Boneless Shoulder Picnic Roast??

Nature Boy

I am not sure why I grabbed this, but it was on sale, and looked pretty cool. Also, I have yet to try the picnic cut of the shoulder. [p]I think Jobu posted about a similar thing the other day, but not sure if his was a picnic or not. Anyway, it is cryovac packed by Smithfield Pork, is in a net, in a solution of some crap like Sodium Lactate, Salt amd Sodium Phosphates. It has a piece of skin covering 2/3 of one side. They call it "self-basting". Even has one of those crappy pop up thermometers, which I promptly yanked out.[p]I remembered Jobu's thread on the other forum had mention of pulling the net off, unrolling meat, rubbing, rolling back up. Sounded good so I took off the net, it was springy, and came off easily. I rinsed that crap off as good as I could. Unrolled it was like several chunks of meat all attached to the skin. After a light rubbing of mustard, I applied a rub from Smoke and Spice "Perfect Picnic Rub", without the salt. Just lots of ground tellicherry pepper, some turbinado sugar, dry mustard powder, paprika and onion powder. Looked purty.[p]Trying to roll that thing up and put it back in the net was another story!! I ended up half rolling it, and half shoving it in like putting a down sleeping bag in a stuff sack.[p]It is all it one mass now, in the net, in a ziplock.
Think I will put it on in the morning. This is not for dinner, just a test for sandwiches/snacks. It weighs 4 pounds.[p]All that leads up to my question! I think they cut a buch of fat out of this thing, and rolled it up into the net. I don't know. But this thing in a net....what temp should I cook it?? 250 over drip pan and oak/hickory??[p]Thanks.
NB

David

Nature Boy,

David

Nature Boy,
I smoke my pork shoulders at 225 degrees, and I use hickory. Plan on at least 4 hours, (for a 4# roast), and temp it to make sure it is done. I smoke a shoulder for 4 hours with hickory, then another 4 hours wrapped in foil with just charcoal. (This will help steam it in its own juices, till it falls apart.) After that it will fall apart, and I mix in my "special" BBQ sauce. GREAT pulled pork sandwiches!!!!

RhumAndJerk

Nature Boy,
I am sorry, but I am laughing out loud.[p]I have visions of standing over the cutting board getting frustrated over a futile idea, but unwilling to quit. I am sure that involved some swearing under breath or out loud. I could see myself trying to replace the pork back into the net instead of grabbing the kitchen twine that I was staring at. It is just the principle of the matter. [p]Happy Smoking,
RhumAndJerk[p]

Nature Boy

RhumAndJerk,
Glad you got a kick out of it!! Twine would have been tough also. This thing didn't really roll nicely. Random sized chunks of meat attached to a piece of skin!![p]Well, it's in there now! All I have to do is figure out how to cook![p]NB

Grumpa

Nature Boy,[p]Next time try to find just a plain fresh shoulder that has not been tampered with by mankind. I think you will find it much better to Q with. The shoulder is my absolute favorite as you get a very soft and moist texture of meat over just a butt. Hopefully with the measures you have taken, the one you have will come out OK although I've never tried anything that has been fancyfied like that.[p]I like to cook my at 225-250 over a drip pan until 200* internal. Hickory is the choice wood to use for smoking the shoulder although if you have some apple mix it 50-50 for a really nice flavor with a hint of sweetness from the wood.[p]Good luck with that baby and let us know how it comes out for you.

Nature Boy

Bob,
Yeah Bob. I have no clue why I grabbed that dang thing. I am curious too what will happen with it. Seems like it would drip a lot of juice because it is a messy-slightly-connected-mass of meat stuffed into a net bag!! A mutilated and reconnected shoulder.[p]It's the same meat I guess, so I am pleasantly slightly optimistic something good will happen.[p]Thanks. Daggonit I wish I had some Apple wood. Maybe BBQs galore has some. Heard good things about apple smoke. Got plenty O hickory.[p]NB

Nature Boy

Bob,
Yeah Bob. I have no clue why I grabbed that dang thing. I am curious too what will happen with it. Seems like it would drip a lot of juice because it is a messy-slightly-connected-mass of meat stuffed into a net bag!! A mutilated and reconnected shoulder.[p]It's the same meat I guess, so I am pleasantly slightly optimistic something good will happen.[p]Thanks. Daggonit I wish I had some Apple wood. Maybe BBQs galore has some. Heard good things about apple smoke. Got plenty O hickory.[p]NB

Mike Oelrich

Nature Boy,[p] BBQ Galore does have apple wood, and they had it in chunks last imte I was in there. You might also give sugar maple a try as long as you're experimenting with this "thing" you bought. I think they just did a crappy job cutting the bone out of it. It sounds exactly like those boneless turkeys they sell at Thanksgiving. I found myself asked to cook one of those at the last minute once. Opened up the package and the darn thing almost exploded out of the wrapper at me. I ended up spreading the parts-is-parts over the gas grill. Wasn't awful.[p]BTW, Self-basting is a term that strikes fear in my heart every time.[p]MikeO

Unknown

Nature Boy,[p]From the answers I received you should cook it like a regular pork shoulder/butt and be sure to read your temp
from dead center. So rub it down, drip pan and off you go. [p]Muzzy sez it's good eatin'[p]Later,
Jobu [p]

Nature Boy

Jobu,
Well, the net sack stuffed with meat is on. Been on for 2 hours. Woke up and got temp stabilized at 250, put sack-o-meat on in vrack.drip pan, and took kids to school. Came back an hour later and temp below 200. Opened vents and right back up to 250. Gonna try 250 all day, and see what happens.[p]Rubbed with light mustard, and a coat of Smoke and Spice's "perfect Picnic Rub minus salt). Who knows what will happen. I bet I don't throw it away![p]Thanks.
I have heard of picnic in a basket, but picnic in a net sack??[p]NB

Nature Boy

MikeO,[p]I'll pop by there and pick up some o dat Apple wood. Not in time for the sack-o-picnic though. I put a couple chunks of oak on the fire this morning. 2 and a half hours now. Dome at 250.[p]I have some red maple laying around out back, I wonder how that would be for smoke??[p]Self-basting does sound scary! I still can't figure out why I bought that thing. Who knows, might be top-notch![p]Why don't you swing by on the way home from work and have a taste? Email me if you can, and I'll give you directions.[p]Cheers.
NB