I am doing my first butt this weekend. I bought a whole pork shoulder -18# - and with some help on the phone from my B-I-L who was a butcher I split the picnic and butt. I hit the ball joint perfectly! The butt seems to be about twice the size of the picnic. I plan on pulling the whole lot of it for a big potluck party on Saturday night. The butt must be 12#, the picnic about 6#. I figure I will start it after dinner on Friday. Smoking for 4 or 5 hours, cooking at 225F. Should the picnic be brought to an IT if 190 also? I figure with the size of it it will be done earlier but I will start them together so they both get all the smoke from the beginning. Am I on the right track?
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How sweet is that.
Looking for the rest of the progress pictures Paul.
Just got a new camera I need practice with before my holidays so lotsa pics will follow.
If you want to pull it, then do the picnic to 195 to 200 (finished IT)
Was the picnic skinless?
No. Pretty thick layer of fat on one side. Will cook with that side up on the upper rack with the butt under neath it on the 3rd rack (OBS)
Sounds like a plan. I'd go 190-200F on both.
You could try making the shank (picnic) into Perrnil, traditional Puerto Rican shank. I've made this twice and it came out great. Modify ingredients to your taste. You can adapt this for the smoker. Go light on the cumin.
From the NY Times
Recipe: Pernil
Time: At least 3 hours
1 pork shoulder, 4 to 7 pounds (or use fresh ham)
4 or more cloves garlic, peeled
1 large onion, quartered
2 tablespoons fresh oregano leaves or 1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ancho or other mild chili powder
1 tablespoon salt
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
Olive oil as needed
1 tablespoon wine or cider vinegar
Lime wedges for serving.
1. Heat oven to 300 degrees. Score meat's skin with a sharp knife, making a cross-hatch pattern. Pulse garlic, onion, oregano, cumin, chili, salt and pepper together in a food processor, adding oil in a drizzle and scraping down sides as necessary, until mixture is pasty. (Alternatively, mash ingredients in a mortar and pestle.) Blend in the vinegar.
2. Rub this mixture well into pork, getting it into every nook and cranny. Put pork in a roasting pan and film bottom with water. Roast pork for several hours (a 4-pound shoulder may be done in 3 hours), turning every hour or so and adding more water as necessary, until meat is very tender. Finish roasting with the skin side up until crisp, raising heat at end of cooking if necessary.
3. Let meat rest for 10 to 15 minutes before cutting it up; meat should be so tender that cutting it into uniform slices is almost impossible; rather, whack it up into chunks. Serve with lime.
Yield: At least 6 servings.
Thanks Arnie, I have another one in the freezer. If don't need that much pulled pork next time I may try it.
Looks good Paul. The boys have you covered on temps.
You figure I can budget about 1.5 hours per #? I know the IT is the last word but I am guessing I need to put it on tonight, after dinner, in order to have it for late afternoon tomorrow. I am hoping to pull it at home before leaving for the party around 4:30 or 5.
Quote from: Paddlinpaul on June 18, 2010, 06:53:27 AM
You figure I can budget about 1.5 hours per #? I know the IT is the last word but I am guessing I need to put it on tonight, after dinner, in order to have it for late afternoon tomorrow. I am hoping to pull it at home before leaving for the party around 4:30 or 5.
Those timings will work.
But don't be surprised they take closer to 2 hours per pound. That is a bunch of meat. So the shoulder in 9 to 12 hours and the Butt in 18 to 24 hours. In other words starting the butt after dinner tonight for an afternoon departure, could be a problem. But then of course you would have the shoulder.
I get home from work around 5. I'll preheat as soon as I am home and try to get it in ASAP. Thanks for the tip.
Got home earlyand preheated right away. Meat went in at 5:30. Store sold out of hickory but I got a box of 48 Jim Beam biscuits for $12.99 Put 5 hours of them on, PID set for 225F for 25 hours. I'll change the bowl of water before bed when the skoke id done and see where i stand in the morningg
Thanks everyone for your help and suggestions.
I'm not sure what this is: "when the skoke id done". ;D
Definitely dump and refill after about 4 hours. Sounds like you're off to a good start.
Oops. When the smoke is done. It is really hot here and the Coronas are going down well.
Amen to that! We got no spring here in Fla - straight to summer with a vengeance.
I also put a half butt and half picnic in at about 5:15, and am keeping my fingers crossed that they run through the night.
Quote from: shoresdiver on June 18, 2010, 05:34:04 PM
Amen to that! We got no spring here in Fla - straight to summer with a vengeance.
We have two seasons: Tourist and Summer.
I'll snap a picture or two when I switch the water after the smoke. Maybe be tomorrow before I post but more pics will follow. I am watching a Diners, Driveins and Dives show I recorded all on BBQ joints. Getting hungy
5:20PM Friday - meat goes in the OBS
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10:30PM Friday - 5 hours of Jim Beam smoke -
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10:30AM Saturday - Picnic comes out-
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12:00PM Saturday - Butt comes out
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FTC time now. Will pull later
Oooooo look at that bark!
Nice job.
You get good bark when you listen to www.DAWGfm.com It is Canada's 1st all Blues radio station. Been on the air for 2 weeks now and they are awesome. Streams online, good taste of some Canadian blues.
Here is the butt pulled -
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Here is the picnic pulled-
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I mixed the two bowls together and divided in half. I put CT in one bowl and mixed it thoroughly, Sweet Baby Rays Hot and Spicy in the other. Transfered to slow cookers to keep warm until serving time.
I must say, it was the hit of the party. Lots of leftovers, people were more than happy to bring some home for lunch today. I still have some for myself of course too. And the best part is I still have another shoulder the same size in the freezer.
Most excellent and thanks for the pics.
It's hard work ( ;D ) but well worth it in the end.
Congrats!
Looks great.
Careful with the CT - it's designed as a cooking sauce, not a finishing sauce - since you're reheating with it you should be ok.
Mighty fine indeed
It is a labour of love. I bought a new camera for my trip to California - namely Big Sur so it was a good chance to practice.
I went light on the sauces, I wanted people to taste pork and smoke not just sauce. There is a Ribfest here in Ottawa every year right in Downtown Ottawa (starts this Wednesday) and I was told my pulled pork was better than the 15 or 20 competitors. The folks at the party said there is too much sauce at Ribfest. They also gave rave reviews for the CT, most had never had anything like it before.
Once again, big thanks to everyone for the help, suggestions and support.
Looks good PP! Glad it came out good. Please heed FLBR's advice on the CT.
PP - those look better than good!
Sure glad they behaved "normally" for you. One butt I did 4 or 5 butts ago - took 2 hours per pound!
The pig was probably eating from the same trough as our politicians on Parliament Hill here in Ottawa.