Earlier this year we bought a Green Egg. We used it frequently all summer but hadn’t done a really long cook. The holiday weekend seemed like a good opportunity to get a crowd to eat a big pork shoulder. Here’s the menu, and some notes (mostly to myself):
Sides Etc.
Kenji’s Classic Potato Salad
This is the go-to potato salad recipe around here. It is flavorful and tangy.
Red Cabbage Slaw
A quick, easy and non-creamy slaw. Some friends brought this over years ago, and I continue to make it.
Fudgy Chocolate Brownies
Another quick and easy recipe that yields a delicious product.
The Meats
Update 2020-07-05: I’ve made these a few more times now. I now use this Smoked Gochujang Ribs Recipe.
This is the second time I’ve made these, they are delicious. Some comments about this recipe say it is too salty, so I go really light on the rub. I also skip the smoked paprika in the sauce. There’s probably no need for extra smoke flavor since I add some hardwood (cherry in this case) while cooking. I also cook for longer than specified in the recipe: 4.5 – 6 hours.
The internet has a lot of advice on cooking pork butts. I read a lot, but relied on these instructions Jared sent over:
Night before:
Inject with apple juice
Apply Rub (used Jeff’s Naked Rib Rub)
Wrap in plastic wrap and put in fridgeDay of:
Apply yellow mustard then add more rubSmoke at 250 about 1.5 hrs per pound (edit, closer to 2 hrs to be on the safe side)
Smoke until internal temp 195-205
A vinegar sauce (a.k.a dip) was served on the side.
This butt was about 10 pounds and took a little over 18 hours to cook. I used apple wood chunks for smoke flavor. The pork was absolutely delicious–a real crowd pleaser.
I started the pork the night before, in the pouring rain. I doubt that affected the food, but it was a wet evening for the cook. After about 17 or so hours, the meat was at around 180 or 185º, and I had some hungry people around. I finished it in the oven at 290º. Mostly because increasing the temperature in the egg was creating a lot of smoke.
Notes for next time:
- Get a drip pan that fits better
- Start the cook way earlier. The pork can rest for a couple hours if it’s done early. Also, don’t forget that it will take some time to get to temp, and you’re not going to feel comfortable going to sleep unless the egg has been holding the temperature for 45 minutes or an hour.
- Don’t be stingy on the rub, this could have used just a bit more.
Unfortunately, not many pictures this time. Here are the few I took:
