Let's Talk BBQ
Outdoor Cooking Equipment => Charbroil Infrared & SRG style Cookers => Grills & Smokers => Big Easy (BEESR) and SRG Type cookers => Topic started by: USAF - AMMO on May 06, 2013, 11:45:02 AM
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Hello all! So I have a question, maybe a silly question, but a question none the less. I have done 5 or 6 pork shoulders/boston butts, and each of them coming out better than the last! I just went to the commissary on base, and pictured is all I can get. Usually the sholder I have bought in the past have just a small amount of the bone in the center. I have never had to deal with the leg sticking out of the top. Now I was told the butcher can cut that piece off therefore looking more like what I have cooked in the past. Another option I was told, the butcher can debone it. I am not sure I like the soinds of not having the bone in at all, I always try to buy my cuts of meat with the bone as I think it adds to the flavor. After looking at the pic, what is yall's two cents on it?
Thanks in advance for any advice...
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That looks like a shoulder not a butt. I don't really care for the shoulder as much, to much bone and tissue to deal with.
I like butts, remove the bone chop and your done. Not so true with a shoulder
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The 'whole' pork shoulder (15-20 lbs) consists of the upper part (Boston Butt) and the lower part of the shoulder (the Picnic). You can purchase it whole, however most times it is found in the store separated into the two pieces mentioned above. The difference between Picnics and Boston Butts are the bone structure......the butt has a small shoulder blade bone and the picnic has the front leg bone and joint. The picnic is normally sold with "skin on", whereas the Butt only has a small fat cap. Both have excellent bbq meat, but the Boston Butt has the better value.
The photo is a Pork Picnic shoulder.
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Nice price if it is a whole shoulder (which it looks like) and not just the picnic. If the butcher will do it, I would have him separate the butt and picnic and cook them individually.
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So how do we think it will turn out in the SRG after I have them seperate the picnic..... and it might be fun trying to explain all this to the italian butcher!
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have them seperate the picnic..... and it might be fun trying to explain all this to the italian butcher!
As long as it's not frozen, just grab each end of the shoulder and try to bend it. You'll be able to see where the joint is and that's where it is to be cut.
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what do you all think of this idea; Since i can get 4 smaller boston butts, could i put them all in the SRG at onces, basically put two on a each shelf with the bigger ones to the top? Or even just two pounders, one per shelf?
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That looks like a whole shoulder, which includes the butt (like Rumm said).
Here's a whole shoulder I got from the butcher and simply asked him to cut it in half.
The Picnic cut is on the left, the Butt is on the right.
(https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-HCP_f0rjHKQ/TV1sUtnM9PI/AAAAAAAAB5w/6kN4k9jaauY/s611/DogTreats01.JPG)
I usually end up cooking pulled pork for a few large BBQ's every year and honestly can't say that either cut is better than the other, so I tend to buy 50 - 60 lb cases of whole shoulders to get a better price. Like Rummm said the only real difference is in the bone structure. Neither cut is any harder to pull than the other. Yes, the bone is a different shape, but comes out just as cleanly and easily when cooked properly. Just mash it down, expose the bones, pull them and the cartilage out - done!
There are a lot of champion bbq'ers who use whole shoulders (Myron Mixon is one). I remember when I lived in NC, lots of BBQ caterers used whole shoulders. Then there are several folks and BBQ joints who served whole hog pulled pork swearing it's the best.
So it's really up to the individual. If you think butts are better, then buy butts. If you prefer a better price, get the whole shoulders.
That's my opinion, and you know what they say about opinions and rear ends! ???
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That's my opinion, and you know what they say about opinions and rear ends! ???
Ditto!! LOL ;)
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OK, well I usually like to slice the pork, does that change anything? And since i am used to the back fat i just keep it on, i do not have to remove the skin that comes on the shoulder do I?
Sorry for all the questions guys, have a bunch of people coming to the house on Saturday and I can not disappoint after bragging so much about the SRG!
