Question on a pork shoulder, odd skin..

[GaryandKari]

Bought a 10.5 pd bone in pork shoulder.  I thought what was a fat cap was actually pig skin.  I about fainted.  LOL  Is this normal??  I've never bought one like that.  My husband took off the skin because it has a strong pork odor.  (frozen the day we purchased it)  Thawed in fridge for 2-3 days.

It's in the smoker now, hopefully it is normal for some to come with skin on it?

[seemore]

G&K,
Seemore and I have done a lot of pork shoulder roasts, and we've never seen anything that resembles the skin on it.......however, I will defer this to the experts on the panel, like Habs, Oldman, WestTexasSmoker.....
Please let us know how the roast turns out, ok?
By the way, WELCOME!
Da Mrs.

[FLBentRider]

Sounds like you have a picnic shoulder, not a "boston butt" shoulder.

They (at least around here) come with the skin on. Not the same cut of meat, I have never smoked a picnic shoulder.

I don't think it has as much connective tissue as the boston butt, but it should be good nonetheless.

[Smoking Duck]

I concur with FL.  It's a picnic, not a butt.  Can still be made into some good pulled pork, nontheless.

SD

[Habanero Smoker]

As the others have pointed out what you have is a picnic shoulder, the cut just below the butt. I like them and to me they have a taste similar to fresh ham. It's also the cut use for Cuban Barbecue Pork. Some times I will brine them, other times I won't. To get the best smoke flavor I remove the skin and trim the fat down to about 1/8" to 1/4". Or instead of removing the meat, you can use a box cutter and make diagonal cuts that crisscross, and cut deep enough just to pierce into the meat. I generally take the internal temperature to 165°F - 170°F and either slice or chop the meat.

[Caneyscud]

Shoulders are the barbecue mainstays for the restaurants around here - Nashville.  As Habs said remove skin use it to fatten up the possums in the backyard  - smoke that shoulder and pull it apart.   As the possums get fatter - they smoke also!  And yes I have!

Shakespeare.

[Brisket Lover]

Let us know how it turns out.

Im going to try a picnic next.  Wal-Mart had them a lot cheaper than the butcher has butts. Going to see if I can get by on those for a while since money is tighter right now.

[GaryandKari]

Thanks guys!  I think it is a picnic bone in shoulder (I threw away the outer wrap)  I just had never purchased one with skin still on it, kind of grossed me out as I am a city gal.

It's still in the smoker its reading 183.  We usually take all out pork shoulders, butts and the like to 200, rest for an hour and shred.  I do have a back up plan since I doubt it will be done by 5pm Az time.

Oh I don't think I have ever seen a possum in Arizona!  Maybe up North, but not in the valley.  LOL

[Tenpoint5]

Oh I don't think I have ever seen a possum in Arizona!  Maybe up North, but not in the valley.  LOL

But I'm sure you have them pesky Raccoons. Which aint bad all BBQ'd up a little greasy but Good.

[Smoking Duck]

I've been out of work for a year now........thank God it hasn't come to that...........yet  :o

[Habanero Smoker]

Thanks guys!  I think it is a picnic bone in shoulder (I threw away the outer wrap)  I just had never purchased one with skin still on it, kind of grossed me out as I am a city gal.

It's still in the smoker its reading 183.  We usually take all out pork shoulders, butts and the like to 200, rest for an hour and shred.  I do have a back up plan since I doubt it will be done by 5pm Az time.

Oh I don't think I have ever seen a possum in Arizona!  Maybe up North, but not in the valley.  LOL

Sometimes I will place the skin on another rack and smoke it. Then use kitchen shears and cut it into about 2" squares; freeze it and add to beans and/or soup for flavor.

Let me know how it turns out. The picnic cut doesn't have as much connective tissue. I take mine to a much lower temperature, and would be interested to know how it turns out using a much higher internal temperature.

[HCT]

I've done a few picnics and never take that skin off. Like Habs said slice some criss-crosses in the skin but not into the meat. I brine it overnite or more, FLB's molasses brine is great to use. Throw a few hours of smoke on it, then I put it in a boat, (Texas crutch) with about a cup of apple cider and bring it up to 190 IT.. Makes a great pulled pork. As far as the skin goes, to me it's a tasty morsel. Cut it off the roast, remove as much fat as you can and enjoy. :) Don't knock it til you tried it. :D The great thing about picnics are that they are alot cheaper than BB's but just as tasty. 

This is FLB's recipe. Sorry bout that FLB.

[geofite]

Bought a 10.5 pd bone in pork shoulder.  I thought what was a fat cap was actually pig skin.  I about fainted.  LOL  Is this normal??  I've never bought one like that.  My husband took off the skin because it has a strong pork odor.  (frozen the day we purchased it)  Thawed in fridge for 2-3 days.

It's in the smoker now, hopefully it is normal for some to come with skin on it?

I bought two of these cuts. It is the entire shoulder with the front leg. The skin is on the front leg part. I put mine in the freezer for when the weather warms up a bit more where I'm at.

Here is info about this cut.

The pork shoulder is the entire front leg and shoulder of a hog. In your grocery store you will usually find this divided into two cuts, the Boston butt and the picnic. Contrary to what you are probably thinking the butt comes from the upper part of the front shoulder. A pork shoulder should weigh in at between 12 and 16 pounds. It will have a bone and joint plus a good helping of fat and collagen. The fat is good. During the long hours of smoking the fat will melt away and keep the meat moist. Some experts will tell you that this is how you determine when it is done. When most all the fat is gone and before the meat starts to dry out is the time to get it out of the smoker. Collagen is the connective tissue in meat. The process of smoking causes collagen to breakdown into simple sugars making the meat sweet and tender.

Butt or Picnic: As I said the pork shoulder is frequently cut into the Boston butt and the picnic. The Boston butt has less bone than the picnic and both cuts will weigh about 6 to 8 pounds. If you can't find a whole pork shoulder at your local store you can get either or both of these cuts and have just what you need. The picnic can come with or without the bone. Experts generally say that meat nearest the bone is the sweetest and will opt for bone in. The picnic is more similar to an unprepared ham than the Boston butt, but both work great for pulled pork. In competitions you more frequently see butts over picnics

Preparing for the Smoker: The meat you choose should have a good quantity of fat. Preparing it for smoking is really easy. You can simply put it in the smoker right out of the wrapping, however you might want to check for loose pieces of fat or skin to trim off. You can apply a rub to add flavor. I have several rub recipes for you to choose from. If you do choose a rub, apply it the night before you smoke to let the flavors sink into the meat. In the morning, take the meat out of the refrigerator an hour before you put it in the smoker to let it reach room temperature before you start.

Rubbing: If you choose to add a rub, do so liberally. Remember that you are trying to flavor a large piece of meat. To apply, take the pork shoulder or section, trim unnecessary fat and skin, rinse with cool water and pat dry. Take the rub and work it into the meat. Make sure that every part is evenly covered. Pork shoulders can have a very uneven surface with lots of folds and indentations so work it over well.

http://bbq.about.com/cs/porkpulled/a/aa072697.htm

[Caneyscud]

I've been out of work for a year now........thank God it hasn't come to that...........yet  :o

The worst thing about it is the gutting and skinning = greasy and smelly - worse than WTS's raccoons but not quite as bad as jackrabbits.  Granny knew what was good vittles!  On flavor, I prefer possum on the half shell, but there ain't that much meat on them, and not many around here yet!

Shakespeare. 

[sherlock]

[quote  SD's molasses brine is great to use. [/quote]

Can anyone give me a link to the brine?