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Post by Deleted on Jun 12, 2021 20:52:14 GMT
Can anyone help me?
I want to make a pork shoulder for pulled pork. I couldn’t find a small roast. I found a 7.5lb one. I’m assuming I can just cut it in half and smoke half? I’d there such a thing as too small for the smoker?
Equally dumb-if I put both halves in will it cook faster or take the same amount of time if it was uncut?
I’ve only used my smoker 3 times so thanks for being gracious with my stupidity.
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Post by freecharlie on Jun 12, 2021 20:59:12 GMT
Dh says he wouldn't cut it. You need the fat and all to melt down
If you cut it you may not get it all.
Are you wanting to cut it because it doesn't fit or because you think it is too much?
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Post by elaine on Jun 12, 2021 20:59:29 GMT
Yes, you can cut it in half. Yes, it will cook all the way through more quickly in smaller pieces. It is different than the pressure cooker that way. You can even smoke chicken breasts, so no pieces too small. You just need to carefully monitor the temperature so that you don’t overcook it.
A wireless digital thermometer is your best friend when smoking. Low and slow. Your meat typically stalls at 140 degrees for a while (don’t know why) and then will finally climb again.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 12, 2021 21:07:19 GMT
Dh says he wouldn't cut it. You need the fat and all to melt down If you cut it you may not get it all. Are you wanting to cut it because it doesn't fit or because you think it is too much? Because it will take 12-14 hours to cook at full size and I don’t have a block that big. |
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Post by freecharlie on Jun 12, 2021 21:37:27 GMT
Dh says he wouldn't cut it. You need the fat and all to melt down If you cut it you may not get it all. Are you wanting to cut it because it doesn't fit or because you think it is too much? Because it will take 12-14 hours to cook at full size and I don’t have a block that big. the sure, go ahead and cut it. We often smoke for that long or longer, so time didn't factor in my answer. We have digital thermometer that has 4 proves and can connect to an app so it makes it easy to watch temp. |
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Post by magellen on Jun 12, 2021 21:47:50 GMT
You can always wrap the meat and then in the last 30 minutes or so unwrap it.
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Post by Basket1lady on Jun 12, 2021 22:29:14 GMT
I have no advice for the smoker, but will say that pulled pork freezes well for a later meal.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 12, 2021 22:33:34 GMT
Thank you all. I ended up going to another store where the butcher cut one down for me so it was still “correct” in fat/meat/bone ratio, just smaller. I’ll feel more comfortable investing more time and money as I become more experienced but on my third time on the smoker and first time with pork ever, I didn’t want it to be too costly in money or time if it doesn’t go well.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 13, 2021 16:10:47 GMT
I have no idea what’s going on. I have a 3.5 lb shoulder. I put it on at 3:30 yesterday. Everything I read said to count 2 hours per pound.
It’s still on there at 9:10 this morning and at 170. I have to get to 195. This is nuts.
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Post by cakediva on Jun 13, 2021 16:14:45 GMT
I have no idea what’s going on. I have a 3.5 lb shoulder. I put it on at 3:30 yesterday. Everything I read said to count 2 hours per pound. It’s still on there at 9:10 this morning and at 170. I have to get to 195. This is nuts. Try moving the thermometre to a different spot? (unless you've done that lol) We have a stick in one that we leave in while it smokes and the digital part stays outside. And sometimes we have it in a bad spot. |
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Post by elaine on Jun 13, 2021 16:51:19 GMT
What temperature is the smoker at? Are you certain it keeps the correct temperature? I’d turn up the temperature to 300-325 now. I’d also buy an oven thermometer and set it in your smoker to test the temp.
At this point, it has had enough exposure to the smoke, so you can also wrap it in foil which will help bring the temp up. You can also finish it inside in your oven without sacrificing the smoke flavor, because the smoke ring is already set.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 13, 2021 17:43:34 GMT
What temperature is the smoker at? Are you certain it keeps the correct temperature? I’d turn up the temperature to 300-325 now. I’d also buy an oven thermometer and set it in your smoker to test the temp. At this point, it has had enough exposure to the smoke, so you can also wrap it in foil which will help bring the temp up. You can also finish it inside in your oven without sacrificing the smoke flavor, because the smoke ring is already set. Finally asked the neighbor if he had a probe and it turns out mine went kaput. When mine said 170 and falling. His said 195. I pulled it off and it’s resting while we go to church and I better have a kicking pulled pork for lunch. The sucky thing is that I still have to do this all over again with the other half 😂 |
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Post by Gingergirl on Jun 13, 2021 19:23:47 GMT
We usually smoke one that's about that size and it takes way less time than that. We've usually put it on around 5am and it'll be done around 2-3pm and it's perfect.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 13, 2021 21:03:31 GMT
Well we got home from church about 2 hours later and I saw this. I was certain I'd ruined it and called my brother in a panic.  Total cook time was 18 hours with cherry pellets. He assured me that this was actually the holy grail of smoking and to just try shredding it. It was delicious and both Todd and Nathaniel ate 3 helpings.   I'm a little disappointed to have spent so much time on such a small roast. I'll be making the rest tomorrow and starting earlier in the day. Thanks everyone for your help. |
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Post by smalltowngirlie on Jun 13, 2021 22:15:03 GMT
If your smoker is big enough, you can put 2-3 roasts on at a time. If we do a long smoke we load that sucker up. Shredded pork freezes great, so extras are always a plus.
