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View Full Version : Pulled pork question from the UK....


mdemetri2
07-28-2014, 08:29 AM
Hi guys, on to my second smoke, trying pulled pork for the first time tomorrow.

Ok, so I asked my local butter for pork shoulder and hold him it was for pulled pork, the photos are of the piece he gave me, weighs 6.5 pounds. Have no real clue if that's a) the right cut of meat and b) if the size is ok?

I will also be doing ribs (Costco packs, so not massive, but did these for my first smoke and were great) but did also get some belly pork with ribs for more meat.

Now, I was going to get up real early, say 6 am to start. I expect I'll be hanging on until that bone in the shoulder comes free? The ribs I have no problem doing, but should I take into account the shoulder bring in there and give tubs longer than I did last time which was shy of three hours?

I have seen on here people removing butt and placing in cooler if it's ready early.......erm can someone explain that, I mean I assume a cooler box right, that you would usually keep beers cool on a picnic?

jham0077
07-28-2014, 08:40 AM
I usually do one that size or smaller, but it's just me and the wife eating it. I can't remember the exact words about the bone, but something like "when it wiggles like a loose tooth". And your cooler can keep things warm too. I set mine in the oven(off) when it's finished, usually for no longer than an hour or so. Wrap in foil, then a towel for your cooler. Minus the ice of course:lol:.

mdemetri2
07-28-2014, 12:02 PM
I usually do one that size or smaller, but it's just me and the wife eating it. I can't remember the exact words about the bone, but something like "when it wiggles like a loose tooth". And your cooler can keep things warm too. I set mine in the oven(off) when it's finished, usually for no longer than an hour or so. Wrap in foil, then a towel for your cooler. Minus the ice of course:lol:.

Ok, thanks jham0077, we are doing it along with ribs and loads of other stuff for guests, it's goes as far as it does I guess. How long does it generally take you to cook based on that size? And yes, read the same about loose like a tooth!

THoey1963
07-28-2014, 12:07 PM
I did 4 butts recently. Total 35 pounds, so average just under 9 pounds each. At 285*ish, it took them 9 hours total. On at 7 am, into foil wrapped pans at 12, off at 4 pm. So, about an hour per pound at that temp.

And you can hold longer in the cooler as long as the IT does not drop below 140* (I believe). After that, I'd keep it in an oven at the lowest temp, like 170*.

jham0077
07-28-2014, 12:22 PM
I'm thinking a little over 5 hours is what the last one I did took. It was around 5 pounds. I stayed around 300*. I do loinback ribs most of the time and never went over 4 hrs for a slab of those, also around 300*.

So yeah, like THoey1963 said, about an hour a pound at 285-300.

But that's just a guess. Wiggle the bone for exact times.

unzippy
07-28-2014, 03:19 PM
Pork Butt in English (at least this is what my butcher says) - Full Shoulder with the hock end cut off, squared with the blade bone in.

Piggysquealers
07-28-2014, 05:39 PM
The boston butt roast is the top half of the front shoulder of the pig. It would be up against the backbone, as opposed to the lower half or picnic that usually has skin and the top of the leg bone. Usually a pound per hour at the 250 degree range will get you close. You want the meat to get to 200 degrees. Also the shoulder will look like it collapsed or gave up when it's done. You can pull the bone and it should feel like it would slip right out. If you don't have a thermometer poke it with a skewer and see how it feels. How hard you have to push equals how hard you have to bite...

Piggysquealers
07-28-2014, 05:43 PM
Oh the cooler thing, take an empty cooler and put a towel in the bottom (to keep it from melting) put the butt in a pan and set it in there. It should hold for several hours, but beware, as it cools it becomes harder to pull. I always pull it and re heat it with sauce instead of waiting

Goyo626
07-28-2014, 06:05 PM
There is a vid on youtube that shows a british butcher butchering a pig while being guided by an american. It discusses the differences in cuts of pork as well as how you ask for spareribs and pork butt. The video is titled the british bbq association brings to you... UK vs US pork cuts.