How Long to Smoke Pork Shoulder at 275°F?

Oh, yes! Cook pork meat in any form, and it shall taste absolutely incredible. But do you know how long to smoke pork shoulder at 275? You shall soon learn about this art of cooking.

Facts about pork shoulder

This is actually the inexpensive part of the pork meat extracted from the upper part of the animal’s foreleg. It is also been recognized by various other names such as picnic ham, picnic shoulder, and picnic roast. When you buy the pork shoulder along with it, you also get the picnic shoulder and the pork butt. This portion is chopped from the upper part of the shoulder. The interesting fact about these cuts is that they can be interchanged in multiple recipes.

For smoked pull pork, you always use the pork shoulder and the pork butt because they have a higher fat content. If the pork shoulder is not cooked according to the right procedure, it shall have lots of gristle. It will also turn out to be unpleasant and tough. This is the reason why it is important to use low temperatures while making smoked pulled pork.

The ideal temperature to smoke a pork shoulder

Setting the temperature at 225 degrees Fahrenheit shall be ideal for smoked pulled pork. When this temperature is set then, each pound of meat takes about two hours to get cooked. Some people even prefer to cook it at a much lower temperature than this. So, they keep it between 185-200 degrees. Since this further extends the time of cooking, so the pork having 8-10 pounds of meat shall take 24 hours to get done fully. The smoker must be set at 185 degrees.

You must also be aware the temperature of the grill is affected by certain factors, including the weather. In case of windy or chilly weather, you shall find it difficult to maintain the temperature. This is the reason why it is always better to keep the temperature a little higher than 185 degrees. On the other hand, if you want to save a few hours of your cooking time, then set the temperature to 300 degrees Fahrenheit. It shall be enough to cook 8 pounds of pork shoulder within 10 hours. You may find a little difference in the consistency due to that. But the meat shall certainly be tender enough to be pierced by a fork.

How long to smoke pork shoulder at 275?

It can be a balanced cooking option if you want to smoke pork shoulder at 275. It should take about 80-90 minutes to cook per pound. Now if you calculate this to cook ten pounds of pork shoulder, then it shall take about 15 hours to cook it perfectly. This process may seem long, but you must not forget that if you set the grill at 225, it shall take you five more hours in addition to this. Depending on when you start to cook is also a determining factor for the pork shoulder to get cooked.

The process of letting the meat rest after it is cooked

As soon as the pork reaches 190 degrees, you can occasionally produce it using a fork to ensure it turns out to be nice and tender. But do not do it too often because it would pass too much heat out of the smoker. And that would result in a further delay in getting it done. The meat is ready when the shoulder reaches a temperature of 200 degrees. But you must also remember that the meat shall cook for some time, even after taking it away from the grill. This is called sweating out. The natural moisture makes the meat cool down gradually.

So, it is advisable that once you take off the meat from the grill, wrap it up with aluminum foil and let it rest for some time. About an hour shall be perfect. During this time, the natural fibers of the meat shall keep absorbing the juices again. This shall turn this batch of pulled pork moist and flavorful. So, this is how to smoke pork shoulder at 275 to get the perfect result. With pork meat and timing factors, your personal experience also plays an important role in getting it smoked perfectly.