Ok, while you guys have been looking at Maxx's dick all day, I have been working the cooker. I felt it was time I offered some of you younger gents an alternative to looking at another man's wiener on the internet. So, I will describe to you the way to cook a pork shoulder.
You are going to need a 7-8 pound bone in boston butt pork shoulder. This should only cost you 16 to 20 bucks or so. The shoulder is awesome. It's fatty enough that you can't really burn it. You are going to cook this long an slow. 1-1/2 hours per pound or so. The meat is going to get up to about 180-190 degrees when it is falling off the bone tender.
You are going to need a good cooker though. One with an offset firebox. I prefer texas style cookers. The one I have now is a luxury. It augers in wood pellets and uses a thermostat to keep a constant temperature no matter what the ambient temperature outside. But, I have slaved over many real fires for hours at a time.
Step 1 - rub your meat.
The night before you are ready to cook, make a rub -
1/4 cup ground black pepper
1/4 cup good paprika
1/4 cup turbinado/raw sugar (doesn't burn)
2 tablespoons sea salt (much better than rock salt)
2 teaspoons dry mustard
1 teaspoon cayenne
Massage 1/2 of the rub into the meat really well. Save the other half for the next day. Wrap in plastic bag and refrigerate overnight.
Next day: Remove from fridge and pat down well with the other half of rub.
Let it sit for 45 minutes at room temp while you get your fire going. You are going to be cooking this at about 220 degrees for 10-12 hours. I like a mix of wood for pork. Apple and hickory is my favorite mix.
Step 2 -Cook your meat
Here is a shot of my Traeger cooker
The shoulder is next to a pan I fill with beer, water, some onions, and some powdered clove. I threw in a few lime slices as well. This mix just helps keep the meat moist and I think it gives the flavor depth.
This is the pellet bin for the traeger. The pellet bin has an auger at the bottom that moves them along to the heat pot under the meat.
I don't use a mop much anymore or a basting brush. I don't like to disturb the rub "crust". Instead, I use a home and garden sprayer. You are going to want to squirt the meat every hour or so. I used beer, water, cider vinegar and Worcester sauce. You also want to turn the meat over so it cooks evenly.
Fast forward 12 hours. Bingo. Done. It looks burned but don't be fooled.
Here it is inside.
Step 3 - Pull the meat
Let the shoulder sit for 20 minutes or so. This will let the juice settle in and make it easier to pull. If you cooked it long enough and to the right temperature, the meat will pull easily into long strings. The blackened parts should be mixed freely with the rest of the meat.
In the shoulder, you will find some brown meat (known as the Renowned Mr Brown) and white meat (known as Miss White's Delights). Pull and pull with hands or forks until you have it all done. Remove any fatty parts that might remain.
I pulled the bone straight out w/o any trouble. See how clean that is? Clean enough to make a dog cry.
I couldn't wait and made a sammich right away. Here is a shot of the first step to sammich making. Use the cheapest, whitest buns you can get. These were 16 cents for a bag of 8. Our grocery store sells it's own brand and the first bag is always that low price. PS - the pinkish/red parts are from the "smoke ring". It happens when you cook meat this way.
I like to add a spoonfull of cole slaw to mine and some thin vinegar sauce.
1 cup white or cider vinegar
1 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon pepper flakes or cayenne
Shake it up and pour it on
This is how much meat was left after 4 sammichs and a missing chunk sent to my buddy down the street. He traded me a nice Arturo Fuente cigar.
Anyway, that's it. Hard to fuck up a shoulder. I put extra meat into ziplocks and flatten them out for easy storage.
GL and happy BBQing!
You are going to need a 7-8 pound bone in boston butt pork shoulder. This should only cost you 16 to 20 bucks or so. The shoulder is awesome. It's fatty enough that you can't really burn it. You are going to cook this long an slow. 1-1/2 hours per pound or so. The meat is going to get up to about 180-190 degrees when it is falling off the bone tender.
You are going to need a good cooker though. One with an offset firebox. I prefer texas style cookers. The one I have now is a luxury. It augers in wood pellets and uses a thermostat to keep a constant temperature no matter what the ambient temperature outside. But, I have slaved over many real fires for hours at a time.
Step 1 - rub your meat.
The night before you are ready to cook, make a rub -
1/4 cup ground black pepper
1/4 cup good paprika
1/4 cup turbinado/raw sugar (doesn't burn)
2 tablespoons sea salt (much better than rock salt)
2 teaspoons dry mustard
1 teaspoon cayenne
Massage 1/2 of the rub into the meat really well. Save the other half for the next day. Wrap in plastic bag and refrigerate overnight.
Next day: Remove from fridge and pat down well with the other half of rub.
Let it sit for 45 minutes at room temp while you get your fire going. You are going to be cooking this at about 220 degrees for 10-12 hours. I like a mix of wood for pork. Apple and hickory is my favorite mix.
Step 2 -Cook your meat
Here is a shot of my Traeger cooker
The shoulder is next to a pan I fill with beer, water, some onions, and some powdered clove. I threw in a few lime slices as well. This mix just helps keep the meat moist and I think it gives the flavor depth.
This is the pellet bin for the traeger. The pellet bin has an auger at the bottom that moves them along to the heat pot under the meat.
I don't use a mop much anymore or a basting brush. I don't like to disturb the rub "crust". Instead, I use a home and garden sprayer. You are going to want to squirt the meat every hour or so. I used beer, water, cider vinegar and Worcester sauce. You also want to turn the meat over so it cooks evenly.
Fast forward 12 hours. Bingo. Done. It looks burned but don't be fooled.
Here it is inside.
Step 3 - Pull the meat
Let the shoulder sit for 20 minutes or so. This will let the juice settle in and make it easier to pull. If you cooked it long enough and to the right temperature, the meat will pull easily into long strings. The blackened parts should be mixed freely with the rest of the meat.
In the shoulder, you will find some brown meat (known as the Renowned Mr Brown) and white meat (known as Miss White's Delights). Pull and pull with hands or forks until you have it all done. Remove any fatty parts that might remain.
I pulled the bone straight out w/o any trouble. See how clean that is? Clean enough to make a dog cry.
I couldn't wait and made a sammich right away. Here is a shot of the first step to sammich making. Use the cheapest, whitest buns you can get. These were 16 cents for a bag of 8. Our grocery store sells it's own brand and the first bag is always that low price. PS - the pinkish/red parts are from the "smoke ring". It happens when you cook meat this way.
I like to add a spoonfull of cole slaw to mine and some thin vinegar sauce.
1 cup white or cider vinegar
1 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon pepper flakes or cayenne
Shake it up and pour it on
This is how much meat was left after 4 sammichs and a missing chunk sent to my buddy down the street. He traded me a nice Arturo Fuente cigar.
Anyway, that's it. Hard to fuck up a shoulder. I put extra meat into ziplocks and flatten them out for easy storage.
GL and happy BBQing!
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