First Pork Shoulder (How Long)

Think about 1.5 hrs /lb, as a rough guide on a picnic.

A full 16-17 lb shoulder is about 16-18 hrs.

That's at a pretty consistent 225� oven temp.

That's if you aren't opening the door and playing with it a bunch.

When you get above 185�,try to twist or pull the bone.

You have to decide how pullable you want.

You may want to leave it another few degrees?

Tom is right. A 8lb pork butt takes me between 14 and 17 hours to get to 195-200 degrees.

OK, the pork shoulder is in the smoker (11:00pm eastern). I will report back with the final results....stay tune.

OK, its official....to reach the internal temp of 195 degree it took 14 hours (I never open the door while it was smoking) for a 9.5 lbs pork shoulder at 225 degree in my model 50. I placed the pork shoulder in the middle rack and used 6 oz of hickory....Its time for a late lunch now!!!

Enjoy!!

Hairbear,
Was it tasty?

Yes, it was very tasty...when I started to shred the pork shoulder, I was amazed how tender it was....it pratically fell apart.

I tried using a vinegar sauce I found in a bbq book and didn't really like the out come. The one vinegar sauce I really liked was a place I found in Holland MI...it had just the right amount of sweat and bitter taste.

Then I tried the bbq sauce I received with my model 50 and it was just OK (the bbq sauce is great with chicken wings).

So, my next question is what is a great sauce for my pork shoulder?

Run the search function for Smokin' Okie's Vinegar sauce and his pork baste.

He also has a good mustard based sauce for the SC type tastes.

Hairbear,

Check out the first link in the recipe section (butt rubs) or click here and look at mine.

The key is that you can add as much as you want to make it hotter or whatever you want. They are good bases for you to start with.

SmokinOkie Mop/Baste/Finishing sauces

Thanks SmokinOkie!! I think I am going to try the virgin mustard sauce....Do you think its OK to cut recipe in half? Also, are you using fresh lemons or the bottle lemons?

4 cups yellow mustard
1 cup lemon juice
1 cup honey
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cayenne

I just made this one the other night... a nice vinegar based sauce with a little sweetness and a little heat. I don't where I got it, but think it might of been the "Smoke and Spice" book.

It's easy to make and awesome on a smoked shoulder sandwich.

* 3 tablespoons butter
* 1/4 cup minced onion
* 1 cup white vinegar
* 1 cup tomato sauce
* 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
* 2 teaspoons sugar (I used Splenda instead)
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
* 1/8 teaspoon cayenne
* 1 dash Tabasco sauce

Preparation

In a saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onions and saut� until the onions begin to turn golden.

Stir in the remaining ingredients, reduce the heat to low, and cook until the mixture thickens, approximately 20 minutes. Stir frequently.

Use the sauce warm. It keeps, refrigerated, for a couple of weeks.

HairBear,

I made up a batch of Smokin's Virgin Mustard sauce a couple of years ago, and it was excellent. I've tried several vinegar sauce recipes and they really didn't suit my tastes. I usually go with a traditional (for the midwest) tomato based sauce, but I love mustard, so I decided to give Smokin's recipe a go. Well worth the effort, IMHO. Very balanced, but has a good mustard flavor.