Yeah, all this BBQ talk is torture right now. I want brisket and pulled pork in the worst way.
Congrats to Roll for the winning sauce! What kind of sauce was it??
SO now I need some pork shoulder tips. Gonna smoke it on my gas grill by rotating a couple of smoke boxes with wood chips.
Tips, man. I need tips. My first pork shoulder. I am thinking of doing an injection with apple cider vinegar and a rub that I use for my ribs.
It was a mustard based sauce. They have 3 categories at that event, mustard, tomato and vinegar.
To Betsy, Yes. This sauce finished 2nd last year, and 1st this year...commercial distribution is definitely in the future.
doubleminor....If you cook ribs on the gas grill, you'll prolly do the shoulder the same way. The process is the same, it will take longer....not as long as this post!
Start cooking early, then find something to do so you don't open the lid too often.
It's hard to find whole shoulders around here so I'll assume you mean either a picnic or a butt. Both will produce good pulled pork, the butt is easier. Costs a bit more, but less trimming. Picnic has the round bone, butt has the blade bone.
Your rib rub will be perfect. Add some salt and vinegar to your injection, or google "pork injections" for recipes. Keep some of it aside to mop the meat with a few times during cooking or google "pork mop sauces" while you're at it.
Be patient! Also, make sure your propane tank is full.
Hopefully your grill has burners side by side as opposed to front to back.
Light one side of the grill and put the meat on the opposite end so it's not over the fire.
Put a disposable aluminum pan under the meat to catch the grease. If your grill gets too hot, add some liquid to the pan as a heat sink...water, cider, etc.
Remove the grill grate from the fire end, if possible so you can swap out the smoke boxes quickly. You don't need smoke for the entire cook. The first 2-3 hours is fine.
Get a cheap oven thermometer to put in the grill near the meat. Or stick a probe thermometer into the rotisserie hole on the end of your grill. Make sure it's a glass thermometer not plastic...lol!
You'll also want a meat thermometer.
Try to keep the temp between 220 - 250 degrees near the meat. The temp on the grill cover might be totally different than the temp near the meat.
Check the cooking temp when you swap out the smoke box a few times in the first hour or 2, but for the most part KEEP THE COOKER CLOSED!
After about 5 hours, mop the meat and sprinkle more rub on it. Flip it and repeat.
It usually takes me about 1 hour per lb. or a little longer, but it's never exact.
Here's the biggest key: The internal temp of the meat will plateau at about 180 degrees while the collagen breaks down. it may hang at this temp for 2-3 hours. Once the temp starts rising again, it will rise fast. You can speed this process by wrapping the meat in foil until the temp begins rising again.
Your finished temp will be 195 - 200 degrees. If you don't use a meat thermometer (we cooked meat with fire for 150,000 years without one), it's done when you can give the bone a twist and pull it out. (Here comes Lonnie!)
At that point, brush on a thick layer of your favorite sauce and sprinkle more rub. Give it another 10 minutes or so with more smoke, take it out and let it rest for 15-30 minutes....if you can wait!
If you have the patience, the meat will shred itself and your friends, family and neighbors will all love you long time!
