A number of people have asked me about how I smoke my pork shoulders. Pork shoulder is a perfect meal if you are on a ketogenic or carnivorous diet. The smoking process is quite simple. The key is in the simplicity. I’ve use a Traeger Select Elite pellet smoker for the last 10 years, but your favorite smoker will do.
In our house, we will smoke a 9-10 lbs pork shoulder and then use the pulled pork for meals throughout the week. I often do most of my smoking on the weekend when I am home and then we have some of the most tasty leftovers throughout the week.
But, before I dive into the recipe and process, we should take a moment to look at the historical essentials of bacon and it’s origins from the pork shoulder.
Bacon Dates Back to 1500 BC
The Chinese were the first to record cooking of salted pork bellies more than 3000 years ago. This makes bacon one of the world’s oldest processed meats.
Romans Called It “PETASO“
Bacon eventually migrated westward where it became a dish worth of modern-day foodies. The Romans made petaso, as they called it, by boiling salted pig shoulder with figs, then seasoning the mixture with pepper sauce. Wine was, of course, a frequent accompaniment. For my wine connoisseur friends, please tell me which wine goes best with bacon. . . you know who you are.
The Word Refers to the “Back” of a Pig
The word bacon comes from the Germanic root “-bak,” and refers to the back of the pig that supplied the meat. Bakko become the French bacco, which the English then adopted around the 12th century, naming the dish bacoun. Back then, the term referred to any pork product, but by the 14th century bacoun referred specifically to the cured meat.
The First Bacon Factory Opened in 1770
For generations, local farmers and butchers made bacon for their local communities. In England. where it became a dietary staple, bacon was typically “dry cured” with salt and then smoked. In the late 18th century, a businessman named John Harris opened the first bacon processing plant in the county of Wiltshire, where he developed a special brining solution for finishing the meat. The “Wilshire Cure” method is still used today, and is a favorite of bacon lovers who prefer a sweeter, less salty taste.
“Bringing Home The Bacon” Goes Back Centuries
These days, the phrase refers to making money, but it’s origins have nothing to do with income. In 12th century England, churches would award a “flitch,” or a side, of bacon to any married man who swore before God that he and his wife had not argued for a year and a day. Men who “brought home the bacon” were seen as exemplary citizens and husbands.
Bacon Helped Make Explosives During World War II
In addition to planting victory gardens and buying war bonds, households were encouraged to donate their leftover bacon grease to the war effort. Rendered fats created glycerin, which in turn created bombs, gunpowder, and other munitions. A promotional film starring Minnie Mouse and Pluto chided housewives for throwing out more than 2 billion pounds of grease every year: “That’s enough glycerin for 10 billion rapid-fire cannon shells.”
Hardee’s Frisco Burger Was a Game Changer for Bacon
Bacon took a beating in the 1980s, when dieting trends took aim at saturated fats and cholesterol. By the ’90s, though, Americans were ready to indulge again. Hardee’s Frisco Burger, one of the first fast-food burgers served with bacon, came out in 1992 and was a hit. It revived bacon as an ingredient, and convinced other fast-food companies to bacon-ize their burgers. Bloomberg called it “a momentous event for fast food, and bacon’s fate, in America.”
The Average American Consumes 18 lbs of Bacon Each Year
Savory, salty, and appropriately retro: The past couple years have been a bonanza for bacon, with more than three quarters of restaurants now serving bacon dishes, and everything from
candy canes to
gumballs now flavored with bacon. Recent reports linking processed meats to increased cancer risk have put a dent in consumption, and may have a prolonged effect. But for now, America’s love affair with bacon continues.
There is a Church of Bacon
This officially sanctioned church boasts 13,000 members under the commandment “Praise Bacon.” It’s more a rallying point for atheists and skeptics than for bacon lovers, per se, and there’s no official location as of yet. But the church does perform wedding ceremonies and fundraisers, and has raised thousands of dollars for charity. All bacon praise is welcome, even if you’re partial to vegetarian or turkey bacon over the traditional pork. Hallelujah!
There is a Bacon Camp
It’s like summer camp, but with less canoeing and more bacon cooking. Held every year in Ann Arbor, Michigan,
Camp Bacon features speakers, cooking classes, and other bacon-related activities for chefs and enthusiasts eager to learn more about their favorite food.
Modern Technology Wants to Help You Wake Up and Smell the Bacon
An ingenious combination of toaster and alarm clock, the Wake ‘n Bacon
made waves a few years back with the promise of waking up to fresh-cooked bacon. Sadly, the product never made it past the prototype phase, but those intent on rising to that smoky, savory aroma were able to pick up Oscar Mayer’s
special app, which came with a scent-emitting attachment.
There Is A Bacon Sculpture of Kevin Bacon
It had to happen eventually. Artist Mike Lahue used seven bottles of bacon bits, lots of glue, and five coats of lacquer to create
a bust of the
Footloose star, which sold at auction a few years back. No word on how well the bacon bit Bacon bust has held up.
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Dr. Nally’s Smoked Pork Shoulder
Apply dry rub liberally to all sides of the pork shoulder 30-60 minutes before putting the shoulder onto the smoker using the following dry spices:
Refrigerate the pork shoulder after applying dry rub until ready to place on the smoker.
Preheat smoker to 250˚F degrees and place the pork shoulder fat side up onto the grill. Smoke it until internal temperature reaches 150-160˚F.
To Wrap Or Not To Wrap?
I wrap my pork shoulders in two layers of foil, to better seal in flavor and juiciness. I don’t wrap my briskets (unless I plan on storing them for later use).
Once the meat gets to around 160° internal temp (around the four to five hour mark) is the perfect time to wrap. Your pork shoulder should have excellent color and bark at this point.
Wrap the pork up in foil and place it back on the smoker, making sure you keep your temp probe in and wrap the foil around it. Once it is wrapped, place it fat side up and continue to smoke it at 250˚F until it reaches an internal temperature of 205˚F.
How Long Does It Take to Smoke a Pork Shoulder?
Smoking time averages 60-90 minutes per pound, depending on the level of doneness smoked at 250 degrees.
If you’re going to slice it, cook to 185˚F.
If your going to pull the pork smoke it longer, until it reaches 205˚F.
