Low and Slow boneless rolled pork - is it possible?

TheManOnTheBus

I asked my other half to buy me some pork shoulder on the bone to do a low and slow for some guests over Christmas.  Unfortunately, she came back with a boneless rolled joint: tied with string.

I am wondering whether it is still possible to do a low and slow in the usual BGE way, or whether it may fall apart (as it shrinks perhaps the string will lose tension, and there is no bone holding it together?) or go wrong for some other reasons?

Here are some pictures.  It’s about 3Kg (7 lbs).

 If it is possible, are any adjustments necessary.

An alternative of course is a hot roast and sliceable pork.  (But I really wanted to show off my BGE to my guests.)

Any thoughts gratefully received.

SGH

You can cook it low and slow "as is" without any problems at all. I cut, roll, stuff, and tie all kinds of meat on a real regular basis. It will be just fine my friend. Just handle it easy when removing from the smoker. Preferably use a large spatula or such to aid in removing it in one pieces. 

fishlessman

what cut is that exactly, your not going to get any bark for pull unless you cut most of it off

TheManOnTheBus

Thanks SGH.
@fishlessman. It's a shoulder ( UK SPEAK) ie a Butt.  What should I cut off? 

nolaegghead

Looks like a picnic.  If you want more bark, trim off the skin.  Leave a little fat on the outside (or not).  The skin will develop "bark" but it will be weird mixed in to a pulled pork.  Might be kind of authentic, dunno. 

It should stay together just fine - cook it like any low and slow butt/picnic/brisket, etc.

nolaegghead

Ok, I can see that being a shoulder with the limited photo angles, if the skin went all the way around it could only be a leg (picnic or hock).  None of that matters in how you cook it - low and slow for pulled.

TheManOnTheBus

Thanks, Nolaegghead.  Definitely a shoulder that has been boned and then rolled.  The skin goes about half way round.

Thanks for all the tips. Sounds like it will be all ok and I had an unnecessary panic.

I take it no adjustments on cooking time?  (I intend to do it at 260 F (130 C) rather than 230 F (110 C); just to get it done in 12 hours or so rather than a full 20 hour cook.)

fishlessman

have never seen one propped like that, doesnt matter, this is an easy cook. i normally buy with all the fat gone and dont use a drip pan, just indirect. with that one i would use a drip pan you can not screw these up, fat up, down, just cook til it probes easily

Photo Egg

Be sure to post more photos after the cook.
Like others have said, I would trim the outer fat/skin. I like to have an outer layer of bark/crust/seasoning that gets mixed into the pulled pork.
You have never really stated for sure if you are wanting puled pork as your end product. Just that you are wanting to cook low and slow. 
Could also cook low and slow and slice as pork roast. You just would not cook it so long.

gmac

Except that it needs a shave it looks great

Its very hard to find butts around me so I do picnics all the time and I'm pretty sure that's a picnic. Will be great. I have tried to get a crispy crackling and you just can't do it going low and slow. 
If that was me I would cut the strings, take the skin off and make cracklings to nibble on in a hot oven, re-tie the meat and go low and slow on the egg. Should hold together well enough and if youre gonna pull anyway, who cares if it comes off in a couple chunks.  


I take it you're British and it looks like a British cut with the scoring like that. Google Scott Rea butchers knot if you intend to retie and one of your countrymen can show you a great knot for tying up a "lovely joint". 
Enjoy and pics please!!!

TheManOnTheBus

Thanks, Gmac. Yes, indeed, I'm British.

When I do my usual "bone-in shoulder" on low and slo, I normally take the skin off after the IT gets to the right temp for pulling and then whack the egg high to get crackling (mixed results TBH).

Good idea to take the skin off. I am a little scared of re-tying it.  (Do you need proper "butcher's string" for example?), but I will give it a go: makes sense to get the bark around all the meat rather than just ends and bottom. 

Cheers!

Ladeback69

TheManOnTheBus said:

Thanks, Gmac. Yes, indeed, I'm British.

When I do my usual "bone-in shoulder" on low and slo, I normally take the skin off after the IT gets to the right temp for pulling and then whack the egg high to get crackling (mixed results TBH).

Good idea to take the skin off. I am a little scared of re-tying it.  (Do you need proper "butcher's string" for example?), but I will give it a go: makes sense to get the bark around all the meat rather than just ends and bottom. 

Cheers!