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Post by jenjie on Jun 14, 2021 2:55:44 GMT
The finished product looks amazing! My brother just got a smoker and was so excited for his trial run.
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Post by Scrapper100 on Jun 14, 2021 4:17:27 GMT
If your smoker is big enough, you can put 2-3 roasts on at a time. If we do a long smoke we load that sucker up. Shredded pork freezes great, so extras are always a plus. Yes my husband does this to he always cooks two. It’s just too much work otherwise. It usually takes 18-20 hours. I always portion it into meal sized portions and freeze for later. Your your pork looks great. Glad it came out good. |
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Post by zuke on Jun 14, 2021 10:27:12 GMT
I have no advice for the smoker, but will say that pulled pork freezes well for a later meal. My husband always smokes a bigger piece of meat than what we can use. We always freeze most of it in freezer ziplock bags. Tonight we're having smoked Brisket that was smoked 2 months ago! YUM! |
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Post by smalltowngirlie on Jun 14, 2021 15:18:20 GMT
If your smoker is big enough, you can put 2-3 roasts on at a time. If we do a long smoke we load that sucker up. Shredded pork freezes great, so extras are always a plus. Yes my husband does this to he always cooks two. It’s just too much work otherwise. It usually takes 18-20 hours. I always portion it into meal sized portions and freeze for later. Your your pork looks great. Glad it came out good. Always nice to have something I can grab quick out of the freezer and just heat it up for sandwiches or green chili enchiladas or cubans or whatever. |
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iowgirl
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,295 
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Post by iowgirl on Jun 14, 2021 15:25:30 GMT
Smoking meat is a learning process and frustrating at times. Your pork looks like it has a fantastic 'bark' - which is what you want (as long as it doesn't get too hard). I am not sure what kind of smoker you have? I have a Treager pellet type, and it is a continuous love/hate relationship! LOL Don't be afraid to pull something off the smoker, wrap it, and finish it in the oven. You could have done your full size pork shoulder in the same amount of time as the cut - but it is easier sometimes to have a smaller size. The time is crazy though, that it took. I recommend getting a really good thermometer. The best I have used is a DOT thermometer from ThermoWorks. You can leave it in the meat the entire time. I have more than one, I have one that I use to measure the ambient temperature inside the smoker, as I don't think my smokers thermometer is accurate at all. You can order the 'air temp' probe to fit the DOT. The quality of the THermoWorks thermometers are top notch. They are worth the price. ThermoWorks DOT thermometerOnly buy from their website, not Amazon. Amazon is not genuine. |
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Post by elaine on Jun 16, 2021 21:03:19 GMT
@missjen , I’ve got my smoker going today.
For dinner, we are having a bone-in Turkey breast that I just pulled off. I have a brisket going and just put on a Pork “picnic” shoulder roast that I picked up this morning at the store. I though of you, because I only buy these large-ish pork shoulders for smoking when they are on sale - every couple of months - for $0.99 per pound. So, I have a 12 pound pork shoulder on the smoker that cost less than $12.
It is much less intimidating to learn on your smoker when you are using meat that costs less than a meal for two at McDonalds. You may want to keep your eyes open for pork sales. These cheap shoulder roasts make awesome pulled pork.
And yes, as you just learned, meat shrinks quite a bit on the smoker, so cooking twice as much as you think you need often gives you a good amount, with a little bit left for leftovers. 😀 I also cook a number of things while the smoker is going, because smoked meats refrigerate and freeze well, so I can knock out a few dinners in one session.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 16, 2021 21:20:10 GMT
@missjen , I’ve got my smoker going today. For dinner, we are having a bone-in Turkey breast that I just pulled off. I have a brisket going and just put on a Pork “picnic” shoulder roast that I picked up this morning at the store. I though of you, because I only buy these large-ish pork shoulders for smoking when they are on sale - every couple of months - for $0.99 per pound. So, I have a 12 pound pork shoulder on the smoker that cost less than $12. It is much less intimidating to learn on your smoker when you are using meat that costs less than a meal for two at McDonalds. You may want to keep your eyes open for pork sales. These cheap shoulder roasts make awesome pulled pork. And yes, as you just learned, meat shrinks quite a bit on the smoker, so cooking twice as much as you think you need often gives you a good amount, with a little bit left for leftovers. 😀 I also cook a number of things while the smoker is going, because smoked meats refrigerate and freeze well, so I can knock out a few dinners in one session. Thanks Elaine. I have mine going today too. I looked for a picnic roast but couldn’t find them. So I have an 8lb in there and the other half of the halved one from Sunday. And today it’s cooking too fast 🤦♀️ and using almost no pellets. Sunday it used almost a whole bag. Who knows. I just put up an umbrella over it and lowered the heat wayyyyy down (it was set at 225 but was at almost 275) so we’ll see. I put them on at 9 and the 3.5lb is already at 160 at 2:00 and the 8 pounder is close. Trying to stall it out to get some good bark forming before I wrap. This is a fun but frustrating experience. Thanks for your coaching!! |
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