KK 32" - First Pork Shoulder Questions

[churchi]

Hi All,

 

Well i am a new owner of a Big Bad 32" that is in black pebble and I have named her B Double (as in one of the biggest trucks on the roads in AU). First off I'm sorry I have not posted up any pics yet, they are coming.

 

So me and my big mouth have said that I will cook some pork shoulder's for my sisters birthday this weekend in my new KK. Its a kinda big deal and a huge party and I don't want to stuff it up.

 

I've only cooked on my KK about 5 times and I have done just chickens and pork legs plus a leg of lamb. All were good, just none were low and slow for 12 hours or so.

 

Since the KK holds temp rock solid, I am guessing this should be quite easy with some preparation.

 

I have to have the food ready by around 3-4pm on this Saturday.

 

So a few questions if I may.

1. Am I crazy? should I just try something different until I have had a chance to test this out before the party?

2. I am going to cook around a 3-4kg shoulder and will give it a rub myself and prepare it the night before. What time should i start the cook? I am thinking late on the Friday evening so it can cook over night and take as long as it needs?

3. I am thinking of cooking it on about 250F. Is this a good idea? Should i pick another temp? I dont have 20 hours to sit around and wait for it, so i thought the 250F should be about right. (Certainly open to suggestions here).

4. Is there a resting time? If so how long is normal? Im happy to keep it warm in an esky if need be

5. I have a digital wireless meat probe, so i can monitor it and set an alarm when i go to bed. So thats covered.

6. Should i be using the whole basket of coal filled up or split the basket?

7. I have the double thickness drip pan, is this good enough for a heat deflector on the 32" or should i put in the actual heat deflectors with the drip pan on top?

8. Im thinking of just putting in the normal top grill (not the one that sits on another grill). Is this the best height to cook the shoulder?

9. Thinking of apple wood, is this the best idea? i have olive and peach as well at home, so i can put them in as well if needed.

10. Will i need to add extra wood chunks during the cook?

11. If I am placing the wood chunks on the lit coal, should they be spread out all over the fire box/charcoal? or should I make sure some are near where the coal is not currently lit?

12. Would you consider cooking a pulled pork and beef say in the same cook? or will each of the meats impart their own flavour into the other piece of meat? So should I only smoke one type of meat at one time in the KK?

13. Will I need to spritz or wrap the shoulder?

14. Is there anything else I need to know about cooling the pork shoulder? 

 

 

Well I am sorry for so many questions, but that is all i can think of now. Would really appreciate any of you guys who have been through cooking on your KK a pork shoulder to pass on a bit of feedback to the above questions. Im still learning and looking forward to picking up some tips for this weekends cook.

 

I thank you very much in advanced.

 

Cheers

[Jon B.]

churchi,   please see the replies below in your original post

Hi All,

 

Well i am a new owner of a Big Bad 32" that is in black pebble and i have named her B Double (as in one of the biggest trucks on the roads in AU). First off im sorry i have not posted up any pics yet, they are coming.

 

So me and my big mouth have said that i will cook some pork shoulder's for my sisters birthday this weekend in my new KK. Its a kinda big deal and a huge party and i dont want to stuff it up.

 

I've only cooked on my KK about 5 times and i have done just chickens and pork legs plus a leg of lamb. All were good, just none were low and slow for 12 hours or so.

 

Since the KK holds temp rock solid, i am guessing this should be quite easy with some preparation.

 

I have to have the food ready by around 3-4pm on this Saturday.

 

So a few questions if i may.

1. Am i crazy? should i just try something different until i have had a chance to test this out before the party?   The pork shoulder is easy to cook just takes a long time!

2. I am going to cook around a 3-4kg shoulder and will give it a rub myself and prepare it the night before. What time should i start the cook? I am thinking late on the Friday evening so it can cook over night and take as long as it needs?  Each pork shoulder is different (stall time) and it depends on what cooking temp you end up at....you should  figure around 10 to 12 hours but be ready to keep it in a heated cooler if it is done early. 

3. I am thinking of cooking it on about 250F. Is this a good idea? Should i pick another temp? I dont have 20 hours to sit around and wait for it, so i thought the 250F should be about right. (Certainly open to suggestions here).  I like to cook my pork roasts at 275*F for a number of reasons (bark, safety zone temps, cook time). 250* is good also but may take a little longer.

4. Is there a resting time? If so how long is normal? Im happy to keep it warm in an esky if need be.  Varying opinions on resting but you can pull it right away if you like but it will be hotter than hell.

5. I have a digital wireless meat probe, so i can monitor it and set an alarm when i go to bed. So thats covered. I like to cook my pork shoulder roasts to an internal temp of 200* to 205*F.  In my opinion it pulls nicely at that temp. 

