Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Food, Cooking, and Game Preparation A test run for a pulled pork project.

My oldest boy, Nathan is graduating from high school this spring and I've been tasked once again with cooking duties for the event. So today I'm doing a small sampler test for the big batch I'll be cooking soon.

This is a half of a pork shoulder (bost butt).

I'll be doing about 6 whole's for graduation I believe.

So I did an injection, Roughly a 4:1 apple cider to apple cider vinegar, Mixed in a sazon packet (sin achiote).

I injected about 10-12 oz into this half so I'm thinking about 20 oz per whole shoulder roast.

I did a simple sugar rub, 1 cup brown sugar, 1tbsp Louisiana cajun seasoning which is just a cajun season salt, 3/4 tsp black pepper. I shook the rub mix in a sealed tub to mix it.

I applied the rub after injecting, I'm thinking I'll prep for about 2 cups rub per whole shoulder roast. This was one cup applied to the half roast.



Meat is ready to go on, coals are lighting.

That looks good Dave, what is the "tariff" per pound on a pork shoulder in your neck of the woods?

I believe we are at around a buck foty?

Dumped my coals out of the can and raked them forward to the front of my fire box.



A handful of chips to start with, these happen to be mesquite. I think the flavor is about like alder.



I just sprinkle em on top of the coals, nothing fancy here.

Looking good. What time are you serving today?

Probably around 4-5 PM Siberia time. (also known as Minnetoba)

Here comes mr Prom right now (it's also Prom day here, Nate's senior prom).





That's his prom buggy, just taken out of winter storage, he's returning home from the car wash in town where there is a line of high school kids cleaning up their prom wheels.

Nathan was born in 1997, his truck is a 1977. It's 20 years older than he is, that's his prom rig. To put it in perspective, what is the model year 20 years prior to your birth year? For me it is 1950. So, to match the vintage to driver age ratio, my prom buggy would have had to have been something like this:

smoking

About an hour in.

Keep that smoker shut.

Nuttin' ta see here folks. Move on.

Looks good Dave. Are you doing the whole cook in the foil pan?

foil pan all the way, uncovered for the first 2.5-3 hours. I will cover with foil soon and let it simmer the rest of the way. I'm hitting about 135 inside meat temp right now.



I'm about 2.75 hours into it, uncovered so far.

I'm going to hold off until I hit closer to 165-170 before I wrap it. Then I think I'll pull it from the cooker when I hit about 200 meat temp. Wrap it in a towel for a 1/2 hr to 45 min rest then pull it apart.


I'm totally winging it, but I'll write my notes down so I can adjust things for next time if needed.

I decided to turn the roast over in the pan once I hit 145 meat temp, basted and tossed in more wood chips to try to get a little smoke into that side that had been facing down in the pan's juices.

Hold @ 195-205 on the cooker for an hour or so then rest and pull.

SOOOOOO tender and juicy. Don't forget the slaw.

Thanks, time permitting I will try.

Agreed, the slaw is a must.

5.5 hours in I finally hit 165 and covered with foil. I'm going to have to bring it up to 200 a little quicker than I wanted to because we have prom stuff to go to this evening.

Hi Dave,

You didn't ask for my opinion or advice, but I'm going to throw some your way anyway. Lose the pan and cook it on the grate with a drip pan below. That that way the smoke can flow all around the meat and allow formation of bark, which is my favorite part. As is, laying in the juices, no bark will form on the bottom and by flipping it any bark that did form on the top will be killed. Just my 2 cents.

Mike

Much appreciated, I'm thinking that could be the plan for the next practice run.

I like these practice runs, lol!

Would you wrap it at some point, Mike?


I used to cook and pull right on the grill, the rest step and pull afterwards is new for me.

Trying to do things right, having a good time learning, or trying anyways.