3 Ways to Thoroughly Screw Up a Pork Shoulder

This is what a pork shoulder should look like. Crisp bark on the outside. Pink smoke ring underneath. The meat beneath is tender but, like good pasta, still has some bite.

Our claws digging into it is a nice touch.

Pork shoulder overall is a forgiving peace of meat. Take some time with it and you'll get good results. It's not rocket science. We spent a month in 2017 studying the Boston Butt. This isn't a soufflé. Anyone with a smoker or an oven, some basic seasonings and some patience can make good pulled pork.

But as soon as you think you're good at it and slip up, you can screw this up.

Here's how I did it.

That's what a pork shoulder should sound like. The crackling of the crust. The wet, sloppy tearing of meat. Glee and giggling. 

I've done a number of  shoulders and I started to believe I was good at it. I started to think they were easy.

Then this happened:

Kind of an ashy sound at the start. It all came apart too easily. Not enough pull from the pulled pork. But the biggest problem?

Dead silence.

My wife and kids were watching. Normally they are excited at this moment. The prep, the hours, the smells, the anticipation. Typically they are stoked.

This time they were appalled.

So what went wrong?

1 - I Set a Deadline

The worst barbecue question ever is: "Is it done yet?"

You don't cook barbecue for now. You cook it for tomorrow. Like bread or wine, it can't be rushed. It will be done when it is done.

If you're hungry, don't push me. Eat something else.

But my son had a birthday party to get to at 2pm. We had some kids to zap with lasers. We wanted to eat pulled pork before we left. Therefore, I wanted the shoulder to hurry the hell up.

Shoulders don't play that.

2 - I Cooked it Too Fast

If it takes six hours at 300º then it will take two hours at 900º, right?

I didn't push it that hard, but I screwed up.

225º Fahrenheit is the money temperature for barbecue. Under that is fine but too far over is a recipe for disaster.

I'd smoked this shoulder all night, but it still wasn't near my target of 190-200º. I needed to get it hot enough for the connective tissue and fat to melt.

I commonly smoke for flavor then bake for tenderness. I'll finish a shoulder in the oven overnight at 225º because I can easily control the temperature and sleep at the same time.

Plus, the house smells like roasted smoked pork in the morning. Major bonus.

This time I tried 250º, then 275º and eventually 350º to get the meat up to temperature in time for lunch.

The beautiful fat cap on the butt turned bitter and black.

Oops.

3 - I Got Cute with the Rub

I have a basic formula for barbecue rub based on Alton Brown's 8:3:1:1 ratio. I'll change the ingredients based upon what's in the pantry, but this time I tried to get real creative.

What if I could get a toasty crispy element to the rub by working in some corn meal?

Fail.

Corn meal can be roasty and crunchy in the right application, but on top of a pork shoulder it just got mushy. It was the opposite of bark. It was more like a log that had been in a swamp too long.

We'll be keeping cornmeal out of the rub for the remainder of eternity.

A proper rub is a combination of sweet, spicy and salty. I like some seeds in there (coriander, celery, caraway or whatever you got) because they get more expressive when they toast. Essentially, it's the proteins, salts and sugars that form an irresistible crust on your roasted meats.

Save the cornmeal for deep-frying.

And in Conclusion...

Take your time with your meat. Also be patient with your cook. Barbecue will not be done because you want to eat it.

Plus, you can always cook slower, but too fast is the path to doom. Start early. 

Analog charcoal-and-vent smokers are tough to control. In a perfect world, they'd always be at the perfect temperature. But in the real world, you just don't want them too hot. Smokey and too low is better than too hot.

Once scorched, a piece of meat is never going back.

There's nothing wrong with letting ribs or a roast rest wrapped-up at a holding temperature. You can bring chilled barbecue to your friend's party and re-heat it in their oven. It will turn out great.

But try to rush the cooking process and you'll end up with something your dog won't eat.

And cornmeal in a seasoning rub? Hell no.

Our Amazon Store is Live

Greetings, Legion of Dragon Knuckle.

Big news. Amazon has allowed us to create a store page for our Dragon Knuckle brand. We put together our best pictures and videos. It went live today.

Check it out.

We know the best way to convince people that our gloves are the best is to just reach into the fire. Yet Amazon does not allow most retailers to use anything other than images and text on their product pages. We're so glad to be able to grab handfuls of coals and show our audience.

So remember: the word is like butter so spread the word. Our fans are the best. We see so many happy Dragon Knuckle owners on Instagram cooking and hooking up their families and friends. Follow us as DragonKnuckle_Jana and DragonKnuckle_David.

Keep it up and thank you.

The Brahestad Butt by Arctic BBQ

Image via ArcticBBQ.com

Perhaps "butt" is a funny word in Finland, but I don't get it.

Johannes at Arctic BBQ begins his post on pulled pork by stopping everyone's giggles. He explains that "butt" refers to barrel, as in the barrels used to transport pork shoulders and hams during the American revolutionary war.

