6/25/2017 – Smoked a fresh 8.98 lb. Smithfield shoulder roast bought yesterday at HEB for $1/lb.  Just the usual smoke with Stubb’s rub. The only thing different was Spritzing with apple juice and smoke was from half Lumberjack pecan pellets and half CookinPellets Perfect Mix. Turned out great–one of my best. Pipier and Olivia spent this weekend with us.

5 AM – Not much to trim. The seam between the point and flat was already open some. So, I opened it up 6″ deep or so and shook on the Stubbs Hot Pork Rub. Scored the thin fat cap into diamonds and added rub there and all over. The photo here makes it appear to not have much rub but it did.

Preheated MES to 240 and lite the Amazen tray with half Lumberjack pecan pellets and half CookinPellets Perfect Mix. Ambient temp is 72 and humidity is 95% with a drizzling rain.

6:45 – MES set at 225 had coasted up to 244. Put meat in on 3rd rack from the top with alum drip pan on 4th. Reheated and coasted up to 253. Nice thin blue smoke.

8:30 – MES and grate temp is 244 and 255 although the setting is still at 225.

9:30 – MES and grate temps are still in the 250 range. Lowered MES setpoint to 215.

12 noon – MES is 236 and grate is 231. Inserted probe in roast and IT is 137. Began spritzing with apple juice as top of meat looks dried out rub.

2:00 – IT is 149. MES and Grate are in the 230s. Spritzed with apple juice.

4:15 – Mes and grate temps are in the 250s and IT is 159. Wrapped in foil and put into convection oven preheated to 300.

6:30 – IT alarm went off at 197.  Pulled and let sit on butcher block for 30 minutes to rest.

7:00 –  The pork was very tender with great flavor and not falling apart.

Notes:

• it did not get to 205 and the bone did not pull out easily. But the meat was tender and had a nice “bite”.
• MES operated well in this second smoke since the electrical repairs of the snap switch and heat element. The Amazen tray smoked for 10 hours and about 2″ of pellets were still to burn.