Smoked pork shoulder, first try.

-

Coyote Jack

Member #55, I'm old
FABO Gold Member
Joined
May 22, 2004
Messages
8,676
Reaction score
3,847
Location
Baxters Corner N.B. Canad
I broke in my new electric smoker last week and decided to give it a try. my first victim was a 10 lb pork shoulder. I prepped it by cutting off the skin, most of the exterior fat and any parts where I could see a vain or artery. I then mixed up a generic rub and applied it after wiping the shoulder with a thin film of mustard. Then it was off to the fridge for a little less than 24 hours. My smoking started with prepping the apple wood chips and pouring almost a liter of apple juice into the water tray. Next I brought the temp of the smoker up to 225 F. At this point all had gone according to plan. I inserted the tray of chips and water and set the shoulder in to start smoking. For the first 2 hours all went perfect. It took about 2 hours for the chips to burn up completely and also for the apple juice to evaporate. Because this was my first time I wanted to go easy on the smoke so I just added more water to the tray and misted apple juice on to the shoulder to baste it. This process went on every 1 1/2 until it had been in there for 14 1/2 hours. My main problem I had was I could not maintain the heat at 225 F. After the first 2 hours even with the controls set on high the temp would go no higher than 215F, it was consist at 215F but would not go higher. I have thought about that a bit and believe it was a result of the 24F temperature outside and the fat rendering out and falling directly on the heating element in places. I don't know exactly what to do about those problems but am open to suggestions. At the 13 1/2 hour mark I decided to apply my favorite BBQ sauce as a glaze and go from there. After the 14 1/2 hours which was 11pm last night I took an internal temp and it was 175F so I decided to end the process there as I was getting very tired after a long day and 175F is safe for pork. I let the shoulder rest for 1/2 an hour and then cut it up. I couldn't resist and had to give it a try it smelled so good. I couldn't believe it, it was the best tasting pork shoulder I have ever tasted, even my wife said it was really good and she is not a big meat eater. I could learn to love this smoker real fast if it produces food like this every time. The meat did not fall apart but is very tender, with a very flavourful bark on it.

Jack

FIRST TIME001.JPG

Ready to go in

FIRST TIME002.JPG

My chips of choice.

FIRST TIME005.JPG

Finished.

FIRST TIME006.JPG

Sliced
 
Looks good. I have a Pit Boss pellet smoker and some of those cooks can take a long time. In the first few hours the smoke flavors the meat. The rest of the time is just the cooking. I usually turn mine to 225-250 and wrap it in foil to finish it to 200-210 internal temp to render the internal fat. The rest is important. Wrap it in foil and towels for a hour or two.

2017-08-28 001 1300.jpg


2017-08-28 001 1301.jpg
 
What smoker do you have? I would insulate the outside to get the temps up. The outdoor temp is pulling heat from the metal.

I smoke mine at 225 and pull it and let it rest for an hour once it reaches 195. Maintaining temp is very important. I'm using a pellet smoker which hold temp pretty good. Rec Teq

20201117_175022.jpg
20201117_175142.jpg
 
That looks really good, I love my smoker also.
 
What smoker do you have? I would insulate the outside to get the temps up. The outdoor temp is pulling heat from the metal.

I smoke mine at 225 and pull it and let it rest for an hour once it reaches 195. Maintaining temp is very important. I'm using a pellet smoker which hold temp pretty good. Rec Teq

View attachment 1715668013 View attachment 1715668014

Mine is an electric model, Smokey Mountain Series. I have been advised to make up a thermal blanket for it. Easy enough to do.

