SNAKE RIVER FARMS Whole Bone-In Pork Shoulder

[tnt]

Re: SNAKE RIVER FARMS Whole Bone-In Pork Shoulder

Nice looking shoulder, I'm getting mine ready for Sunday. I'll put it on the grill Saturday morning..

Tony

[tnt]

Re: SNAKE RIVER FARMS Whole Bone-In Pork Shoulder

Syzygies, How long did yous take to cook and what temp did you use ?? I put mine on at 225 and pulled it when it hit 185. I was thinking it would take 1.5 to 2 hours per pound which would mean between 22.5 and 30 hours. It took 17 hours to come up to temp. So based on feed back on the forum I wrapped it in foil and a towel and it's sitting in a cooler waiting for later today.

[Syzygies]

Re: SNAKE RIVER FARMS Whole Bone-In Pork Shoulder

I planned on 22 hours at 225 F. I should have gone lower or shorter (210 F or 17 hours) as it hit an internal temp of 185 F well before needed. (I'm rather distracted by a work-related project, but one can "phone in" KK cooks with enough practice.) So I turned the Guru (the no-longer-available oven dial basic model) down to 195 F.

I was a bit under the weather (seasonal cold) and I'm a rather spoiled and fussy eater (at least we cook for ourselves) so it didn't taste spectacular to me. However, pretty much everyone at the party said it tasted spectacular. Who knows! Laurie admonished me to accept compliments graciously. One South Carolina expat said it was the best pulled pork he'd had outside of the state. I'd take that seriously, but remember that the "standard" for pulled pork is chopped up rope shreds, leaving a huge margin for sloppy, indifferent execution in a commercial setting. We KK folks strive for better than that. Part of my "avoid rope" thinking is to stop below 195 F internal, never go above 200 F as some do.

The cooking time/temp issues may have played in the shoulder's favor, as winter pork can be quite fatty, but this was well-rendered, with all connective tissue nicely melted. I'd take off the fat cap before cooking, next time; the smoke and our rub of salt, pepper, chiles didn't get through that side. On the other hand, many people honestly like bland meat. People chose the bark side (spicy, salty, good textures) or the interior meat (bland, wonderful texture) to suit their tastes.

For the ongoing brisket debate here, I side with a slow cook while sparing no expense for the meat. However, for pork I'm now leaning toward faster cooks that still manage to render fat and melt connective tissue. Stall below 120 F to absorb smoke, race to 160 F and stall to melt connective tissue, then clear the 180 F to 190 F stretch quickly.

[tony b]

Re: SNAKE RIVER FARMS Whole Bone-In Pork Shoulder

Kick-starting this old thread because we now have a local butcher that gets kurobuta pork, so I'm looking for feedback on it.

In particular, do these heritage pigs cook differently that "standard" pigs? I have a buddy who's now done 2 bone-in butts and they have both cooked much faster than expected: 10 - 11 lbs, bone-in, smoker @ 225F, butt finished @ 200F in only 8 - 10 hours.

I'm going to throw on a rack of St. Louis ribs tomorrow for my first try at kurobuta, so just looking for advice on cooking times.

[normstar]

Re: SNAKE RIVER FARMS Whole Bone-In Pork Shoulder

Interesting question. I get Prime Pork chops from the meat co, they are not kurobota, and they are freaking amazing. I'll find out exactly what they are and I'll get a Butt to try!

[tony b]

Re: SNAKE RIVER FARMS Whole Bone-In Pork Shoulder

DISASTER. This heritage pork stuff is going to cause me to rethink all my cooking experiences. Did the rack of St. Louis ribs tonight. Not use to using a drip pan w/ribs - first mistake! All the fat in this pork caused flareups. Temp shot up to about 410F. Pretty much had to close down everything to get the dome temp back to the 325F I initially set it at. As noted by my buddy's experience cooking butts, cooked faster than I had planned (partially due to overshooting temp). The exterior layer was way overcooked, but still had a significant fat layer left in the middle. The meat down by the bone was excellent, for what little of it there was. Overall, not a happy camper.

[cruzmisl]

Re: SNAKE RIVER FARMS Whole Bone-In Pork Shoulder

I bought some mangalitsa porkchops the other day. I experienced the exact same thing. Too much fat for grilling. Too much flame and too much soot. I think these fatty cuts are best served searing in a pan and finishing in the oven or low and slows.

[tony b]

Re: SNAKE RIVER FARMS Whole Bone-In Pork Shoulder

I talked to my butcher where I got the ribs. He agreed that they should be cooked low and slow, and indirect with drip pan. Will give them another shot over the holidays.

[tony b]

Re: SNAKE RIVER FARMS Whole Bone-In Pork Shoulder

Finally got around to re-trying the Berkshire ribs after the previous disaster. This time w/drip pan and heat shield, low & slow. Grill @ 275F for 4 hours. Much better results this time around. The middle fat layer was almost rendered out, but just enough fatty goodness to be tasty, with a nice bark on the top.

As before, the rack was in 3 sections of 3-4 bones each, so each mini-rack got a different rub - Dizzy Dust, Billy Bones Competition, and just plain ole S&P. My favorite, was the simple Salt & Pepper, it seemed to let the beauty of this pork shine through.

I'll keep practicing with it.

[5698k]

Re: SNAKE RIVER FARMS Whole Bone-In Pork Shoulder

I've tried dizzy dust, along with a number of other rubs, home made and store bought. What really draws you to salt and pepper? I'm curious because I believe in the the kiss method, but I haven't tried just s&p!

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

[mguerra]

Re: SNAKE RIVER FARMS Whole Bone-In Pork Shoulder

If you cruise a lot of BBQ and cooking websites, you will see a common thread emerge regarding rubs. Lots of folks use just salt and pepper. I don't use it exclusively, but put in my rub rotation, (please, no clever remarks regarding self gratification!)

I know several of the most famous Texas BBQ joints use just S and P on their briskets. When I do it, I like to use a LOT of fresh cracked pepper. Generally I will put over a quarter cup of peppercorns in a whirly blade coffee grinder and grind it that way. Try a brisket this way, you might like it.

[tony b]

Re: SNAKE RIVER FARMS Whole Bone-In Pork Shoulder

LIke Doc said, I'd seen a lot of BBQ heavies just doing S&P and thought this would be a good time to experiment, given the opportunity presented by the "mini racks." Plus, heritage pork has much better natural flavor than the standard Hormel cryopac ribs (the "white meat" version of pork that we were all brainwashed into believing was better?)

My pantry is full of various rubs, spice blends, and hot sauces. My guiding philosophy in the kitchen - "Don't' be afraid to play with your food!" I almost never make anything the same way twice.

I also follow this philosophy in my beer making, always tweaking the hop variety/amounts, yeast strain, or the specialty grains.