6. Should i be using the whole basket of coal filled up or split the basket?  Important.......Fill your entire basket up with new lump.  I always clean out the grill, place bigger lump on the bottom and stack/fill the charcoal basket with the medium & smaller pieces....you never know how long the stall will be and don't want to run out of lump.  

7. I have the double thickness drip pan, is this good enough for a heat deflector on the 32" or should i put in the actual heat deflectors with the drip pan on top?  The double bottom drip pan will be an excellent heat shield and will collect all the drippings (you will have a lot grease drip).  I use a foil pan it it works fine as a heat shield.

8. Im thinking of just putting in the normal top grill (not the one that sits on another grill). Is this the best height to cook the shoulder?  That should be fine.   

9. Thinking of apple wood, is this the best idea? i have olive and peach as well at home, so i can put them in as well if needed.  It is truly a personal preference....mix the wood also.  I try different ones but apple works great.   

10. Will i need to add extra wood chunks during the cook?  I try NOT to open the lid after I start cooking.

11. If i am placing the wood chunks on the lit coal, should they be spread out all over the fire box/charcoal? or should i make sure some are near where the coal is not currently lit?  This opens up a whole new discussion on good smoke vs. bad smoke.  What I do is to get the fire going strong, place my smoking wood in the charcoal basket in multiple places, drip pan in, meat on, temp probe in the meat, close the lid and adjust the damper slowly to reach the desired cooking temp.  I mix my bark in with the other meat when pulling and have never tasted a harsh smoke flavor.  Might be different with smaller cuts but I personally do not wait for the perfect smoke color. 

12. Would you consider cooking a pulled pork and beef say in the same cook? or will each of the meats impart their own flavour into the other piece of meat? So should i only smoke one type of meat at one time in the KK?  You can but will need to monitor each meat temp individually.  Each should maintain their flavor along with the smoke you use and maybe dripping on the lower meat.

13. Will i need to spritz or wrap the shoulder?  I really don't believe you need to.  I like a nice bark on my pork shoulders

14. Is there anything else i need to know about cooling the pork shoulder?  I rub my pork down with yellow mustard to hold my favorite spices.  You will not taste the mustard when the pork is done.           Lets see what other might add to this.

 

 

Well i am sorry for so many questions, but that is all i can think of now. Would really appreciate any of you guys who have been through cooking on your KK a pork shoulder to pass on a bit of feedback to the above questions. Im still learning and looking forward to picking up some tips for this weekends cook.

 

I thank you very much in advanced.

 

Cheers

  Good luck and have fun.

[5698k]

1. No, you're not crazy, pork shoulder/butts are the most forgiving thing you can cook.

2. Late Friday evening, around 6ish would be perfect. if you're done sooner, wrap in foil, then a towel, put in a cooler, this will give plenty of rest time.

3. 250 is a good temperature, i personally cook at 275, with excellent, predictable results.

4. See #2, but about an hour is plenty if that's all you have.

5. Perfect. Take it to 205 internal, you won't be disappointed.

6. Use the whole basket, always for your low/slow cooks, this way you never run out of coal.

7. I would use the deflector, only using the drip pan to catch drippings, i would still line the pan with foil to help prevent burning.

8. Perfect.

9. Apple, peach, or any fruitwood is fine, Bosceaux's favorite is peach.

10. Not likely, but it depends on how much smoke flavor you want.

11. I put chunks directly on lit coal about 30 minutes before adding protein, if you spread it out too much, it likely won't get burned.

12. You can smoke different types of meat at the same time, provided one isn't dripping onto another, this is where you'd get flavor mixes. this isn't necessarily bad, I just wouldn't do it for your first time.

13. Here's where the KK shines. You don't need to spritz or wrap for moisture reasons, but spritzing is good if you want flavor.

14. I think you meant cooking, if so, like I said initially, pork shoulder/butt is very forgiving, it's actually what I recommend as a first low/slow for newbies.

 

Ask away, you'll get all the help you could want, there's lots of experience here, more than willing to offer help. 

 

Good luck, pics are required.

[tinyfish]

With that great advice so far you will be fine.

[tony b]

Ditto everything Robert (5698k) and Jon B. said.

 

I have a converted cast iron dutch oven that I use as my smoking wood pot. It has 3 tiny holes drilled in the bottom. Prolongs smoke production for hours and forces the volatiles back into the fire, so the smoke is cleaner. Plan B - stack your wood chunks together near the lit charcoal, so that they burn sequentially. If you scatter them around the basket, some of them won't catch and produce any smoke, as the charcoal doesn't end up burning in that direction. This is virtually impossible to predict.

 

An option - I just use the regular drip pan on the lower grate as my heat deflector. Haven't used the actual ceramic one in many, many cooks. Would only consider using it if I was trying to use the pan drippings for sauce/gravy. 