Jack
 
I have a mastercraft electric smoker that has insulated walls. When the electronics went out I converted it to propane using an old side burner from a previous grill (never throw anything away!).
Check out smoking-meat.com for mant recipes, and smokingmeatforums.com for lots of tips.
I use the quicker higher temp method for pork butt 300 in the smoker until 165* then I wrap it in tinfoil and put it in the oven a 300* to a temp if 205*. Let it rest an hour and it falls apart! Usually takes about 6-7 hours depending on size.
Get a pan with a rack to put your meat on and keep the drippings from hitting the heat element. I use this.
 
my first pork shoulders, I brined in 50/50 apple cider & apple juice, a little brown sugar, a sliced lemon & orange and black pepper. let it sit 8hrs.
rubbed it with Byrons Butt Rub then put it on my pellet smoker set at 180 for a couple hours, then 225 for a few before putting them in a pan with some of the
brine and covering with foil until it reached 203-210. took about 12hrs. let it rest for a couple hours on the counter covered with old towels.
pulled apart so easy with the tongs. family said it was some of the best pulled pork they ever had. wife even was bragging about the cherry wood taste.
I cant say how it tasted as I still cant smell or taste anything since having the Covid. I can say it was TENDER! and juicy! mmm dang Im hungry just typing this.
 
I have a mastercraft electric smoker that has insulated walls. When the electronics went out I converted it to propane using an old side burner from a previous grill (never throw anything away!).
Check out smoking-meat.com for mant recipes, and smokingmeatforums.com for lots of tips.
I use the quicker higher temp method for pork butt 300 in the smoker until 165* then I wrap it in tinfoil and put it in the oven a 300* to a temp if 205*. Let it rest an hour and it falls apart! Usually takes about 6-7 hours depending on size.
Get a pan with a rack to put your meat on and keep the drippings from hitting the heat element. I use this.

I'm already a member at Smoking Meat Forums. I use the same handle there as here.

Jack
 
That looks good im really wanting a smoker bad. I think that is gonna be my next purchase !
 
I got a Traeger a few years ago and can't say enough good about it. I've done ribs, brisket, pulled pork, bacon, and cheese on it. It's a set-it-and-forget-it deal. Stuff turns out fantastic. I'm going to be doing some pastrami on there either today or tomorrow. Yum!
 
hey jack i have an electric smoker maybe when you and phyllis come over next summer we could drink some beer and smoke a pork shoulder or a beef brisket one of the days .
 
Might try smoking, years ago a Hungarian gent came into the shop looking for a certain species of wood to make a smoker. This wood was the ‘box’ he smoked the meat in, I’m thinking a walk-in contraption. Very broken English so it was hard for me to get it straight exactly what he wanted. He keep saying Americans don’t know how to smoke meat right. lol. I’m not sure this is the same process I’m reading here.
 
That looks good im really wanting a smoker bad. I think that is gonna be my next purchase !

I'm with TMM, you won't be sorry. Most pellet smokers are for hot smoking, like the Traeger or Pit Boss. I think the Hungarian guy mentioned above was looking to do cold smoking. It's very popular in Europe. It takes a separate fire box and smoke box and normally is done at temps below 80 or so. Here's mine, made of cedar. A little more bacon is going in there tonight, and Pastrami tomorrow.

smoker.jpg
 
I'm with TMM, you won't be sorry. Most pellet smokers are for hot smoking, like the Traeger or Pit Boss. I think the Hungarian guy mentioned above was looking to do cold smoking. It's very popular in Europe. It takes a separate fire box and smoke box and normally is done at temps below 80 or so. Here's mine, made of cedar. A little more bacon is going in there tonight, and Pastrami tomorrow.

View attachment 1715668259
Or you can cold smoke in a grill or smoker by not lighting the fire and just using a smoke tube. You can use pellets or wood chips for smoke. Cool weather is the perfect time to smoke cheese. I have some smoked gouda that is mighty tasty. It doesn't take long either.
 
I'm with TMM, you won't be sorry. Most pellet smokers are for hot smoking, like the Traeger or Pit Boss. I think the Hungarian guy mentioned above was looking to do cold smoking. It's very popular in Europe. It takes a separate fire box and smoke box and normally is done at temps below 80 or so. Here's mine, made of cedar. A little more bacon is going in there tonight, and Pastrami tomorrow.