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Slicing vs. pulling will change the temp you want to cook to (about 165 IMO). As for leaving the skin on... You can cook with it on, but you won't want to eat it. The big downside with leaving it on is that you will not have bark where the skin is.
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yes sir, that is the temp i usually aim for, since i will now be pulling, what temp to pull??
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Sorry, I misread your question and thought you were looking to do sliced. Between 195-200 (a little lower if you are going to need to wrap and rest for a longer period) is what I shoot for to pull, but the real test is being able to slide a probe in like "butter" and the bone pulling away without resistance.
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yes sir, that is the temp i usually aim for, since i will now be pulling, what temp to pull??
I shoot for 200 to 205 IT. Infrared will not dry out the meat so you can go higher. I have 78 butts cooked with infrared and hope to do 8 this weekend. I don't know much of this great world but I do know butts in INFRARED. ;)
Heck I even made Butt baskets so for cooking pulled pork.
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yes sir, that is the temp i usually aim for, since i will now be pulling, what temp to pull??
Like Tommy, I rarely have a shoulder that is truly done below 200°, but I gave up going by temperature years ago. Instead I go by how it feels when you insert a probe. Honestly it's simple and it works every single time no matter what.
I start checking around 190° -195°. If the probe slides in all the way like warm butter with little or no resistance, then it's done. If it slides in part way then hits resistance, then that means the connective tissues in the middle aren't done breaking down yet. Wait another 30 minutes and check again.
Every shoulder is different and this technique can't fail because you're letting the meat tell you if it's done or not, not a thermometer.
Allow yourself plenty of time and if it's done sooner than expected, great! Then FTC & let it rest. If not, don't worry, because it's not that critical. The connective tissues have already broken down; so it can't relax any more than that. Any juices that come out while pulling, just mix back in and the meat willingly soaks them right back up.
If you choose to foil, you can even add in some of the foil juices and it will soak those up too, adding even more flavor.
Whichever method you choose, shoulders are very forgiving and I'm sure it will turn out great! Just be sure to get some pics to share with us!
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I'm not sure what everybody said in the earlier replies (I'm easily confused) but I'm also not sure what all the fuss is. Here's what I know (or at least think I know):
- There's no major difference between the meat in a picnic and in a butt since one is essentially an extension of the other (although the muscle in a picnic is better defined and many think it roasts a bit better) .
- Either picnic or butt makes great pulled pork when smoked low and slow to about 200-205oF. I don't use infrared for shoulders, butts, or picnics - Tommy (TMB) is the expert there.
- Cooking any roast (beef, pork, whatever) with or without the bone is strictly a personal choice - there's no real evidence that the bone adds flavor and no real evidence that it doesn't.
- If you're roasting a picnic for slicing or "chunking" you can leave the skin on and crisp it up a number of ways. Easiest is probably to score the skin, roast at about 250oF until almost done, tent and rest for 30-60 minutes, then finish in a 500o oven for about five minutes till skin crisps. I'm guessing for infrared that's something like a LO setting for the roasting and HI for finishing.
- If you're planning on making pulled pork from a picnic, you can remove the skin first and use it for chiccarones later.
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Alright yall,
Remember i am in Italy, the butcher was going to trim the shoulder and remove the bone, this is what i got. It is 11lbs of goodness wrapped up and tied with twine. I planned on taking the twin off but he said to leave it on. So i am giong to use the normal rub i use for a boston butt and i am thinking about 6 hours? Remove the layer of skin before i shred it....
Please advise, cooking first thing in the morning and it is (1030 at night) Help me save the BBQ yall!!
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If it's the trimmed version of your original photo, it looks like he's boned and butterflied it. If that's the case, I'd decide whether I wanted pulled or roasted as the final product.
If pulled, I'd probably untie, remove the skin for later use, inject, rub, and reroll (no need to retie). Then smoke for about 4-5 hours and finish to 200-205oF IT before FTC and pull.