I'd read that the term came from Old English, meaning "the widest part." My widest parts are my shoulders (for now) unless you count the distance between my self image and reality, which is spacious.

In classic Arctic BBQ style, Johannes takes a thoughtful, controlled approach to his 4.5 pound shoulder. He removed it from the fridge 2 hours ahead of time. He seasoned it with 7 tablespoons of rub composed of black pepper, paprika, onion, thyme, ginger, lemon and 23% smoked salt (he probably counted the grains).

He built a briquette snake and added some apple wood then monitored the whole affair with his iGrill2 iPad app.

His temp was 192ºF after 6 1/2 hours then he let it rest for an hour. That's faster than I do it. It's always enlightening to see another's take on a classic meal.

He used a couple of other tricks and techniques. What was he spraying it with in the picture above? Read his complete pulled pork study here and tease him about his non-Dragon Knuckle claws in the comments.

Image via ArcticBBQ.com

Chef Martin Lopez's Carnitas de Michoacán

When I was sixteen, I needed a job. I went through the classified ads and found a gig bussing tables at a Mexican Bar and Grill.

My life changed forever.

Not only did I realize there was good money to be made earning tips in the restaurant business, but I got to be around different people all the time. I listened to them, talked with them, watched them interact, saw how they ate, observed how they ordered and picked up on the many fascinating details of being human.

And I fell in love with Mexican flavors. Cilantro, chilis, lime, cumin, avocado, pollo borracho, carne asada, tequila and anything wrapped in a tortilla are close to my otherwise suburban gringo heart.

So for Pork Shoulder Month, I had to think about Carnitas. I was so glad Chef Martin Lopez shared his recipe with us.

Chef Martin grew up in Mexico City in a large family run by his hardworking, dedicated Mother. At the age of seven he was already a big part of feeding the family. He earned a degree in Tourism and Languages in Mexico City in 1988 then went back to school for a degree in the Culinary Arts. He has travelled all around Europe and South America, adding multicultural elements to his style that he calls Mexican Novelle.

He is a professional chef, food writer, blogger and culinary ambassador for the Hispanic and Latin community.

Here's his version of the classic Carnitas recipe:

There is nothing better than to take a walk around the plazas in Mexico for lunch or dinner and smell the amazing aromas coming from all the food vendors.

One dish that you will see almost in every corner is the amazing Pork Carnitas. This delicate tender meat is used to fill tacos, and every one claims they have “the best secret recipe” as these recipes and cooking methods are passed from generation to generation.

I am bringing you a small taste of Mexico with my version on how to make slow-simmered pork, with a quick fry at the end. Carnitas!

Carnitas are easy to make, but do take some time so plan accordingly. They are the perfect dish for a family event as you can have it ready and let your guests assemble their own tacos.

So have a big fiesta and serve Carnitas!

Your friends will remember them for years to come!

INGREDIENTS:

Half a white onion peeled and coarsely chopped

1 1/2 cups water

6 cloves garlic

1 teaspoon dried marjoram

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 stick of Mexican cinnamon

4 whole cloves stems removed

1 tablespoon kosher or coarse sea salt or to taste

1 cup of pork lard

4 to 5 pounds boneless pork shoulder or butt cut into 4-inch chunks, fat on

1/2 teaspoon kosher or coarse sea salt

2 bay leaves

1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice and half of a whole orange

½ cup of sweetened condensed milk

DIRECTIONS:

Place the water, onion, garlic cloves, marjoram, thyme, black pepper, cinnamon, stemmed whole cloves and 1 tablespoon salt in a blender and puree until smooth.

Set a large Dutch oven or heavy casserole over medium-high heat. Add the lard and once it has heated up, add the pork chunks and sprinkle in 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Brown the meat on all sides, stirring and flipping as each side browns, about 10 minutes.

Pour the onion mixture over the meat, let it come to a simmer and cook for 5 to 6 minutes. Pour in the orange juice, the half orange and sweetened condensed milk, add the 2 bay leaves, and give it a good stir. Let it come to a simmer, then reduce heat to medium-low to low and cover. Cook covered, stirring and scraping the bottom of the casserole a couple times and until the meat is completely cooked and coming easily apart if you pull one piece, about one hour and a half. Remove the lid, cook for another 4 to 5 minutes on high heat to give the meat a fast high heat fry.

Turn off the heat and let it cool down, scoop out the Carnitas with a slotted spoon, leaving any fat behind, and serve the meat in a bowl or platter. Shred with a fork, if desired, before tucking into tacos. Serve with warm corn tortillas and chopped cilantro, fresh onion, pickled jalapeños, carrots, guacamole, Pico de Gallo and salsas on the side.

Enjoy!

Humongous thanks to Chef Martin and John Schell for sharing this. I'll put this together for my family soon.