re: Pork shoulder first timer

225 degrees, 1.5 hours of cooking for every 1 lb of pork. Yellow mustard binder with your rub of choice. As mentioned, Bad Byron Butt Rub is good.

Spray with apple cider vinegar every hour if you want a good bark. Use fruit woods. Apple, peach, hickory works.

"The stall" could be as low as 150-160 degrees. Jack up the temperature. Wrap in foil or butcher paper. Wait til temperature reaches 200-205.

Let rest for 30-60 minutes. Shred and enjoy.


Note: you can score the fat cap. Most of it will render during the cooking process but scoring will allow smoke to penetrate from the bottom.

Yep, that's what I use too. As other have said, basically the only way to screw it up is to not start it early enough to finish cooking.

I have also had mine finish way ahead of time. I wrapped in towels and put in a good ice chest for 5 hours and it was still perfect when I took it out.

Cooking a butt makes everyone feel like a BBQ wiz.

started finishing off mine in the oven for 2-3 hours at 270 covered a few years ago and I am very happy with the outcome


Why the extra work?

I like the moist/tender result AND we have an electric oven so I don't have to go out and cut wood for the fire.