in there awaiting better times too.  Stay safe everyone.  Merry Thanksgiving.

It's certainly crazy for a grown man to get excited about smoking a pork shoulder but last night was reminiscent of trying to sleep on Christmas Eve as a young kid!  I woke up 3 or 4 times thinking about timing and temperatures and just the anticipation of being outside in the mid-40's (which is perfect weather by the way ) lighting the charcoal and waiting for the temp to set in.  I finally got up at 4 am, made a pot of coffee, watched part of another YouTube video on smoking, put a little more rub on the shoulder (because, well, it's just good and I really want nice bark on this pork) and then lit those coals!  Around 5:15, the temp was finally holding steady at about 260 and the meat went on 

Ha! Great minds think alike.  I’ve got two turkeys in the smoker now and will pull them off probably about 6am.  My kids would kill me if i didn’t make a smoked bird.  Don’t get me wrong, only my eldest son, and almost next door neighbors family will be here but one will go n the freezer for the time others can join us.  There’s a 15 lb smoked pork butt in there awaiting better times too.  Stay safe everyone.  Merry Thanksgiving.

The smoked turkey...that one is on my "grilling"-bucket list as well.  if you don't mind me asking, what time did you put the turkeys on the smoker and what temp?  If you're pulling them off at 6am, how long does it take for them to "cool-down" and be ready for dinner.  Despite not having everyone home, hope you and yours have a great Thanksgiving!

Well, looks like I forgot to ask the wife if we had a spray bottle that I could use.  I wasn't able to find a clean one (ie hadn't had chemicals in it) so I improvised and am basting rather than spritzing my apple cider vinegar/juice concoction onto the meat.  BTW, I kept the grill near the garage overhang in case it rained.  There is a light wind today which is blowing the smoke into the garage and now the garage smells absolutely amazing!  

Here's a pic after my first basting...

That looks delicious. 

When you are finished eating it and want to do it again because you will want to do it again   ask the butcher for a bone in pork butt (shoulder) it will weigh around 7 or 8 lbs and won’t be tied together so it won’t come apart. Also if you have a vacuum sealer you can seal and freeze leftovers in 1 lb portions and then consume if at your pleasure. I usually do two butts and the 15-16 lbs of raw meat smokes down to about 10 lbs after removing bone etc. 

Enjoy.

Jason, that looks fantastic.  As for smoked turkey, many years ago, a friend of mine had a few friends over for Thanksgiving and she smoked a turkey.  It is the only time I have had smoked turkey but to this day it remains the best turkey I have ever eaten.  After looking at your current effort of the pork shoulder, all I can say about doing a turkey is go for it.

Ha! Great minds think alike.  I’ve got two turkeys in the smoker now and will pull them off probably about 6am.  My kids would kill me if i didn’t make a smoked bird.  Don’t get me wrong, only my eldest son, and almost next door neighbors family will be here but one will go n the freezer for the time others can join us.  There’s a 15 lb smoked pork butt in there awaiting better times too.  Stay safe everyone.  Merry Thanksgiving.

The smoked turkey...that one is on my "grilling"-bucket list as well.  if you don't mind me asking, what time did you put the turkeys on the smoker and what temp?  If you're pulling them off at 6am, how long does it take for them to "cool-down" and be ready for dinner.  Despite not having everyone home, hope you and yours have a great Thanksgiving!

Smoking is a fidgety business.  Not hard, just fiddly which fits a shaving nerds nature.  Turkey tends to dryness anyway so I brine them for 24 hrs (lots of brine recipes out there). Then inject them with even more liquid.  Massage with olive oil.  Apply a rub or this time just salt and pepper and on the racks they go.  Turkey doesn’t need the slow and low of a brisket or pork butt to tenderize so 300 degrees is what I like.  Then it’s just a matter of minding smoke and temp of the bird until 165 breast is reached.  I like them hot or cold so it really doesn’t matter when I finish them up.  Bigger birds take longer and these were whopper 22 lbs and I timed them for cold serve because I did a traditional turkey for the hot plate. Birds went on at 9am and came off at 3am. How’d the pork turn out?