18lbs pork shoulder

[ghosttown]

Well I couldn't resist so I bought it. Got an awesome deal on a pork shoulder weighing roughly at 18lbs bone in for $17. Now the problem is would this fit in my original Bradley smoker? If not what are options? Would I be able to defrost it in the fridge for few days and somehow cut portion of it, 1 portion to make pulled pork and the other to make homemade sausage and then refreeze them?

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[Orion]

No issues at all with your plan. I put the large cuts of meat into a cooler overnight and generally by mid morning it is thawed sufficiently to cut and then be refrozen. The frozen mass keeps the whole thing well in the safe zone despite it softening up. It helps to have a large thick blade knife that is good and sharp, just watch your fingers.

I also cut fully frozen lots of meat with bone in using a Wyoming meat saw... no thawing required at all.

[Habanero Smoker]

There are a lot of YouTube videos on how to separate the butt from the shoulder. I've done it a few times, and for my preference, I like using a good sharp boning knife.

[ghosttown]

Perfect thanks guys, anybody know if I decide to use the whole shoulder if it will fit in the smoker?

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[Orion]

Habanero Smoker is correct about a boning knife being preferable. When I posted and described a large thick blade I was thinking of when I cut large frozen bags of venison trim. The semi thawing and refreeze still applies though.

[Habanero Smoker]

It may be possible to fit it by hanging it. I know someone was able to smoke a whole piglet, and another person a kid goat (cabrito). You may want to do a search for that. I've hung hams over 20 lbs., and have about 4 inches of space from the drip tray, but a whole shoulder is a little longer in length.

The below link describes how I hang a ham in the Bradley. Netting works best, but butcher's twine can be use to tie up the leg, then that can be used to hang the ham.

Hanging A Ham In The Bradley

[ghosttown]

Thanks, if I decide to separate the butt from the shoulder, which one would one use for pulled pork? I assume it doesn't matter. Whatever one I won't use I am going to grind it and make sausages.

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[Habanero Smoker]

For pulled pork I prefer the butt, and also for making sausage I prefer the butt. The butt end has a lot more fat than the lower part of the shoulder, which in my area is referred to as the picnic shoulder.

The picnic is leaner, and has less meat, but many are using it for pulled pork. I generally will use them as a roast, but due to the two bones that are in that cut, it makes it hard to carve. I'm sure if you google "picnic shoulder sausage" you will get plenty of hits. The important thing is to have around that 80/20 ratio, of meat to fat.