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One shoulder or two?

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TRPIV
TRPIV Posts: 278
edited November -1 in EggHead Forum
I'm going to be preparing an 8.5lb pork shoulder for Easter tomorrow. It's going to be a long cook and I'm all prepared for that. What I can't decide is, should I do two butts or just the one?

It won't take any more time to do a second one. We need all the meat, but it freezes well.

What do you guys think? One butt or two?

T
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Comments

  • cookn biker
    cookn biker Posts: 13,407
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    You answered your own question. ;) Do two.
    Molly
    Colorado Springs
    "Loney Queen"
    "Respect your fellow human being, treat them fairly, disagree with them honestly, enjoy their friendship, explore your thoughts about one another candidly, work together for a common goal and help one another achieve it."
    Bill Bradley; American hall of fame basketball player, Rhodes scholar, former U.S. Senator from New Jersey
    LBGE, MBGE, SBGE , MiniBGE and a Mini Mini BGE
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  • Carolina Q
    Carolina Q Posts: 14,831
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    Personally, I don't care for reheated butts. I wish I could cook a 2-3 lb butt in half the time, but I tried that and it took just as long as a 7-8 pounder. At least that way, there's less reheated pork to suffer through.

    I hate it when I go to the kitchen for food and all I find are ingredients!                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

    Michael 
    Central Connecticut 

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  • Grandpas Grub
    Grandpas Grub Posts: 14,226
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    Try a fast & hot cook, it yields a nice cook. 8# in 6 hrs.

    Kent
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  • Carolina Q
    Carolina Q Posts: 14,831
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    350°?, Higher?

    I hate it when I go to the kitchen for food and all I find are ingredients!                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

    Michael 
    Central Connecticut 

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  • Grandpas Grub
    Grandpas Grub Posts: 14,226
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    Sorry... 400° dome, indirect drip pan. I didn't tent mine and the bark was a bit dark but man that was pretty darn good. Thrideye told me towards the end if the bark is developing too much then loosely tent over the butt.

    Details are below.

    Kent

    ===================
    ===================

    Fast & quick,

    Put some rub on the butt and injected with apple juice and apple cider vinegar mix. I wish I had not put the cider in the injection as I have never done that before on the L&S cooks. I expect there will be a taste difference.

    8# Boston Butt

    At 0:00 hours and egg stabilized the grid is at 370° and the dome is about 400°.

    3:17 hrs butt reached 171°

    3:46 hrs - 181°

    4:47 hrs – 191°

    5:21 hrs – 192°

    6:00 – 193/194° meat grid at 367° - I pulled

    egghfham1.jpg

    egghfham4.jpg

    egghfham3.jpg

    egghfham2.jpg
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  • Carolina Q
    Carolina Q Posts: 14,831
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    Thanks, Kent. I will have to pick up a 4-5 pounder, cut it in half and try that method. If it takes a realistic amount of time, I might even have butt more often - with less waste (or inferior reheats).

    Last butt I cooked, I'm guessing I threw out a couple of pounds, maybe more. Kept it in the fridge, but the reheats were so bad, I didn't bother to freeze any. Just threw it out.

    I hate it when I go to the kitchen for food and all I find are ingredients!                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

    Michael 
    Central Connecticut 

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  • Judy Mayberry
    Judy Mayberry Posts: 2,015
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    Kent:

    Tell me, WAS there a difference in taste with the cider vinegar injected?

    I have a constant taker for pork butts so I can whip them out frequently with this method. Makes it so sweet!
    Judy in San Diego
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  • transversalInactive
    transversalInactive Posts: 376
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    I have not kept it more than a couple of days in the fridge, but when I reheat it, I steam it in a covered ricer and it doesn't taste like a reheat. Now, I don't like it nuked in the microwave and I don't care for it reheated in the oven. But, the leftovers don't last long around my house.
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  • Grandpas Grub
    Grandpas Grub Posts: 14,226
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    There is my wife and I here and I too end up cooking too much. If you end up having left overs here is a great way to save the refrigerated or frozen left overs.

    Take the meat and add about 12oz of coke or dr. pepper. Not diet versions - not sure why but that's what I have always read.

    The amount of liquid you add will depend on how much you are cooking, so add small then increase until it has the moisture you want.

    When heated you won't taste the pop and the meat will be moist.

    Second method is to make some bbq sandwiches something like KFC and other chains offer.

    Take your left overs and your favorite bbq sauce (I still add a little coke), mix and cook.

    barbacoa1.jpg

    barbacoa2.jpg

    I thought they were nuts, but the grand kids said it is some of the best they have eaten. I use Sweet Baby Ray's Original and some cheap burger buns. Pretty good bbq sandwich.

    Kent
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  • Grandpas Grub
    Grandpas Grub Posts: 14,226
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    Thanks for the tip, I have not thought of steaming...

