How I Cook a Pork Shoulder on a Kamado Grill

porkShoulder.md

Need

• salt
• black pepper
• yellow mustard
• worcestershire sauce (cut mustard w/)
• rub
• OPTIONAL pan for injecting (so doesn't make a mess), and ...
• OPTIONAL meat injector, and ...
• OPTIONAL injection liquid (for 2 8-10 lb. butts):
  • 1 cup apple juice
  • 1 cup water
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup salt
  • 1 tbps. soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp. worcestershire
  • 2 tbsp. rub
• OPTIONAL mop:
  • 16 oz vegetable oil
  • 16 oz cider vinegar
  • 32 oz water
  • 1 cup of dry rub
  • 2 tbsp. worcestershire
  • 2 tbsp. soy sauce
• BBQ sauce for serving and for OPTIONAL final glaze
• drip pan for wrapped meat on grill (if wrapping)
• drip pan for plate setter
• foil for wrapping
• smoking wood

Plan

1. Buy heritage pork if possible
2. Try and get a whole shoulder (~18 lbs); i.e., money muscle + picnic (~1 hour cooktime per lb. if wrapping)
3. Prepare rub night before so flavors can meld
4. Remove meat from fridge, remove skin + trim fat removing any arteries/gland/junk, coat w/ salt/pepper/garlic powder, coat with mustard, then apply rub
5. In the meantime, clean/prepare kamado, add drip pan to plate setter
6. Light hardwood; bring the grill up to temp
7. Add smoking wood when starts coming up to temp (target 225)
8. When grill is about ready and stable, add meat fat side down
9. Spray meat w/ apple juice every 2-3 hours as needed to keep the meat surface from drying out
10. Stall will occur around 155-160 and can last for ? hours or so
11. If wrapping, wrap at around 155-160 degrees; at this point no more smoke will be picked up; it should also finish cooking faster; this will lead to a wet bark
12. Keep cooking until about 192 and begin testing for tenderness
13. If wrapped, unwrap at this point and coat with BBQ sauce if desired for a "good looking" bark
14. Should be done at around 195-203; if temp gets to 205, pull it
15. Let rest for about an hour before breaking the meat down
16. Optionally, wrap in foil + towels + place in cooler for 1-4 hours

Timeline (to be ready for Sunday dinner)

1. Mix rub spices Friday night and store in jar until ready for use
2. Prepare grill (Step 5 above) Friday night
3. Buy meat by Saturday morning
4. If meat is ~7 lbs., start grill at 7a on Sunday morning
5. Get meat on by 9a on Saturday
6. Baste at 12p on Saturday (probe meat to see if it is near wrapping temp of ~155-160 degrees)
7. Once temp is probing around 150 degrees, insert monitoring probe for the rest of cook
8. Should be ready by 4p Sunday afternoon
9. Wrap in foil on counter for about an hour or until ready to serve (between 5p-6p)
10. Store leftovers in ziplock back with au jus and refrigerate/freeze

Sources

1. Basic technique and best practices from a competition cooker; simple recipe; video
2. Kamado Joe video tutorial - no wrap, no spray w/ injection
3. BBQ Guy - wrap w/ spray, no injection; video
4. Alternate injection recipe