 

Keep asking away. It's part of why we're here - to share what we've learned. And, don't forget the pictures, we're sticklers that way here!

[Rak]

Great advice.  You'll really enjoy it.  Post pics

[wilburpan]

Here are some answers to some of your questions.

 

You’re not crazy. Give it a try. Pork shoulder is extremely forgiving. 
 
4 kg = a little less than 9 pounds. I’d allow 10 hours for that, cooking at around 250ºF. That should help you decide if you want to let it cook overnight or just get up real early in the morning.
 
I’ve done pulled pork with a resting time, and I’ve pulled the meat as soon as it came off the grill. A resting time won’t hurt the meat, but there’s nothing like the bark you get straight off the grill, in my opinion. Overall, I try to avoid resting times for pulled pork.

Fill up your basket. The grill will shut down once you close your vents, so you won’t be wasting any charcoal.

Cook the pork shoulder on the main grate.

If I was using wood, I would scatter some pieces around where the fire is established. You won’t have to add more chunks.

If you want to cook some beef at the same time, go for it, as long as you want the same smoking good profile on the beef. The two pieces of meat will most likely finish at different times, however.

I don’t spritz or wrap.

[Cookie]

http://komodokamadoforum.com/topic/4368-cookies-pork-shoulder-101/

[churchi]

Hi All,

 

WOW, thank you very much for all the generous help in this thread. Muchly appreciated. And thank you to everyone who took the time to answer all of my questions, i really appreciate that.

 

Well i tell you i am now in a much better position mentally then i was last night. Phew. Thank you.

 

Cheers Cookie for the link as well. I had not read that thread but have now. Some great tips and advises for total KK newbie's. I have been using charcoal and a webber for quite a long time, so i am used to the charcoal side, just the whole KK is new to me, so hoping its not gunna take long to master

 

So a few things to ask.

 

- Just back to the head deflector. So it looks like i should be using the actual head deflectors just above the fire on the first grill? is that the place for them? Then i should be putting the double thickness drip pan onto the top of them. Would i be correct in saying that should be the preferred method?

 

- I have been to the butcher today and asked for a 4.5-5kg shoulder. This apparently comes with the neck on it which is what smaller pulled pork can be made from. I have bought a 2kg piece of neck which i will do a road test on tomorrow night just to see how it all goes. I think thats the best approach for me. Also allows me to test out all the suggestions in this thread.

 

- With the 2 proteins in the same cook. Totally understand if they are under each other for the dripping to drip to the piece that is below, however how about if they are just sitting next to each other on the grill? shouldn't be a problem i am guessing?

 

- See your point about not resting it for too long, just dont want to be late with it when its still cooking, so going off whats above and i have a 4.5kg or so piece, i think ill allow 12 hours for the cook.

 

- Also thinking ill bump up the temp to 275 like you all have mentioned. Is there any issue with running a low and slow that high? just it may push through the stall? Would a lower 250F yield any better results, or just cost you extra time for not much gain?

 

 

Once again, thank you very much all for taking the time to write back to all my questions.

 

Ill be posting pics when i cook it for sure

[Jon B.]

Understand being a bit nervous but glad you are feeling a bit more confident................No worries mate!!!!!  You will be fine.

 

You can use a number of different configurations for your heat deflector / drip pan set up.  I assume by head deflector you are referring to the thick "stone" deflector.  It can go directly on top of the charcoal basket legs or on the searing rack.  I believe the double bottom SS drip pan is designed to go on the charcoal basket also.  I put my foil steam pan directly on the charcoal basket when I cooked 4 butts on the 19"KK and have put cake pans on the main rack with no stone in place.  Just about any thing you would use to catch the drippings will act as a heat shield/deflector no matter where it is placed.

 

Nothing wrong with cooking a test piece of meat.....more goodies to eat!!!!

 

No problem having them on the same rack.....just allow spacing to let the smoke/heat/bark access all sides of the meat.  

 

I have rested for many hours in a heated cooler and have pulled right away......did not see/taste any difference in the meat.  More important to cook to the desired IT temp (200 to 205*F in my opinion).

 

I have cooked at 225*, 250* and 275*F.  Really could not tell much difference.  Over the years 275* has become my standard.  Just easier for me and allows for temp fluctuations in case I don't wake up on overnight cooks (don't use electronic temp controllers).  If the cooker temp drops to 225* overnight....no big deal.

 

Not exactly sure what piece of pork you are cooking but if it has a bone, try to keep your temp probe from touching the bone, so you can get an accurate picture of the internal meat temp.  

 

Have fun impressing the friends & family!!!!

[5698k]

You're in good shape, no need to be nervous. Not to echo jon b. but,

 

I place the deflectors directly on the charcoal basket handles, but putting on the lower rack is fine. The drip pan would work, but the drippings are going to burn, which is why I recommend using the deflector with the drip pan on top, this is also why I recommend lining the pan with foil. 