For the butchers twine you can try and safe it or just get some cotton twine about the same size will work.  I did a picnic last week for the first time that still had some skin on it I cut off before rubbing.   For tying just make sure it is mostly tied back together, it doesn't have to be pretty.  If you want to have it for sliced pork you only need to take it to 185, pull and let it rest for 20 minutes or so before slicing. 

I don't usually let my wife pick up large cuts of meat, she doesn't always know what I want so she lets me pick out what I want to cook.  Less hassle that way, but this should come out nicely in the end.

gmac

TheManOnTheBus said:

Thanks, Gmac. Yes, indeed, I'm British.

When I do my usual "bone-in shoulder" on low and slo, I normally take the skin off after the IT gets to the right temp for pulling and then whack the egg high to get crackling (mixed results TBH).

Good idea to take the skin off. I am a little scared of re-tying it.  (Do you need proper "butcher's string" for example?), but I will give it a go: makes sense to get the bark around all the meat rather than just ends and bottom. 

Cheers!

I'm sure you could get cotton twine most places but I could be wrong. Butchers twine is cotton and doesn't burn when in the heat. Just be sure to avoid any nylon or poly twine that is essentially plastic and would melt. I'm in Canada and we can get butchers twine at any hardware or grocery store but I can't say about England. 

Worst case, cook it as it is and it will be fine. You said it had 1/2 of the meat without skin so you'll get some good bark there anyway. Are you going to pull or slice?  

You could remove just 1/2 the strings, cut off that skin, tie it and then do the other 1/2,if you are afraid of it losing its shape. Sort of do it in stages if your timid about it coming apart. And look for that knot I mentioned and practice it a bit. I just butchered a whole pig and I did a few hundred of them and it gets pretty easy with a bit of practice. 

And if you got mixed results on your cracking you're doing better than me. I've only had failures so far

TheManOnTheBus

Thank you!

One further question.  You will see from the photos that there is quite some fat under the skin.  I'll take the skin of, but how much fat shall I leave on the meat?  Its probably 1" now.  I always figured I need lots of fat to keep it all moist on a long cook.

(Definitely trying to get it to pull, BTW.)

Cheers!

nolaegghead

As a general rule, most people trim to 1/4" inch or less.  You don't need to leave any on it if you want less fat.  It's not necessary to properly cook the inside of the meat.

Little Steven

I agree with taking the fat and skin off for the cook. Caul fat will hold the roast together if string is a problem to get. You could use the string you take off as the roast will be smaller than it is with the fat on. Score the skin and slice partway through and rub it heavily with salt and refrigerate. Pit the skin on the egg, fat side down several hours before you put the roast in. That roast is done that way for a high heat cook. No goose?

Little Steven

nolaegghead said:

Looks like a picnic.  If you want more bark, trim off the skin.  Leave a little fat on the outside (or not).  The skin will develop "bark" but it will be weird mixed in to a pulled pork.  Might be kind of authentic, dunno. 

It should stay together just fine - cook it like any low and slow butt/picnic/brisket, etc.

Don't believe it's a picnic. Have another look. Pretty sure it's a butt that's been skinned, splayed, boned and re-rolled. Most of the internal fat and connective tissue will have been removed too.

nolaegghead

Little Steven said:

nolaegghead said:

Looks like a picnic.  If you want more bark, trim off the skin.  Leave a little fat on the outside (or not).  The skin will develop "bark" but it will be weird mixed in to a pulled pork.  Might be kind of authentic, dunno. 

It should stay together just fine - cook it like any low and slow butt/picnic/brisket, etc.

Don't believe it's a picnic. Have another look. Pretty sure it's a butt that's been skinned, splayed, boned and re-rolled. Most of the internal fat and connective tissue will have been removed too.

Read my very next post.  I changed my mind.

Little Steven

gmac said:

Except that it needs a shave it looks great

Its very hard to find butts around me so I do picnics all the time and I'm pretty sure that's a picnic. Will be great. I have tried to get a crispy crackling and you just can't do it going low and slow. 
If that was me I would cut the strings, take the skin off and make cracklings to nibble on in a hot oven, re-tie the meat and go low and slow on the egg. Should hold together well enough and if youre gonna pull anyway, who cares if it comes off in a couple chunks.  


I take it you're British and it looks like a British cut with the scoring like that. Google Scott Rea butchers knot if you intend to retie and one of your countrymen can show you a great knot for tying up a "lovely joint". 
Enjoy and pics please!!!

Lovely joint?????????