Bertha

This is Bertha.  I love Bertha.  My husband surprised me with this big beauty a year ago last September and I was so excited!  Bertha was my birthday present but I question for who the gift REALLY is.  The gorgeous table that Bertha is in was made by a company called JJGeorge.  I love it!  It is so solid, it was easy for my husband to put together and it has wheels so it's easy to move around.  I got it for Christmas last year.  (My husband is a great gifter!)

Today, I am smoking a pork shoulder.  It is the cut that used to be known as the "butt".  I have found that keeping the bone in this cut adds so much more depth of flavor and moisture.  So, I prefer to make my own rubs.  I like knowing what is in my food.  I'm not down with extra preservatives and MSG (even though MSG does add a great flavor to some things, I'm just not cool with it in my rubs) so I have been playing for a few years now and I like adding coffee to pork and extra pepper to beef.  I do use wet rubs sometimes, but more for when I'm looking for an elegant atmosphere, not as relaxed as we will be today.  I will do something with a wet rub soon to share with you.  

This is what I have in my pork rub: (yes, I giggled a little when I typed that)

All ingredients are dried and ground...

1/2 c brown sugar

1 tbsp black pepper

1 1/2 tbsp dry mustard

2 tbsp dry garlic

2 tbsp salt

1 tsp ground clove

1 tsp ground ginger

2 tbsp onion powder

1 tsp coffee grounds

2 tbsp paprika

I rubbed it all over a 5 lb shoulder.  There was plenty left over, so if you would like to sprinkle it on some pork ribs for a party, have at it!  I just keep it in a baggy in the freezer.  I don't know why in the freezer, I must have heard it somewhere.

Here's the beautiful shoulder all rubbed and ready to be smoked.  Ain't it pretty?  I put it on Bertha when she hit about 300 degrees at 9:45am and I pulled it off at 4:00pm, maintaining 300 degrees throughout that whole time.

It turned out beautifully!  When I took the shoulder off of the rack, I sprinkled about 3 tbsp of the rub onto a baking sheet, then while the shoulder was about to be tented, I poured 3/4c of apple juice over the shoulder then covered it tightly with foil.  In about 20-30 minutes I use tongs, forks or my hands to break apart the meat and pull out the bone.  It was perfect!  It didn't need bar b que sauce, but with it the pork was unbelievable.  

I'm glad you read to the end... Don't have a smoker?  You could totally do this in a slow-cooker, just sear the pork on all sides then slow-cook on low for 8 hours, or roast in an oven at 300 degrees covered in foil for 4 hours and uncovered for 4 hours.  If you do these methods, I suggest you put 2 cups of apple juice or chicken stock in the bottom of the pan, to prevent burning.  So, I hope you make this.  I hope it turns out perfectly for you.  Please share your experiences!  Cheers!