Turbo(ish) Pork Shoulder

[KamadoSimon]

So I decided really late on Sunday that I wanted to cook some pork. Popped to the local farm shop & was fleeced for a pork shoulder

3.8kg, bone-in. Conventional wisdom would say somewhere between 8 & 13 hours to cook that for pulled pork. On the basis I started the fire at 2pm, I didn't have that time. So I decided to try cooking at a higher temperature for a shorted period of time, which there is a lot of comment on over on the BGE forum. I used the IQ110 to keep the temperature at an average of 300F, a little higher towards the end & pulled when the meat hit 195F.

Whilst the BBQ was getting up to temperature I prepared the pork:

- injected with a mixture of apple juice & some of the rub;
- rub was French's mustard all over & then two thirds Butt Rub & one third Sea Food seasoning as per a previous recommendation.
- water pan under the meat through out the cook;
- Cherry wood smoke for the first hour or so.

It took 6 hours to cook & then 30 minutes to rest - so we ate at just gone 9pm. Too late really - but it was worth it. It wasn't pulled pork but it was a damn good pig-roast - loads of flavour & nice & moist still. The rub had less salt than just using Butt Rub but the Sea Food part added a good kick of heat.

We ate it with apple sauce, wedges & a selection of sauces including my home made BBQ.

Rubbed & injected, ready to go on the grill:


On the Kamado Joe:


Cooked & (briefly) rested:


Close up:

[Swindon_Ed]

When cooking hot and fast i always wrap in foil after the meat hit's 160f internal and add some apple juice and then cook the meat to 200-205f and when resting i recomend draining some of the juices (save them to pour over the finished product) and then wrapping it all in a towel and putting it in a cool box for an hour as a minimum and then you should get pulled pork. I know you mentioned that it was getting a bit late, but wrapping in foil will speed up the cooking process and give you the extra time needed to rest the meat.

I cooked a pork and beef shoulder yesterday and couldn't be bothered to setup my stoker or my marvericks so i opened all the vents to full on the WSM and cooked at over 350f and everyting pulled and was still moist, but it's all practice.

[KamadoSimon]

Cheers - yep, I agree - it needed to be a) taken to 205f & b) rested longer. I think that would have had us eating at 10pm which I couldn't have gotten away with Had it been a smaller joint, I reckon I could have done it - but this was a biggy. As you say - live 'n' learn.

Should have mentioned - I did foil at 160F - I also injected some more apple juice half way through when I had to replace charcoal. I am trying out some locally produced stuff & it appears it doesn't last as long.

Got a huge pile of left-overs, a little of which will be used for pizza tonight. Then we'll bag & freeze the rest for use in hot pots at a later date - did this once before & the smokiness of the meat is awesome in stews.

[Swindon_Ed]

Got a huge pile of left-overs, a little of which will be used for pizza tonight. Then we'll bag & freeze the rest for use in hot pots at a later date - did this once before & the smokiness of the meat is awesome in stews.

It's rare for me to cook a pork shoulder to eat pulled pork as sandwiches, i mainly cook it now to use as filling or as meat for other dishes. My favourite at the moment is pulled pork pasta bake (i know it doesn't sound great but it gets the thumbs up in my house ) Pizza, casadias, nacho's & stir fry's are also good.

[KamadoSimon]

Actually, the pasta bake sounds great! I don't do dairy, so I'd go for a tomatoe base rather than something creamy - but that's definately one to try - thanks. I saw over on the BGE forum that people use pulled pork as an ingredient for Mexican recipes - never had casadias. Just looked it up - that looks goooood.

What do you tend to do with your beef shoulder when you cook it like this?

[keith157]

I use what pulled pork is left as a starter for bbq's or when friends come over. Warmed through with a nice sauce and some stock, served in little gem lettuce leaves with a topping of homemade slaw.

Interesting comment on the Butt Rub I was advised that mixing 1/3 of the Sea Food rub would reduce the kick/heat

[KamadoSimon]

We definately didn't think the Butt Rub on its own had much heat when used as a rub for the pork. But it does have chipotle powder in it. The Jubilee Sea Food seasoning has cayenne pepper. Maybe that gave it the extra kick?

That starter idea sounds good too....!

[keith157]

Nothing........................I know nothing.....Only that we've found the opposite, maybe it's because different people react differently to different spices. I don't fare well with chillis but have little problem (I hope) with cayenne?!?!?!

[Swindon_Ed]

What do you tend to do with your beef shoulder when you cook it like this?

Cooking the beef i do the processes with the pork but the finishing temp' is at 210f and i add beef stock to the foil instead of apple juice.

The i'll either have pulled beef sandwiches and then use the rest for chilli, as the smoked shredded meat makes an awesome chilli

[JEC]

This is all making me hungry, looks like a mid week cook and left overs to turn into Mexican the next day