 

Test away! 

 

Two proteins on the same rack if fine! they simply won't be done at the same time, most probably.

 

Many have rested for hours properly wrapped and reported the meats seem just as hot as when put in the cooler. If it's going to be a while, wrap in foil, the in a towel, then in a cooler.

 

Don't think 225 is a magic number. thats mostly from hi airflow grills that tend to dry meats out because of that airflow. The KK isn't that grill. I agree, 275 is my go to temp. if you search the forum, there are members who cook higher than that, with excellent results, so don't worry too much about temperature.

[Rak]

 

Don't think 225 is a magic number. thats mostly from hi airflow grills that tend to dry meats out because of that airflow. The KK isn't that grill. I agree, 275 is my go to temp. if you search the forum, there are members who cook higher than that, with excellent results, so don't worry too much about temperature.

 

Great advice right here!  I'm learning this myself.  I'm cooking at higher temps and still getting more moist results.  

 

Congrats and can't wait to see how it turns out

[bosco]

I did a 225 shoulder a few weeks ago.  I have been doing the 250-275 game for some time and it is really good too.

 

The 225 was my first time doing it that way.  The bark was amazing on the 225 but I did find the meat a lot softer. I won't say mushy but it was softer than I normally like.

 

I am thinking the 275 is the better way to go now that I have done it both ways

 

Just remember one important rule about butts.... they are next to impossible to screw up!!

[kjs]

Good advice, you'll do just fine. By the way welcome.

[tony b]

All the advice so far has been spot on, so nothing to add here but, Just Do It!! 

 

It's almost impossible to screw up a pork butt, which is exactly why we suggest it as the first cook - to build confidence in doing other cooks later!!

[churchi]

Ok guys, so my testing day has come around. I have just put a piece on the 32 and got some smoking wood on there too (apple).

 

Had a bit of an issue getting the temp to where i wanted (practise will fix this), so originally shot up to 300f then i have it back around 280 now still seems to start and creep up again. hmm. maybe i have let it get too hot in the beginning i dont want to close the vents as the fire will go out. So have opened up the top vent like less than a 1/4 turn and the bottom vent has just enough room to put a CC through it.

 

Quick question. How much smoke should be coming out of the top when i have put some wood on the coals? i put about 4-5 pieces on the coals where it was lit and where it was not lit (just in case it decides to go one way or the other).

[ckreef]

1/4 turn on top and 1/8" on bottom, fire won't go out. Just let it ride. Nothing wrong with 280*. Might finish a little early, just wrap in foil and then a towel and into a cooler until dinner time. Better that then finishing two hours late.

Charles - Prometheus 16.5", Cassiopeia 19" TT

[churchi]

Cheers thanks Charles. Thanks for advising that the fire wont go out, thats a big relief. Thought i may have closed it up just a little too much, but good to know it should stay lit.

 

So you think the slightly higher cooking temp shouldn't make too much of a diff? Much better than finishing 2h late like you say.

 

I have not lifted the lid, just gunna let it get to its temp and see how it goes from there. Got an alarm set for 195F to see how its going. 

[5698k]

Close the top more if you need to...if you feel the gasket touch, open just a bit, you're fine. <br />

<br />

<br />

Rob

[wilburpan]

i dont want to close the vents as the fire will go out. So have opened up the top vent like less than a 1/4 turn and the bottom vent has just enough room to put a CC through it.

 

 

One of the things to get used to on a KK grill is that it’s so efficient that you can have what seems like ridiculously small vent settings, and there will still be enough air to keep the fire going. Your vent settings are pretty close to what I use for low and slow cooks.

 

A couple of things to check since you’re up around 300ºF:

 

1. Make sure that the latch for the lid is locked all the way down. If it isn’t latched, this will cause an air leak that will drive the temperature up. This is one of those things that when you read it, you wonder how anyone could miss that. I thought that. Then I missed that the first couple of times I used my KK grill.

 

2. Make sure that the back opening is all the way shut. I’ve had that pop open a little bit, which lets in just enough air (there’s that efficiency thing again) to drive the temperatures up.

 

3. Finally, you can go ahead and turn down the top vent a little more. The fire won’t go out.

 

My bet is that assuming there isn’t an air leak, you just let your grill get too hot before dialing down the vents. Getting this down comes with experience. What I’ve settled on doing is starting the grill about an hour before I plan on putting the meat in. I’ll light the charcoal in one spot, letting the fire get established with the bottom vents open a sliver and the top lid open, and after five minutes, closing the lid and setting the top vent at about 1/4 turn. Looking into the grill, at that five minute mark there’s more of a fire than I’ll need, but the grill won’t be heat soaked, and will equilibrate to somewhere between 200-250ºF over the course of the hour.