Meat smoking is a great hobby to take up. Not only is it a whole lot of fun and you get to learn a bunch of new things, but you also get to feed your family and friends, completely upping your barbecue game!
But keep in mind, if you don’t smoke the meat properly, you may be doing more harm than good. And if you’re smoking a pork shoulder at 275 degrees fahrenheit, you may be wondering how long you should leave it in the smoker.
While it might be hard to find a direct answer to that question, that’s why we’re here. We’ve done the tests and the research to get to the bottom of pork shoulder’s smoking time, the temperature you should aim for when cooking it, and even some smoking temperature alternatives and their benefits. In this article, we’ll explain how long to smoke pork shoulder at 275.
So, if you’re looking to smoke a pork shoulder at home, you’ve come to the right place.
Read on to learn more.
Contents
How Long Should I Smoke A Pork Shoulder At 275?
The common rule of thumb when smoking pork shoulder at this temperature is to give it at least 80-90 minutes per pound. So, if you have a 15-pound pork shoulder, the estimated cooking time in a smoker that’s 275 degrees is around 21 hours for your pork shoulder to be fully cooked.
With that said, keep in mind that this is an estimate. There are other factors that can go into the time it takes for the pork shoulder to cook, which is why we recommend getting a meat thermometer so you can monitor the internal temperature of the shoulder while it’s cooking.
That way, you can make sure to pull it out of the smoker when it’s actually fully cooked and ready to rest.
Why Should I Try Smoking Pork Shoulder?
Pork shoulder is sometimes referred to as “picnic ham”, “picnic roast”, and “picnic shoulder”. The reason for this is that it’s a large cut of meat that can feed a lot of people, but it’s also relatively inexpensive and accessible for most people.
This meat has a high-fat content, which makes them great for smoking and making pulled pork. Additionally, you may also get a cut of pork shoulder that includes the “Boston Butt”, which is a part of the meat that comes from higher up in the shoulder.
Alternatively, you may get a cut that only includes the butt or the shoulder. This doesn’t make that much of a difference since the two areas are very similar and recipes are usually interchangeable.
Smoked pork shoulder is incredibly tasty, which is why it’s a popular option for seasoned and beginner smokers alike. However, keep in mind that this is a pretty sensitive piece of meat as well.
If you cook pork shoulder the wrong way, it can easily turn tough and develop a lot of gristly. So, to prevent this, we highly recommend smoking your pork shoulder at a low temperature for a long time, especially if you’ve never done it before.
When smoking meat for the first time, low and slow is a great mantra to recite. If you cook and smoke the meat at a lower temperature, you have more control and a lesser chance of making mistakes, making it easier to get it right.
Then from there, you can start experimenting with different temperatures to achieve the desired results.
What Is the Best Temperature For Smoking Pork Shoulder?
Everyone has their own unique opinion when it comes to smoking pork shoulder. But based on our experience, 225 degrees Fahrenheit is the way to go. With that said, a 10-pound cut of pork shoulder would take over 24 hours to cook at this temperature, which is why some chefs prefer higher temperatures in the smoker.
With that said, at 225, the meat cooks slower, which means it can really soft and tender. That way, it will be more than fork tender and provide a pleasant experience for anyone eating it.
In fact, there are some chefs that recommend even lower temperatures between 185 and 200 degrees. However, when doing this, we recommend setting the heat a bit higher than your desired temperature as external factors such as the weather can affect the heat on the smoker, especially if it’s windy outside.
While we highly recommend lower smoking temperatures for pork shoulder, there’s nothing wrong with wanting to shave off some cooking time. We already discussed that smoking your pork at 275 degrees will cook it faster, but you can bump that up even further all the way to 300 degrees Fahrenheit.
At this heat, a 10-pound cut of pork shoulder will fully cook in the smoker in just 8 hours. This is much faster, but it does have a downside. Cooking your meat this fast will result in it not being as tender, but if you do it properly, you can get it to a fork-tender, at the very least.
Regardless of the temperature at which you’re smoking your pork, we recommend getting a meat thermometer. That way, you can accurately check the internal temperature of the meat and take it off the smoker to rest at just the right time.
When smoking a pork shoulder, you know it’s ready when the thickest point in the meat registers 190 degrees with a meat thermometer. But for pulled pork, you might want to wait until it rises to at least 200 degrees for a more tender result.
However, when using a meat thermometer, make sure not to check the meat’s temperature too often. Opening the smoker frequently will result in the smoker’s heat cooling down, which can extend the cooking time of your meat even further.
Tips For Smoking Pork Shoulder
Here are some tips and solutions for common problems you might face when smoking a pork shoulder.
Use the Texas Crutch
If you’re smoking a pork shoulder, there’s a chance that the internal temperature of the meat will hover around the 150-degree mark for some time. This is called the “stall”, and it’s a common problem for a lot of chefs.
To fix this, chefs wrap the meat tightly in foil, which is known as the Texas Crutch. The best time to do this is when the meat is hovering at around 150-170 degrees. When it does this, you can take it off the grill and wrap it in foil to speed up the cooking time.
While this is great if you’re in a rush, we recommend planning your day out with the stall in mind. It’s a natural stage of the cooking process, and while it may be annoying and time-consuming, if you wait through it, you’ll find all the time to be worth it once the meat is ready.
Don’t Forget the Rest
After smoking a pork shoulder and waiting for it to cook for hours on end, it could be tempting to cut through it and start eating right away. However, you shouldn’t do this as this can cause all the juices to flow out of the meat, leaving you with a dry chunk of pork shoulder.
So, after smoking your pork shoulder, we recommend wrapping it in foil and letting it rest at room temperature for at least an hour. This gives the meat ample time for all the juices to settle and for the meat to keep its taste and texture.
If you want to learn more about the smoked pork shoulder recipe, this is an informative video to check out:
Conclusion
If you’re considering smoking a pork shoulder, we recommend doing it at 225 degrees. But if you don’t have a full 24 hours to wait, then smoking it at 275 degrees for a shorter period of time can garner the same results.
Typically, smoking a pork shoulder at 275 requires between 80-90 minutes per pound. So, if you’re smoking a 10-pound pork shoulder, you should do it for at least 13 and a half hours.
For more accurate results, we recommend using a meat thermometer. Pork shoulder is cooked once it registers an internal temperature of at least 190 degrees at its thickets point. When the shoulder reaches this temperature, take it off the grill, wrap it in foil, and let it rest at room temperature for at least an hour. And once that’s done, all that’s left to do is dig in and taste the piece of meat you’ve been cooking for hours on end!