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[sleebus.jones]

So, I haven't done a long cook on the new cooker yet, so today was a great day  for that.  Just had our 21st anniversary, so took Monday off for a long weekend.  Found a nice shoulder at a good price so off to the races!

Here it is after getting salted about 12 hours prior.  I'm in the process of wetting it down with Worcestershire to stick the rub down



I use Meathead's Memphis Dust.  I like mixing spice blends, and it's usually cheaper...and I can adjust as needed.  This recipe, however, is pretty dang spot-on as written.  Got a nice paste going here



After about 9 hrs in the cooker.  It's got the right jiggle.  Fat cap is nicely rendered and crunchy.  Mmm!



Yoink!



Get in there!



And on the bun, which is a weird low-carb bun my wife found a recipe for.  Very tasty (not the usual cardboard flavor low-carb has) and you make them in the microwave in 1 (one!) minute.



Gotta say, compared to my GMGs that I've cooked on, this cooker turned out the best shoulder I've ever done.  Can't wait to get a brisket on there next!

[Bar-B-Lew]

That pork looks great.  Happy 21st...mine is Thursday.

[Ralphie]

Looks great. One of my favorite foods.

Can you explain salting 12 hours prior?  I’ve never tried that.

[dk117]

That pork looks great.  Happy 21st...mine is Thursday.

Beautiful cook.   Happy Anniversary to sleebus and BBL.

Pellet Fan saves the day again.  I nearly forgot my anniversary is this Sunday!

DK

[triplebq]

Nicely done!

[sleebus.jones]

Can you explain salting 12 hours prior?  I’ve never tried that.

Sure.  Usually I aim for ~24 hours prior, but was short on time and I NEEDED PORK!  The deal is that only salt really travels through the meat; spices, not so much.  It does so due to its ionic potential which electrically (really!) moves it through the meat.  Salt in the meat helps it hold on to water.  That's why Canadian bacon is always juicy and a pork loin can get dusty when overcooked...and they're the exact same cut of meat, it's just the salt that's the difference.

I make my own spice rubs, either from recipes or experimentation, but I make them without salt, as I apply that separately ahead of time.  I use a calibrated amount of salt per piece of meat, which does the trick without making the meat salty.  The application rate is 2.5g/lb.  I wrap tightly in plastic wrap and fridge overnight.  When I ready to cook, I just unwrap, soak the meat down with Worcestershire and then apply rub.  No need to rinse the meat as the salt will be absorbed into the meat.  You'll also probably notice that the meat and fat is firmer as a result.  This is the salt doing its magic.

Give it a shot and let me know how it works for you.  If you really want to freak people out, try it on pork chops.  You only need to salt those about 6 hours ahead of time.  Smoke for an hour, then cook to IT of 145°...and presto, you'll have smoked ham chops!

[Ralphie]

Thank you. I really appreciate that explanation.

[Canadian John]

 Nice job!   Thanks for sharing.

[Clonesmoker]

Can you explain salting 12 hours prior?  I’ve never tried that.

Sure.  Usually I aim for ~24 hours prior, but was short on time and I NEEDED PORK!  The deal is that only salt really travels through the meat; spices, not so much.  It does so due to its ionic potential which electrically (really!) moves it through the meat.  Salt in the meat helps it hold on to water.  That's why Canadian bacon is always juicy and a pork loin can get dusty when overcooked...and they're the exact same cut of meat, it's just the salt that's the difference.

I make my own spice rubs, either from recipes or experimentation, but I make them without salt, as I apply that separately ahead of time.  I use a calibrated amount of salt per piece of meat, which does the trick without making the meat salty.  The application rate is 2.5g/lb.  I wrap tightly in plastic wrap and fridge overnight.  When I ready to cook, I just unwrap, soak the meat down with Worcestershire and then apply rub.  No need to rinse the meat as the salt will be absorbed into the meat.  You'll also probably notice that the meat and fat is firmer as a result.  This is the salt doing its magic.

Give it a shot and let me know how it works for you.  If you really want to freak people out, try it on pork chops.  You only need to salt those about 6 hours ahead of time.  Smoke for an hour, then cook to IT of 145°...and presto, you'll have smoked ham chops!

I will always kosher salt pork shoulders and pork loins at least 12-18 hours before hand. I then will rinse off and pat dry before adding my rub. I also use Meatheads rub, but last batch I made I sub a 1/2 cup of turbinado sugar for the white but still add a 1/4 cup of white. I have also added coffee grounds, dry mustard, chile powder. Personally, I think the rosemary tends to overpower the taste.  I have even added about a teaspoon of salt to it, that way if I do wings I do have a little in it.

[sleebus.jones]

I also use Meatheads rub, but last batch I made I sub a 1/2 cup of turbinado sugar for the white but still add a 1/4 cup of white. I have also added coffee grounds, dry mustard, chile powder. Personally, I think the rosemary tends to overpower the taste.  I have even added about a teaspoon of salt to it, that way if I do wings I do have a little in it.

Coffee is interesting and might be something I'd add.  I've used a steak rub with coffee in it and really liked the results.  I don't find the rosemary all that strong, maybe you've got a more sensitive palate?  I usually keep two versions of rub, one with salt, one without.  I do all of my spice blends by weight, so it's really easy to make up a small batch for a cook.

I've actually been collecting a whole bunch of rub recipes, but keep falling back to the Memphis Dust.  I need to branch out a wee bit and try some new ones.