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Boneless pork shoulder question

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Hello All,
Been thinking about the best way to cook a couple of boneless pork shoulders from Costco. Last time I tied them up with butcher's twine and cooked them essentially the same way I have bone in (indirect, 275 until ready for pulling). Now I'm wondering if it would work to not tie them up and let them cook opened up. I'm thinking it might reduce cook time and give me more delicious bark. On the contrary they might not cook evenly and might not stay in the happy zone long enough to convert all the connective tissue to gelatin.

Anyone ever done this before?

Thoughts?

Cheers -
B_B
Finally back in the Badger State!

Middleton, WI

Comments

  • Hi54putty
    Hi54putty Posts: 1,873
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    I do them just like you. The other way seems to have a lot of opportunity for problems.
    XL,L,S 
    Winston-Salem, NC 
  • GrannyX4
    GrannyX4 Posts: 1,491
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    Last fall I cooked 48 boneless butts. I Butterflied, brined, seasoned and turbo cooked at 300 to 325. Yes you do sometimes run into a few problems but the flavor and bark was great. ;;)
    Every day is a bonus day and every meal is a banquet in Winter Springs, Fl !
  • Charlie tuna
    Charlie tuna Posts: 2,191
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    Did these two butts yesterday for a Veteran's Luncheon today.  They were turbo cooked meaning they were smoked at 205 degrees after being injected with Lawry's Teriayki Marinade and seasoned with Bad Bryon's Butt Rub.  This was the first time i selected a lower smoking temperature than my normal 225 degrees and it worked out much different.  At my normal 225 degees, my cooking temperature would always creep up, sometimes as high as 270 degrees.  This shortens the smoke period.  But at the setting of 205 degrees, the DigiQ brought the temperature up and locked on to 205 and remained there until the butt's internal temperature hit 160 degrees.  This resulted in OVER four hours of smoke!!  Normally, i get just over two hours.  The end result was, i think, my best pulled pork!!!  Maybe(?) at the 225 setpoint, it starts the pecan chunks on fire and thats why the increase during the smoke portion of the turbo. 

    Of course, at 160 internal degrees, the butts got wrapped in a few layers of foil, and returned to the grill for the finish.  The temperature was increased to 300 degrees until the butts reached 210 degrees internal.  Then into a cooler for a two hour rest period.  Then into the refrigerator for the night.  They were re-heated this morning at 300 degrees for 2 hours, then pulled just before the luncheon.  Pictures show the end result -- look at the flavor juice inside the foil which is poured back over the pulled pork!!  The Vets refused to believe i hadn't bought this from a restaurant..

  • milesbrown4
    milesbrown4 Posts: 314
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    I would just cook as normal.  Have cooked CostCo shoulders before and the bark is great.  The only thing different is that my doneness check (tugging on the bone to see if it's done) changes over to a IT check with a thermometer.