Pork Shoulder

1. 1

   Trim away any bone slivers from the exposed meat.

2. 2

   Remove any visible excess fat.

3. 3

   Square up the long sides of the shoulder to make it neat and uniform.

4. 4

   Place the pork shoulder in a large aluminum pan.

5. 5

   (Theres no skin to hold the liquid in, as there is on a whole hog, so the pan is necessary to catch the excess liquid.)

6. 6

   Inject the shoulder with 2 to 3 quarts of the hog injection, all over the shoulder in about 1-inch squares.

7. 7

   Let the injected shoulder sit, loosely covered, in the refrigerator for 2 hours.

8. 8

   Turn the shoulder upside-down in the pan, so that any excess injection that might remain infuses the meat.

9. 9

   Let it sit upside-down for 15 to 20 minutes.

10. 10

    In the meantime, heat a smoker to 250 F.

11. 11

    Take the shoulder out of the pan and sprinkle the rub all over it, making sure to get the area by the shank.

12. 12

    Place the shoulder, in its aluminum pan, in the smoker and cook for 3 hours.

13. 13

    Remove the shoulder from the smoker.

14. 14

    Pour the apple juice into a clean aluminum pan, and transfer the shoulder to the pan.

15. 15

    Cover the pan with aluminum foil and place it in the smoker.

16. 16

    Cook for 6 hours or until the internal temperature reaches 205 F.

17. 17

    Remove the pan from the smoker.

18. 18

    Discard the foil.

19. 19

    Brush the hog glaze all over both sides of the shoulder.

20. 20

    Return the shoulder to the pan, put the pan back in the smoker, and cook for 1 more hour while adding no more heat to the smoker and allowing the internal temperature of the smoker to drop.

21. 21

    The shoulder will effectively rest in the smoker this way.

22. 22

    Remove the pan from the smoker, and serve.

23. 23

    Where Im from, a pork shoulder is not slicedits pulled apart in chunks.

24. 24

    There are a couple of different ways to do it, with knives and tongs and such, but the very bestand easiestis with your hands.

25. 25

    Wearing heavy-duty gloves, simply pull the meat apart gently and let your guests have at it.

26. 26

    You can put it in a sandwich just like this, or you can chop it up after youve pulled it, if you like.

27. 27

    I used to wonder why this part of the shoulder was called Boston anything, since its so associated with Southern barbecue.

28. 28

    The folks from the National Pork Board say it plain: In prerevolutionary New England and into the Revolutionary War, some pork cuts (not those highly valued, or high on the hog, like loin and ham) were packed into casks or barrels (also known as butts) for storage and shipment.

29. 29

    So, the way the hog shoulder was cut in the Boston area became known in other regions as Boston butt.

30. 30

    Heres a tip from my competitive barbecue cooking that you can use in your backyard.

31. 31

    I make a little solution I call half and half.

32. 32

    Its equal parts vinegar sauce and water, and I heat it up until its hot but not boiling.

33. 33

    Then I dip pieces of shoulder in it before I put them in the judging box.

34. 34

    Why do I do this?

35. 35

    Because it keeps the meat from drying out and getting cold.

36. 36

    You always want your meat to stay moist and warm.

37. 37

    You can do this at home, too.

38. 38

    Before you serve any meat like brisket or pork shoulder, toss it with a little half and half and then put it on a platter.

39. 39

    Better yet, apply the solution to the back side of slices of brisket and pork before you place them on a platter.

40. 40

    This technique will keep your meat from drying out.

* Per serving · 4 servings · Values may vary.