First Pork Shoulder

[NKoehler]

I smoked my first pork shoulder on my 2D today. Boy was I nervous but it turned out perfectly! It was nearly 8.5 lbs. and it took 16.5 hours to hit an internal temp of 195F.

I used a rub consisting of:

• 1 Cup brown sugar
• 4 teaspoons garlic powder
• 2 teaspoons Kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons black pepper
• 2 teaspoon paprika

 

[barelfly]

That looks great! Excellent first cook on that!

 

[NKoehler]

Thank you! I was very happy with the way it turned out. I should allow myself a bit more time on the next one. I estimated incorrectly and dinner was a little late. I started it at 2AM with a goal of eating by 6PM. We ended up eating closer to 7PM. No complaints though!

 

[barelfly]

Yep - factor in some time to let it rest. I’ve let pork butts rest for 3-4 hours, double wrapped in foil, then a towel and sitting in an ice chest. Seems to do some extra magic!

But it also gives you some extra cook time if needed. I’d say 2 hours/lb is a good way to estimate the time. Then add in your rest.

Glad everyone enjoyed it! The bark looks great on it!

 

[NKoehler]

What internal temp do you shoot for with a pork shoulder? I'm using the suggested temps and time from this forum. I wanted to at least hit 195F and I really only let it rest for about 15 minutes before shredding. I've seen some people go up to 200F-205F.

This was also the first time I cooked to temp with a probe so programming took me a bit of time to figure out. I usually just cook by time when doing ribs.

The bark is so flavorful!

 

[barelfly]

I usually shoot for 195* as my target. But, I’lll start checking at 190*. What I’m really looking for is the tenderness that I want, I’ll pull at the pork and see what give it has and go from there. I’ve found that 195 is usually pretty good for what I want. And then the 1-2 hour wrap/hold helps finish it off. Really, if you are cooking with a bone in butt, you want the bone to come out easily, at least I do.

But that’s what I aim for. Even on brisket, I feel 195 is perfect. But that is my preference and how I go, others may go a bit higher. So you just have to try a few out and see what you like.

 

[old sarge]

Good looking butt!

 

[NKoehler]

I thought I posted the wrong pic for a second 

Thank you!

 

[OldeSmoker]

Looks like some good BBQ!

 

[NKoehler]

Thank you! I pulled a pound of it from my deep freezer for lunch this week. It held up amazingly well.

 

[Glock_21]

Good looking shoulder.

Give Divotmaker's brine a try on a future shoulder.  You won't regret it.

https://www.smokinitforums.com/index.php?topic=1608.0

 

[NKoehler]

Sorry for the late reply.

Thank you. I was more than happy with the way it turned out. It fed us several times.

I took a look at that brine recipe and I will definitely give it a try next time.