    GG
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  • Grandpas Grub
    Grandpas Grub Posts: 14,226
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    I did not like the cider vinegar at all. I left out the cider and went with AJ then tried some AJ and white vinegar. That was pretty darn good.

    Now I don't inject...

    Kent
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  • Le Oeuf Vert
    Le Oeuf Vert Posts: 512
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    Like they always say 2 is always better than 1. Good luck either way.
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  • Carolina Q
    Carolina Q Posts: 14,831
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    Can't recall if I have tried steaming. Will have to give that a try.

    I have nuked it, reheated in a sauce pan (with and without sauce), wrapped in foil in the oven and even tried coke in a saucepan. The coke version was the worst (sorry, Kent - it was awful!!!).

    For me, the only sauce for pulled pork is the vinegar-based eastern NC style. I would never use SBR or similar.

    I'm hopeful that a high temp cook of a 2-3 lb butt will work well. Then, there will BE no leftovers. :laugh:

    I hate it when I go to the kitchen for food and all I find are ingredients!                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

    Michael 
    Central Connecticut 

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  • Judy Mayberry
    Judy Mayberry Posts: 2,015
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    Kent, this help couldn't have come at a better time. I'm being highly solicited to keep turning them out...so we'll try Kent's Kool Butt!
    Judy in San Diego
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  • Judy Mayberry
    Judy Mayberry Posts: 2,015
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    Kent, we have similar tastes, with Coke and Sweet Baby Ray's, but I have also used Scott's vinegary sauce and sprinkled in more rub (Raging River is my current favorite) and gotten rave reviews.
    Judy in San Diego
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  • Grandpas Grub
    Grandpas Grub Posts: 14,226
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    No SBR.. Well... hooty snooty eh. :laugh:

    Coke, I used small amount of liquid with the meat and couldn't taste any flavor at all.

    "a high temp cook of a 2-3 lb butt" I am not sure on smaller size butts.

    It will be interesting to learn your results.

    Kent
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  • thailandjohn
    thailandjohn Posts: 952
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    Be creative with the left over pork

    As one idea, I make a chili verde sauce and then throw in the left over pork to heat up.....great over rice or in a burrito


    http://jvp.smugmug.com/Barbeque




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  • Grandpas Grub
    Grandpas Grub Posts: 14,226
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    Got to love raging river.... ummmmmmmm. I'm with you on that. That I know of, I haven't tried vinegar based rubs. Something new in my future I guess.

    Kent
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  • Grandpas Grub
    Grandpas Grub Posts: 14,226
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    :woohoo: :woohoo: "Kent's Kool Butt!" That's a scary mental picture. :laugh:

    Looking forward to hearing the results.

    Kent
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  • Judy Mayberry
    Judy Mayberry Posts: 2,015
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    Kent, you really should try it. I got a couple of bottles from my Secret Santa Avocados, and I already had a few bottles left from a case I'd bought previously. I loved it on my eggs for breakfast. Anyway, it is perfect with pork...not sweet and thick like a standard tomato-based sauce, but I'd call it piquant with a kick.
    Judy in San Diego
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  • Grandpas Grub
    Grandpas Grub Posts: 14,226
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    Now your are talking, Avacado's with most anything sounds darn good to me.

    It would be great if someone would come up with a program so we could send samples of stuff through email.

    Kent
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  • Judy Mayberry
    Judy Mayberry Posts: 2,015
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    I hope Barry (Avocados) is watching, because he'd get a kick out of the mention. BTW, he made absolutely delicious wings at the after-party at the Sunshine State Fest in Melbourne, FL. They were made indirect at 225°. Now we're WAAAAY OT!
    Judy in San Diego
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  • dhuffjr
    dhuffjr Posts: 3,182
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    I never do one if only because they come two to a cryovac. It freezes well. Folks will be happy to take some home. Finance wise your using the same amount of lump for two as one.

    I vote two.
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  • TRPIV
    TRPIV Posts: 278
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    Well, two it is! One is 8.80 the other is 8.40. Not sure if I could have picked two any closer together in size.

    I'll most likely start them tonight/tomorrow morning at like midnight.

    I've only cooked them indirect without tenting. My last one, a 7lber took about 12.5 hours at 250. A person, whom I trust, said I should cook them indirect at 230 until plateau, and then wrap 'em in foil, and cook (still indirect) the rest of the way in the foil.

    This will supposedly speed up the cooking process towards the end.

    Any opinions?

    Thanks again,
    Ted
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  • Grandpas Grub
    Grandpas Grub Posts: 14,226
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    Some day I want to get to the FL fest, or any fest out that way for that matter.

    I don't think I have ever done a good chicken wing... but I'll keep try'n.

    Kent
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  • Grandpas Grub
    Grandpas Grub Posts: 14,226
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    No foil... just cook em, they will turn out great. I plan on 1.15 to 1.5 hrs /pound on the largest one.

    GG
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