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Pork Shoulder Question

fletcherfam
fletcherfam Posts: 935
edited July 2012 in EggHead Forum
So, did a pork shoulder for the 4th. First one. Turned out pretty good, however, it was a little dry. Here are the details and maybe someone can help me out how to get it more moist.

1. 7lb pork shoulder from Cash and Carry
2. pulled from fridge, trimmed, rubbed in mustard, added dizzy dust.
3. Did not use butchers twine, just set it on bge as did not have the twine available.
4. plate setter in legs up, drip pan empty below, raised grid with shoulder on it.
5. started temp at 250.
6. temp didn't really fluctuate the entire cook (maybe +/- 20 the whole cook).
7. did not turn it, did not baste it, just let it cook.
8. used hickory chunks (3).
9. Cook to 200 degrees, took 14 1/2 hours.
10. Bark was pretty thick, would probably like this softer next time.
11. Thicker parts of the shoulder were moist.


Thoughts?

Comments

  • lousubcap
    lousubcap Posts: 32,170

    Can't see anything that I would have done differently-was it bone-in or not...guessing since you mentioned twine that it was deboned which can lead to several almost separate hunks of meat to cook.  Should you get the shoulder or butt with the bone-in the best "finished" indicator is when the bone pulls clean-somewhere in the temperature range you used.  Was the drip pan elevated off the platesetter...creating an air gap greatly reduces the burnt offerings rendered during the cook but shouldn't impact the moisture.  That's about all I have to offer-

    Louisville; Rolling smoke in the neighbourhood. # 38 for the win.  Life is too short for light/lite beer!  Seems I'm livin in a transitional period.
  • Cullum
    Cullum Posts: 215

    I have had great success that after pulling it from the cooker, double wrapping in heavy duty aluminum foil, wrapping in a towel and putting in a cooler for several hours. The last time I left it in the cooler for four hours. It turned out incredible.

  • michigan_jason
    michigan_jason Posts: 1,346
    I would say that you did a boneless one, not using twine to hold it together possibly made it seperate and lose moisture, also the bone in is the way to go if you ask me, I have done both and by far preferr bone in.



    "Entrepreneurs are simply those who understand that there is little difference between obstacle and opportunity, and are able to turn both to their advantage."

  • fletcherfam
    fletcherfam Posts: 935
    So one thing I forgot to mention is that I put the fat cap face down, should I have put this face up? I wrapped it in foil, towel, and cooler for an hour. Would pulling it at 190 or 195 help as well?
  • solowinger
    solowinger Posts: 11
    We did a 9lb bone in shoulder,trimmed most of the visible fat and put it on the v-rack @235-250with drip pan and let it go until it reached 160 internal. I removed it and wrapped in HD aluminum foil, put back on the egg until it reached 195 internal. I poured the juices that were in the foil into the meat after pulling. Turned out great!
  • lousubcap
    lousubcap Posts: 32,170
    So one thing I forgot to mention is that I put the fat cap face down, should I have put this face up? I wrapped it in foil, towel, and cooler for an hour. Would pulling it at 190 or 195 help as well?
    Fat cap up or down won't impact the end result.  I prefer cap down as an added heat shield and if anything sticks to the grate it's the fat...BTW-was it boneless or not....your results could certainly be influenced by the answer to that bit of information.
    Louisville; Rolling smoke in the neighbourhood. # 38 for the win.  Life is too short for light/lite beer!  Seems I'm livin in a transitional period.
  • nolaegghead
    nolaegghead Posts: 42,102
    If you HD foil it at 160F or so, less bark but you get the higher moisture from the "braising" effect.  Will cook faster too.  Dryness comes from evaporation, which is a function of surface area, dry air of the egg, temperature and time.  Reduce those, and you lose less moisture.
    ______________________________________________
    I love lamp..
  • fletcherfam
    fletcherfam Posts: 935
    It was boneless. I think I will try the foiling at 160. Would a "turbo butt" do differently as well?
  • tazcrash
    tazcrash Posts: 1,852
    I would say that you did a boneless one, not using twine to hold it together possibly made it seperate and lose moisture, also the bone in is the way to go if you ask me, I have done both and by far preferr bone in.
    +1 on this. Tying it will give you a more uniform hunk of meat. 
    If you don't have twine, you can also try a roast rack to hold it together
    Bx - > NJ ->TX!!! 
    All to get cheaper brisket! 
  • I would say that you did a boneless one, not using twine to hold it together possibly made it seperate and lose moisture, also the bone in is the way to go if you ask me, I have done both and by far preferr bone in.
    +1 on this. Tying it will give you a more uniform hunk of meat. 
    If you don't have twine, you can also try a roast rack to hold it together
    <br

    +2-they nailed it. bone in next time. Not that the boneless can't be done perfectly, they just are not as uniform and therefore harder to get right every time.
    Keepin' It Weird in The ATX FBTX
  • fletcherfam
    fletcherfam Posts: 935
    Interesting. Funny in researching this it never came up on the forum that I saw... Oh well. I still have one boneless left (7lb) I will try foiling it to keep the moisture in.
  • tazcrash
    tazcrash Posts: 1,852
    edited July 2012
    Don't give up on boneless ones. I've done them, more than bone in, and they are delicious, cant say better or worst than bone in because I haven't made a bone in on the egg yet.
    Hmmmm maybe a side by side in the future 

    Bx - > NJ ->TX!!! 
    All to get cheaper brisket! 
  • They are normally fine and you should not need to foil either way. Foil kills the crust. Just try it normally again and if you truss it up, make sure its even
    Keepin' It Weird in The ATX FBTX
  • Rich_ie
    Rich_ie Posts: 268
    To much bark try and wrap in foil in the middle of the cook. Wrapping will (should) speed up the cook. You might try for the 1st 3-4 hours unwrapped then wrap for 3-5 then unwrapped till temp is reached. Let us know what you do and how it works. 
  • lousubcap
    lousubcap Posts: 32,170
    edited July 2012
    And the mystery is solved...FWIW-I am a lazy BGE guy-I will spend as much effort and time as required in the prep work for low& slow cooks (food and fire) but once turned over to the BGE-to the maximum extent possible I let it do all the work-don't foil, don't mop, don't lift the dome til temperature says its time.  Keep it simple in the execution.  But just an opinion and we all know what those are worth :)>-
    Louisville; Rolling smoke in the neighbourhood. # 38 for the win.  Life is too short for light/lite beer!  Seems I'm livin in a transitional period.
  • I'm same a cap. Time for a cocktail once on the egg.......and maybe a few before :).
    Keepin' It Weird in The ATX FBTX
  • fletcherfam
    fletcherfam Posts: 935
    Yea, I will have to say cooking the pork shoulder was the easiest cook I have ever done in my life, rub mustard, dizzy dust, put it in, come back in 14 1/2 hours. Pretty simple.
  • Brownie
    Brownie Posts: 1,023
    Love the dizzy dust! Picked up coarse grind for my 4th of July butt. It had stalactites connecting to the grid, it really caramelized nice.
  • Eggucated
    Eggucated Posts: 213
    And the mystery is solved...FWIW-I am a lazy BGE guy-I will spend as much effort and time as required in the prep work for low& slow cooks (food and fire) but once turned over to the BGE-to the maximum extent possible I let it do all the work-don't foil, don't mop, don't lift the dome til temperature says its time.  Keep it simple in the execution.  But just an opinion and we all know what those are worth :)>-



    I'm with Cap and Centex less science, More egg magic!
    Thanks, Mike "Live in such a way that if anyone should speak badly of you, no one will believe it."