22# bone-in pork shoulders

firechef37 · Joined: 25 May 2007 Posts: 11 Location: Iowa, USA

Just "stole" two bone-in full pork shoulders. They go about 22 pounds each. I say I stole them as I got them for $1.49 a pound. They are a very good cut and in great shape and ready to go.

Only one minor problem...how the heck should I do them???

I have access to a couple smokers and some good commercial grills owning my own restaurants but I have never attempted one of these as a traditionally trained Chef. Any and all tips and advice is welcome!

In short order this is a scream for HELP!!!
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mutha chicken bbq · Posted: Jun 13 2007 Post subject:

Smoked Low and Slow! Very Happy

Till they reach about 190.
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stevenr · Posted: Jun 13 2007 Post subject:

thats good price........

i got 6 of them last week for 79 cents/lb at a local store here....wish i had an extra freezer

NCBBQFAN · Posted: Jun 13 2007 Post subject:

I never cook butts because I find the whole shoulder to make juicer BBQ due to the fact that is retains more of the outside fat that during cooking actualy baste the meat.
But that said, I buy my shoulders regulary between 1.30-1.45/lb so that price in my area is in the ballpark to what they are all the time.
To cook it: I put a bbq rub on and then rub on a good layer of yellow mustard. place in per-heated smoker and smoke for 4-5 hours at around 225-250, basting every hour with a mixture of half apple juice and half cider vinegar and butter. Then wrap in foil and cook at 250-275 until meat reaches 190-195, this part will take another5-7 hours so you'll be cooking between 10-12 hours. Works well for me.

bluesman250 · BBQ Pro Joined: 22 May 2007 Posts: 802

I hope you have LOTS of time. Go low and slow, use your favorite rub, and good luck. Will probably take 24 hours at least if you stay at 225. To make it easy on yourself, try an injection instead of a basting. you can find good recipes here for a nice apple juice injection. Don't forget the case of beer. a cook this long might even take 2 cases.

Bluesman~

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NCBBQFAN · Posted: Jun 14 2007 Post subject:

As I said 10-12 hours maybe 14 on a very cold day, I cooked 10 shoulders at one time back during the winter on a morning that was 19 degrees and it didn't take more than 14.. last weekend I cooked eleven 16-18lb shoulders at one time that produced 90lbs of finished pork using this method. If you like, once you wrap it in the foil you can push the temp up close to 300. If it took me 24 hours to cook one shoulder I'd give up.

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crgowo · Newbie Joined: 27 Feb 2007 Posts: 56

by shoulder do you mean the butt and picnic as one piece?

firechef37 · Joined: 25 May 2007 Posts: 11 Location: Iowa, USA

Yup, the whole kit and kaboodle...butt and picnic still together.

Thanks for the advice so far. Hope to get a few more pointers between now and the weekend as this may be my Sunday afternoon gig this weekend.
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NCBBQFAN · Posted: Jun 14 2007 Post subject:

The Boston Butt is the top half of a shoulder. What you see in the store that they call the picnic shoulder is the bottom half of the whole shoulder, if your looking at a whole pork shoulder it will run anywhere between 13 and at the top 20 or so lbs. In my area the only place I find whole shoulders is at a meat supply/packing house. The funny thing is all they do is cut off the top of the shoulder and give it a new name "Boston Butt" and charge you more.