Rubbery skin on pork shoulder??

cordell · Nov 13, 2011

I have to say I am a bit dumbfounded. I just got my new ET-732 thermometer in the mail and was, of course, raring to try it out. The wife picked up a 5 pound shoulder. I prepped, rubbed & injected it as usual, then put it in the fridge.

I let it sit for an hour out of the fridge as I got the UDS ready. When I put it on, the meat temp read 50 and I had the pit set at 240. I did wrap the shoulder in foil after an hour, as an experiment to see if it would help keep the juices in. One of my buddies swears by this method, so I figured i'd try it.

Anywho, I pulled it from the smoker at 190, let it rest and then began to pull.. dang skin was as rubbery as could be. The internal meat was fine, but it had about a 1/4" shell of rubbery skin around it. Suggestions?

HeSmellsLikeSmoke · Nov 13, 2011

Sounds like you had a picnic. I remove te skin prior to cooking when I smoke those. Normally, I smoke bone-in Boston butts, which don't come with skin around these parts.

Cook · Nov 13, 2011

1st...you foiled which would rehydrate the skin even if it were crisp.

2nd...you cooked at too low of a temp to get crisp skin to begin with.

3rd...you had a picnic which is the lower 1/2 of the shoulder.

Q-Dat · Nov 14, 2011

I haven't cooked alot of picnics, and only one whole shoulder, but I have also never gotten what I would call crispy skin. Its either leathery, or hard as a rock. I think it needs some really high heat to get that way. From what I have seen and heard a Cajun Microwave or a Caja China does a good job of it.

Bbq Bubba · Nov 14, 2011

You foiled after an hour? Your buddies mis leading you badly.

roksmith · Nov 14, 2011

cordell said:
Suggestions?

Yup.. Cook butts and don't wrap until about the 6 hour mark.. or 160 degrees.

southernstyle · Nov 14, 2011

if it had skin was probably a picnic as stated above. also it was already wrapped "the skin". dont wrap when theres skin. when theres no skin only wrap at about 150-160. i try to catch it right when the stall starts as long as theres good bark

captndan · Nov 14, 2011

Does your rub have sugar in it?

DirtyDirty00 · Nov 14, 2011

ya i made a shoulder this weekend. same thing.

its not the foil. i still get nice crispy bark on top and sides. the thing is when you buy the shoulder, on the bottom is actual pig skin. when you cook that side down in the foil, it just stays nasty gooey skin. mine did the same. thats why i like making butts better.

SirPorkaLot · Nov 14, 2011

foil would be the issue.
Don't foil

you are not going to get "crisp" skin on the pork regardless if you bbq it.
A nice crunchy bark is preferred.

It has nothing to do with being a butt or picnic
:thumb:

deguerre · Nov 14, 2011

I cut the skin off, season and deep fry on a picnic anyway.:becky:

SirPorkaLot · Nov 14, 2011

deguerre said:
I cut the skin off, season and deep fry on a picnic anyway.:becky:

Ain't nothing like some good cracklins!

Midnight Smoke · Nov 14, 2011

When I do pulled pork, the skin gets thrown into the trash...

Cook · Nov 14, 2011

SirPorkaLot said:
you are not going to get "crisp" skin on the pork regardless if you bbq it.
A nice crunchy bark is preferred.

And you call yourself a North Carolinian?

Of course you can get crispy skin by bbqing it. Helps to have direct heat, but you can still see it through.

cordell · Nov 14, 2011

Thanks all for the replies

I didn't notice a "skin", per se on the shoulder.. just that it had a "skin" or "shell" on it after it was done. I will take your advice on the foiling as well.

To answer one of you guys, I didn't use sugar, but put some honey in it, along with mustard and then McCormicks 5 pepper.

smokeyw · Nov 14, 2011

If you put enough heat there, it will crisp up, but not if wrapped in foil.

Rubbery skin on pork shoulder??

cordell

MemberGot rid of the matchlight.

HeSmellsLikeSmoke

somebody shut me the fark up.

Cook

Babbling Farker

Q-Dat

Babbling Farker

Bbq Bubba

somebody shut me the fark up.

roksmith

is one Smokin' Farker

southernstyle

is one Smokin' Farker

captndan

Quintessential Chatty Farker

DirtyDirty00

is one Smokin' Farker

SirPorkaLot

somebody shut me the fark up.

deguerre

somebody shut me the fark up.

SirPorkaLot

somebody shut me the fark up.

Midnight Smoke

somebody shut me the fark up.

Cook

Babbling Farker

cordell

MemberGot rid of the matchlight.

smokeyw

is Blowin Smoke!

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