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Lamb shoulder smoke time and pull temp

Smoke at 250°F for 6 to 8 hours, and pull at 200°F.

Time6 to 8 hours
Pull at200°F
  1. Smoke6 hr
  2. Start checking2 hr
  3. Rest20 min
Cook at250°F
Wrap at165°F
Rest20 to 60 min
Typical size3 to 5 lb
Safe at (USDA)145°F
  • Cook to the temperature, not the clock: pull at 200°F, probe tender, for pulling. The time gets you close; a thermometer in the thickest part tells you when.
  • At the stall, wrap at about 165°F, in foil, if you like. Wrapping pushes the meat through the stall.
  • A pellet grill swings around its setting, within about 25°F either way on a good day (Traeger), so the range allows for it. A new or freshly cleaned grill runs long: Traeger says an extra 1 to 2 hours on a 4 hour cook.

What are you smoking?

MeatLamb shoulderChange

Beef

Pork

Poultry

Lamb

How big is it?

Units

Timed for a typical piece, 3 to 5 lb, rather than by the pound, so there is no weight to enter. Two or three at once take about as long as one, with room for air between them.

Your smoker

Cook at
Cooker

How long to smoke lamb shoulder

Smoke lamb shoulder at 250°F for about 6 to 8 hours, and pull at 200°F, probe tender, for pulling. That is for lamb shoulder (bone-in, for pulling), at the heat shown; the calculator above has each heat a source gives a time for.

At the stall, wrap at about 165°F, in foil, if you like. Rest 20 to 60 minutes before slicing or pulling. USDA counts lamb shoulder safe at 145°F with a 3 minute rest; a thermometer in the thickest part tells you more than the clock.

Lamb shoulder

Questions

What temperature do you pull lamb shoulder at?

200°F, probe tender, for pulling. Cook to that temperature rather than to the clock.

When should I wrap lamb shoulder?

At the stall, about 165°F, in foil, if you like. Wrapping pushes the meat through the stall; left unwrapped, the meat builds more bark and takes longer.

How long should lamb shoulder rest?

20 to 60 minutes, loosely covered or wrapped, before slicing or pulling.

Should I cook to time or to temperature?

To temperature. The time tells you when to start and when to start checking; the meat is ready when the thickest part reaches its pull temperature.

Does my smoker change the time?

Not at the same temperature, as far as any cooker maker or test says. What changes is how steady it holds: keep the lid or door shut and the fire even, and the time holds too.