After the successful (except burning my foot) cook at Christmas, it was time to do a repeat performance for my wife's relatives and a Christmas lunch we were having up the coast.
I used my custom rub with lime juice and used apple word chunks as the smoke source. I was on a winning flavour with the last one, so why change anything ... except ... this time I am not using the ProQ water pan but I'm using a small drip tray with fresh water and rosemary instead. I guess you could say I'm gunshy now.
At 12:10am, I fired up the chimney and about 20 minutes later lit the pit and assembled the ProQ.
At 12:40am, the pork shoulder went on. It had an internal temperature of 7C. The rangehood was 150F and climbing fast, guess that's the difference of not using the water pan. It was a very cold and windy night tonight and unfortunately, no moon to light up the backyard. It was then that I noticed that smoke was starting to come out and I got a nice whiff of the light smoke from the apple chunks. It's subtle but I think I'm a fan. It doesn't overpower your meat either and I've used 4 chunks in one cook before.
An hour later, the internal temperature was at 14C with the rangehood at 350F, so I half closed all 3 of the bottom vents. I also added another chunk of apple wood, as the other chunk had burnt out.
20 minutes later, I checked and the rangehood temp was down to 300F and I felt I was pretty happy with that. At 2:40am, everything was going great. The internal temperature was 39C and the rangehood was 290F. I added another chunk of wood and moved the 1/4 slice from before into a heat zone.
I then went back inside to play some more Rock of Ages and then watch some more Ace of Diamond.
At 3:20am, the internal temperature was 56C and going great, smelling awesome. I took a quick peak and the pork shoulder looks like a piece of art, absolutely stunning. So I put the lid back down and the rangehood went down to 250F but pretty quickly got back up to 290F.
At 3:40am, the internal temperature was 66C and should be ready to wrap in by 4:30am, which was way ahead of my timeframe. This is definitely down to not using the water pan and just using the indirect heat method, controlling the vents and watching the temperature.
An hour later, the internal temperature was 75C. At 4:57am, it was 77C -- time to foil it. I then noticed the rangehood temperature had dropped to 150F. I added more charcoal, opened the vents up and added a small chunk of cherry wood to kickstart the fire ... plus who doesn't love some cherry smoke at 5am :)
At 5:40am, the rangehood temperature temp was sitting at 210-215F and I started to worry. I think the charcoal pit had died out. So, I start up a small chimney and then at 6am, I add it and then put some chorizos and onion on with small bit of cherry wood. Figured I should have something yummy for breakfast.
At 6:20am, the chorizos were done. They we're super quick and delicious. At 6:40am, the internal temperature was 85C and I've run out of charcoal, so it'll have to do. The rangehood was 225F, at which point I thought, that's okay.
8:40am rolled around and it's internal temperature was 88C. I took the pork off to rest as we we're leaving for the coast at 9am.
It was another hit. Everyone one enjoyed the smokey flavours. I was chuffed that I had pulled it off again. Pork master !
I used my custom rub with lime juice and used apple word chunks as the smoke source. I was on a winning flavour with the last one, so why change anything ... except ... this time I am not using the ProQ water pan but I'm using a small drip tray with fresh water and rosemary instead. I guess you could say I'm gunshy now.
At 12:10am, I fired up the chimney and about 20 minutes later lit the pit and assembled the ProQ.
At 12:40am, the pork shoulder went on. It had an internal temperature of 7C. The rangehood was 150F and climbing fast, guess that's the difference of not using the water pan. It was a very cold and windy night tonight and unfortunately, no moon to light up the backyard. It was then that I noticed that smoke was starting to come out and I got a nice whiff of the light smoke from the apple chunks. It's subtle but I think I'm a fan. It doesn't overpower your meat either and I've used 4 chunks in one cook before.
An hour later, the internal temperature was at 14C with the rangehood at 350F, so I half closed all 3 of the bottom vents. I also added another chunk of apple wood, as the other chunk had burnt out.
20 minutes later, I checked and the rangehood temp was down to 300F and I felt I was pretty happy with that. At 2:40am, everything was going great. The internal temperature was 39C and the rangehood was 290F. I added another chunk of wood and moved the 1/4 slice from before into a heat zone.
I then went back inside to play some more Rock of Ages and then watch some more Ace of Diamond.
At 3:20am, the internal temperature was 56C and going great, smelling awesome. I took a quick peak and the pork shoulder looks like a piece of art, absolutely stunning. So I put the lid back down and the rangehood went down to 250F but pretty quickly got back up to 290F.
At 3:40am, the internal temperature was 66C and should be ready to wrap in by 4:30am, which was way ahead of my timeframe. This is definitely down to not using the water pan and just using the indirect heat method, controlling the vents and watching the temperature.
An hour later, the internal temperature was 75C. At 4:57am, it was 77C -- time to foil it. I then noticed the rangehood temperature had dropped to 150F. I added more charcoal, opened the vents up and added a small chunk of cherry wood to kickstart the fire ... plus who doesn't love some cherry smoke at 5am :)
At 5:40am, the rangehood temperature temp was sitting at 210-215F and I started to worry. I think the charcoal pit had died out. So, I start up a small chimney and then at 6am, I add it and then put some chorizos and onion on with small bit of cherry wood. Figured I should have something yummy for breakfast.
At 6:20am, the chorizos were done. They we're super quick and delicious. At 6:40am, the internal temperature was 85C and I've run out of charcoal, so it'll have to do. The rangehood was 225F, at which point I thought, that's okay.
8:40am rolled around and it's internal temperature was 88C. I took the pork off to rest as we we're leaving for the coast at 9am.
It was another hit. Everyone one enjoyed the smokey flavours. I was chuffed that I had pulled it off again. Pork master !