View attachment 1715668259
I saw a slab of fresh side at the store a couple weeks ago. Smoke your own bacon. Apple or fruit wood works good.
 
That is nice i like that! Treagers are awesome i wish i could afford one. I was thinking about getting one of the charcoal s smokers from lowes they are less than 200 bucks
 
And it doesn't have to be meat. Pizza is excellent. Meatloaf on the smoker is the bomb. Baked beans on the smoker? Oh ya! I smoke pork chops and finish them by opening the sear plate. Beer can chicken above. Try some mac and cheese. Yum!
 
I broke in my new electric smoker last week and decided to give it a try. my first victim was a 10 lb pork shoulder. I prepped it by cutting off the skin, most of the exterior fat and any parts where I could see a vain or artery. I then mixed up a generic rub and applied it after wiping the shoulder with a thin film of mustard. Then it was off to the fridge for a little less than 24 hours. My smoking started with prepping the apple wood chips and pouring almost a liter of apple juice into the water tray. Next I brought the temp of the smoker up to 225 F. At this point all had gone according to plan. I inserted the tray of chips and water and set the shoulder in to start smoking. For the first 2 hours all went perfect. It took about 2 hours for the chips to burn up completely and also for the apple juice to evaporate. Because this was my first time I wanted to go easy on the smoke so I just added more water to the tray and misted apple juice on to the shoulder to baste it. This process went on every 1 1/2 until it had been in there for 14 1/2 hours. My main problem I had was I could not maintain the heat at 225 F. After the first 2 hours even with the controls set on high the temp would go no higher than 215F, it was consist at 215F but would not go higher. I have thought about that a bit and believe it was a result of the 24F temperature outside and the fat rendering out and falling directly on the heating element in places. I don't know exactly what to do about those problems but am open to suggestions. At the 13 1/2 hour mark I decided to apply my favorite BBQ sauce as a glaze and go from there. After the 14 1/2 hours which was 11pm last night I took an internal temp and it was 175F so I decided to end the process there as I was getting very tired after a long day and 175F is safe for pork. I let the shoulder rest for 1/2 an hour and then cut it up. I couldn't resist and had to give it a try it smelled so good. I couldn't believe it, it was the best tasting pork shoulder I have ever tasted, even my wife said it was really good and she is not a big meat eater. I could learn to love this smoker real fast if it produces food like this every time. The meat did not fall apart but is very tender, with a very flavourful bark on it.

Jack

View attachment 1715667979
Ready to go in

View attachment 1715667980
My chips of choice.

View attachment 1715667981
Finished.

View attachment 1715667982
Sliced
I will leave a pork butt on the smoker for 8 hrs or so, to get the internal temperature up to 200 I wrap it in foil and put it in the oven set at 250 to 275, depends up how much of a hurry I am in,, getting the intern temp to 200 is key to getting the pulled pork tender.
And a couple of other items to try with the smoker:
Salmon, after removing the pork butt, slide a salmon filet on, I drizzle some olive oil on it, sometimes some parsley or fish seasoning, let it smoke for an hour and a half or so.
Sweet Potatoes, get them medium size and as uniform in shape as possible, clean - trim them like you would for baking, put a little butter on the outside, sprinkle on seasoned salt, wrap real-real loose in aluminum foil, so the smoke can penetrate the foil, smoke for about 4 hours,,when a sharp knife or a fork slides into the center of the potato real easy, they are done.
Spam,, out of the can, put the chunk on the smoker for a couple to three hours, great with crackers and beer.
Any kind of smoke sausage, get a ring or some links from your grocery, Hilshire, Eckridge or the store brand, smoke for an hour or so,, I usually leave it on the smoker for an hour to an hour and a half,,smoked-smoked sausage, the way smoke sausage is supposed to be.
 
Last edited:
-
Back
Top