Pork Shoulder... or is it?

[zelph]

So I got a two pack of "Boneless Pork Shoulder" at Costco yesterday and opened them up tonight to start smoking them on my UDS. Instead of a large hunk of meat I found a hunk of meat that kind of folded out into several smaller chunks while all still connected. (see attached photo).

I'm fairly new to this (this is only by 4th shoulder) and haven't seen this arrangement of meat before. Does this change how I do things?

Does the 1.5 hrs/lb at 225 still apply, or does the separation of the meat change that? I can try and fold it back together and put it in a pile of sorts but I am guessing the heat will get into the cracks more then normal and change the timing of things.

As long as I'm asking for help, if I am doing 4 of these (7 lbs each) at once in one UDS does that also change the cooking time over just doing one? I am looking to get them done and ready to cooler at around 1pm local time (it's 9pm local time) and was thinking to put them in around 11

Thanks for any advice you can give.

[Ron_L]

It's a shoulder, but someone did a sloppy job of removing the bone. If you roll it up and tie it it will probably cook like a regular butt, but you will get more bark if you leave is flat like in the pic. It will probably cook quite a bit faster.

[JD McGee]

Yep...I got a few like that last weekend. I tied mine up so they would cook at the same rate(ish) as the rest. It's all good though! :-P

[Meat Burner]

zelph, you just got good advise from two people that know what to do. Gotta love the help you get here.

[zelph]

zelph, you just got good advise from two people that know what to do. Gotta love the help you get here.

Yes, extremely helpful and fast. I am preparing for the same team cookout that wingnut is. He's doing the brisket and has his own help thread (http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/showthread.php?t=68697) going on and suggested I come post when I called him for help on the weird meat.

I definitely like the extra surface area for the rub, and getting extra flavor "inside" the shoulder (at least if I ball it back up). Just hope the time works out.

Rubbed and ready to go.

[Saiko]

Costco's boneless packs are two boston butts that have been deboned. It's a good value, but as you've found, they can be sloppy. Even with the cheap costo price, I have grown partial to just waiting until I can get bone-in boston butts on sale. Also, Restaurant Depot will usually have bone-in boston butts for under a buck a pound.
Like Ron L said though, you will get more bark if you spread it out a bit, and that's my favorite part.

[landarc]

I like using the sloppily cut boneless shoulders for making char siu pork, it cooks up nice all folded out like that.

[zelph]

Preview from the foiling session. Lookin' good!

[landarc]

yes it is.