If roasted, I'd untie, score the skin. season, retie, and smoke for 2-3 hours (I like less smoke on roasted pork), then finish to about 180oF IT before resting (foil tent) for 30-90 minutes and crisping the skin in a 500o oven.
Either way is good eats.
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Alright here is how I would cook it. I'd go for pulled pork, so I would use CYM then rub with your rub (make sure low sugar) then if using wood chips or pellets get them going good on high first then once going drop the meat in and keep the temp set on high for 15 min's.
This will give you a good bark, after it has been in 15 mins then drop temp setting to low or atleast one notch above low drop the lid down and leave it for atleast 1 hr. Now if you need to add chips do it when the old ones stop smoking. Run the meat till you hit an IT of 200 to 205, remove wrap in foil (2 sheets HD foil) then wrap it with w towel then into a cooler or some sort of hold box that will keep it warm.
Wait about 2 hrs if you can then remove butt and pull it apart, just be careful that puppy is going to be HOT!
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Am I reading the "6 hours" comment right? Gonna take a lot longer than that to cook 11 lbs.
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Am I reading the "6 hours" comment right? Gonna take a lot longer than that to cook 11 lbs.
I do 10 lb and 11 lb butts in 4 to 5.5 hrs. During a backyard comp I was in I did six 10 to 10.5 (had 3 SRG's) all in 4 hrs and took 7th in pulled pork.
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... This will give you a good bark...
How you gonna get bark with the skin on?
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Well something came up and the BBQ got pushed to another day, so i know have more time. I think i am giong to remove the skin, Not sure if this is an easy task or not, want to make sure i keep some fat on there for flavor. You mentioned to keep the skin for something else? Do tell what yuou had in mind.
Tommy, i am assuming that you were talking about removing the skin still right?
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Am I reading the "6 hours" comment right? Gonna take a lot longer than that to cook 11 lbs.
I do 10 lb and 11 lb butts in 4 to 5.5 hrs. During a backyard comp I was in I did six 10 to 10.5 (had 3 SRG's) all in 4 hrs and took 7th in pulled pork.
I stand corrected. I know the old ways ain't the only ways, but that is really quick.
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Well something came up and the BBQ got pushed to another day, so i know have more time. I think i am giong to remove the skin, Not sure if this is an easy task or not, want to make sure i keep some fat on there for flavor. You mentioned to keep the skin for something else? Do tell what yuou had in mind.
Tommy, i am assuming that you were talking about removing the skin still right?
The skin is good for Chicharrónes. You can cut the skin into strips and then deep fry to make them. One interesting way to make them is to dehydrate the strips first then fry them. They puff up in the deep fryer after about 10 seconds and are done. ;)
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If you don't like to deep fry chiccarones, you can make them in the oven...
• Cut the rinds into pieces about an inch and a half square.
• Place in a pan of boiling water for 20-30 minutes
• Drain and cool, then place in the fridge until the skins feel 'dry' approx 2 hours
• Place the rinds on a baking sheet and season.
• Cook in 225o oven (or smoker) for an hour, then in 400o oven for 45 minutes (until crisped). You will probably need to drain the fat a couple of times.
• Let them cool and add more seasoning, if needed.
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If you don't like to deep fry chiccarones, you can make them in the oven...
• Cut the rinds into pieces about an inch and a half square.
• Place in a pan of boiling water for 20-30 minutes
• Drain and cool, then place in the fridge until the skins feel 'dry' approx 2 hours
• Place the rinds on a baking sheet and season.
• Cook in 225o oven (or smoker) for an hour, then in 400o oven for 45 minutes (until crisped). You will probably need to drain the fat a couple of times.
• Let them cool and add more seasoning, if needed.
Great tip! Thank you, Ka Honu.
David
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I would remove the skin off the shoulder that's if there is any on it. I tried a shoulder a few months back with skin on and I will not do it again. To much work to remove the meat from the skin