Greetings food lovers,
I am new to the Q scene, but have been lurking here for a little
while. This weekend I'd like to try my hand at making pulled pork for
the first time, but unfortunately don't have the grill that purists
would prefer. I only have a gas grill (GASP!) but a charcoal model is
on the way. The cut of meat is a 3 1/2 lb boneless shoulder blade. Is
there more to it than cooking low and slow? I will at least add soaked
wood chips to give some smoke, not sure how effective they are though.
After reading the FAQ, I do realize that the meat temp should reach
around 190F to break down the connective tissue. I wish I had a
thermometer to set in the grill, but maybe a regular meat thermometer
will suffice. Any guesses as to how long it should take to cook? Many
thanks in advance, Mark

Mark wrote in message
...
Greetings food lovers,
I am new to the Q scene, but have been lurking here for a little
while. This weekend I'd like to try my hand at making pulled pork for
the first time, but unfortunately don't have the grill that purists
would prefer. I only have a gas grill (GASP!) but a charcoal model is
on the way. The cut of meat is a 3 1/2 lb boneless shoulder blade. Is
there more to it than cooking low and slow?

Bone-in is more typical around here, but you should be fine. That's a
smaller piece of meat than a bone-in butt, so your time will be shorter.

I will at least add soaked
wood chips to give some smoke, not sure how effective they are though.

It should be ok. Check some of the tips in the FAQ for gas smokers,
essentially you're turning your grill into one.

http://www.eaglequest.com/~bbq/faq2/7.html#7.11

After reading the FAQ, I do realize that the meat temp should reach
around 190F to break down the connective tissue. I wish I had a
thermometer to set in the grill, but maybe a regular meat thermometer
will suffice.

Meat thermometers usually won't have the range to measure temps in the
grill. A candy thermometer or a digital probe is a better bet.

Any guesses as to how long it should take to cook?

As always, time varies a lot depending on the temp in the smoker, how often
you open it, the exact size and configuration of the meat, etc. The rough
guess is around 1.5 hours a pound in the 225F temp range. Higher temps
finish faster.


Brian Rodenborn

On 24-Apr-2004, Mark wrote:
snip
The cut of meat is a 3 1/2 lb boneless shoulder blade. Is
there more to it than cooking low and slow? I will at least add soaked
wood chips to give some smoke, not sure how effective they are though.
After reading the FAQ, I do realize that the meat temp should reach
around 190F to break down the connective tissue. I wish I had a
thermometer to set in the grill, but maybe a regular meat thermometer
will suffice. Any guesses as to how long it should take to cook?

Maybe some of this will help you. (You guys that don't
have such questions, just skip over this book length
post.)

April 24, 2004

2 X pork butts = 13#
2 X pork back ribs ~3#
2X beef back ribs ~5#
2# cajun sausage (Homemade)
Everything rubbed at the last minute with essence
modified with brown sugar and extra cayenne. (last
minute because wasn't sure if friend would make it
or not. I wasn't going to cook otherwise. Normally
would rub day before and refrigerate in ziplocks)

NB Silver Pit (Offset Cooker)
Royal Oak Lump (Lots of small pieces)
Green Oak for smoke (2" Dia log)
Dome temp steady at 250°. (That's what this pit likes,
so I don't argue with it. Try to run this pit at some
other temp and guys in white coats will come and git
you before the meat is done.)

Everything but sausage on at 12:30P
Butts fat side down next to firebox, beef ribs next and
port ribs far end of cooker. All ribs bone side down.

Drinking with the Bud. No peeking 1st 2 1/2 hours.
Ribs shrinking back. Fork twist positive
Take the ribs off at 3:00P, Go figure.
Wrap in Butchers wrap and towells, stash in Thermos chest.
Insert temp probes in the butts.

Butts up to 165°, put the sausage on. Tend the fire.
Shooting for 155° on the sausage. Having a hell of a time
getting it there. Damn things want to hang at about 135°. Don't
know why. Using mini instant read to check temp.

One butt 11 degrees ahead of the other one. Let one go
to 201° and 6:30P. Took it off and added to the chest.
Sausage still not up to 155°.

Finally got the last butt up to 196°
Last butt came off at 7:30P. this is why nobody can state
how long it's going to take. (Two apparently identical butts,
placed in similar position in the cooker. One takes an hour
longer then the other.)
**** the sausage. 4.5 hours will have to be enough. It's
plenty juicy. Squirts like hell when I stab the therm in it.
It's drinking time. Took everything off and wrapped it.
Into the chest it goes.

I'll deal with it the pulling and freezing early in the
morning.

Deal with the fact that every individual in this group will do
something different then I did and still end up with great 'Q'.
--
M&M ("When You're Over The Hill You Pick Up Speed")

Sounds like you had a great Q time. Thanks

M&M wrote:

On 24-Apr-2004, Mark wrote:
snip

The cut of meat is a 3 1/2 lb boneless shoulder blade. Is
there more to it than cooking low and slow? I will at least add soaked
wood chips to give some smoke, not sure how effective they are though.

Deal with the fact that every individual in this group will do
something different then I did and still end up with great 'Q'.

Any guesses as to how long it should take to cook?

The only thing I could possibly add here is that a shoulder is pretty
flexible on time. I've done a couple, both took eight hours. Another hour
for each wouldn't have affected anything, in fact it might have drained off
a bit more of the fat.

-John O

John,
After you were done, was the whole piece of meat tender enough to be
pulled apart? After I did mine, the outside pulled apart, but the
inside had to be cut. I'm guessing maybe it should have cooked longer,
but the inside temp was 195-200F. Thanks, Mark L.

John O wrote:
Any guesses as to how long it should take to cook?


The only thing I could possibly add here is that a shoulder is pretty
flexible on time. I've done a couple, both took eight hours. Another hour
for each wouldn't have affected anything, in fact it might have drained off
a bit more of the fat.

-John O

On 27-Apr-2004, "Mark L." wrote:

John,
After you were done, was the whole piece of meat tender enough to be
pulled apart? After I did mine, the outside pulled apart, but the
inside had to be cut. I'm guessing maybe it should have cooked longer,
but the inside temp was 195-200F. Thanks, Mark L.

Mark, I've had that happen to me a time or two. You have to be
real careful where you stick your thermometer or it will lie to you.
Pork over 195 will pull, believe me. There's a minor difference
between about 195 and say 205. Let's say that at 195, it still
clings together, and at 205 you can't pick up a pound chunk
with a fork. It will fall apart while picking it up. YMMV
--
M&M ("When You're Over The Hill You Pick Up Speed")

Thanks, I'll try again this weekend :-)

M&M wrote:

On 27-Apr-2004, "Mark L." wrote:


John,
After you were done, was the whole piece of meat tender enough to be
pulled apart? After I did mine, the outside pulled apart, but the
inside had to be cut. I'm guessing maybe it should have cooked longer,
but the inside temp was 195-200F. Thanks, Mark L.


Mark, I've had that happen to me a time or two. You have to be
real careful where you stick your thermometer or it will lie to you.
Pork over 195 will pull, believe me. There's a minor difference
between about 195 and say 205. Let's say that at 195, it still
clings together, and at 205 you can't pick up a pound chunk
with a fork. It will fall apart while picking it up. YMMV