You all know my roots are American. I was born in Maine and so was my son but by the age of 2 he was living below the Mason-Dixon line. Yes, he speaks Southern and proudly so. This is the way he does BBQ.
His post is long, and it is fully family so I apologize in advance if it’s too much information. This is the first “family” post I’ve ever done. The kids are my grandchildren Jade and Jake. The one with the gray in the chin hair – that’s Al.
He loves to smoke and bbq meat. His list of friends is a mile long and they all get invited when he cooks. Recently I asked him if he’d photograph the next bbq he did and write it up as a guest post on my blog. Now those of us who are parents will understand that I never expected to see it.
Honestly, I don’t know how they do all they do with two small children but in my mail this morning were the photos and BBQ method. I’m thrilled to introduce you to my son Alan. If you live within driving distance of McDonough, Georgia (Atlanta) let him know and he’ll invite you too. My boy’s never met a stranger. He’s also wordy, just like his mother.
I’ve been encouraging him to start a food blog but he’s not convinced he’s a food writer.
————————–
Thanks, Mom.
It’s about time for some respect for southern cookin’. I may not have been born Southern, but I sure feel it and for a rather long spell we’ve been treated like the red headed stepchild of the kitchen. More and more our own butter wielding matriarch, Paula Dean, sounds like Rodney Dangerfield. Now smoking bbq, pork shoulder in this case, is one of those southern things that’s not foo-foo, trendy, fusion or any other silly catchphrase… It’s just plain ol’ good. Not that my mom’s crock pot bbq pork she made when I was in high school wasn’t good… it just wasn’t THIS good (sorry, Mom).
BBQ means different things in different places. In Texas, BBQ is brisket, in Memphis it’s ribs, in many places anything off the grill and slathered with Sweet Baby Ray’s is bbq… but throughout most of the South, BBQ means pork – pork shoulder to be exact.
For many folks, cooking from a recipe is something they do with the same vigor as if they were reading aloud from the good book at church. That is NOT how you make BBQ pork. So relax a bit, loosen your tie and pour yourself a cup of joe… this is gonna take a while – but it’s gonna be worth it.
First step in BBQ is the rub. A rub is a blend of spices that we “rub” into the meat before we start smoking. Most southern cooks have a rub recipe and getting them to tell you theirs is like trying to herd cats… it ain’t easy.
Do you have to blend the spices together or put them on one at a time?
Well, I’ve actually tried it both ways… and besides taking what seemed forever to season the meat, it wasn’t better or worse. As for me, I put all my seasonings in a big stainless steel bowl and mix it up with a fork. Tried the hand blender before… big mistake. I thought it would make mixing faster with no lumps… nope, all it did was make a fog of seasonings that coated my entire kitchen and made me sneeze every time I walked in it for the next week. Not my proudest moment to be sure.
Take just enough rub to season the meat and put the rest away. We’ll use it later after we pull the pork and we don’t want to cross contaminate the rub with raw pork.
For my 4 butts, I used the recipe below with a 1 cup measuring cup.
Quick note about store bought spices —
I know many folks like to use their mortar and pestle or coffee grinder to get the most out of their spices. Yeah, I agree in most applications that they do a better job. Here’s the thing, today I’m seasoning 4 pork shoulders and these are hefty hunks of meat. I’m going to cook this meat for 10-12 hours in 225°F smoke. Your palate may be able to pick up the nutty overtones of freshly ground pepper on a smoked pork shoulder, but most people won’t be able to.
Today I’m smoking pork shoulder, which is odd because it’s called a butt. Why we take a pig and call his shoulder a butt and his butt a ham, I’ll never know. To make it all the more confusing… a picnic ham is actually the lower part of the front shoulder. While your scratching your head over that one, stop and take some mustard and slather it all over the shoulder. I mainly use plain yellow mustard, but you can use spicy brown or any mustard you have. If you have small children like I do, at this point you’ll want to make a joke about your butt having Grey Poupon on it.
Once you have the butts all lubed up with mustard, start working your rub into the meat and don’t be stingy about it. A helper or two is advised and much more fun. It’ll be sticky and gooey, just like it ought to be. Now set the butts in a fridge or cooler for 12 or so hours, but sometimes if I’m in a hurry I just let them chill out for a couple of hours. As the salt starts to work on the butts, it’ll leach out moisture from the pork and intensify the flavors, so hit it with some more rub.
3 or 4 hours before you’re ready to cook set the butts out on the counter. Yes, I know the food police are right around the corner, but you’re completely safe. Setting the meat on the counter is all part of the cooking process.
We want to pull our pork shoulders from the smoker when they’re about 195 degrees. When you have to take meat that is 40 degrees up to 195 it’s a difference of 155 degrees. If I let it sit out for a while and reach 60 degrees, now I only have to raise the temperature of the meat by 135 degrees.
D
o you need a smoker to do pork shoulder? Nope, but the more meat you smoke the more you’ll want one. You can use a grill or an oven, but the crock pot just isn’t going to give you a decent crust on your pork. If you’re using a grill, just turn on the burner on the farthest side from your meat. Regardless of what you use to cook in, try to cook between 215F to 240F. I try and stay at 225, but depending on humidity, dryness of the wood, types of charcoal and your mood, just do the best you can.
The kind of wood you smoke with is a personal thing. Some swear by hickory, alder, oak or mesquite. I like to use a blend of hardwoods for pork shoulder. If I was smoking fish, I’d probably use alder as different foods take the smoke flavor differently. Shavings, chunks, mulch or logs, use what works best for what you’re cooking in. Chunks and mulch give more smoke when you soak them first.
I like to let my butts cook for a couple hours before I add a mop sauce. A mop sauce is a very thin sauce that you mop over the meat while it’s cooking. It’s not a barbeque sauce, but it can have many of the same ingredients. It keeps the meat moist while cooking and further imparts flavor.
I like to use a bourbon mop sauce because some of the pork proteins are alcohol soluble when coupled with salt. Here is my bourbon mop sauce.
- • 1 Cup bourbon – yes I used rotgut for a mop sauce, don’t judge me!
- • 2 Parts Sea Salt
- • 2 Parts Granulated Garlic
- • 2 Parts Black Pepper
- • 2 Parts Chili Powder
- • 2 Parts Brown Sugar
- • 2 Parts Paprika
- • 1 Part Onion Powder
- • 1 Part Cumin
- • 1 Part Cayenne Pepper
- • ½ cup apple cider vinegar
- • 1 cup apple juice
- • 1 cup ketchup
- • 3 tablespoons black pepper
- • 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- • 3 tablespoons garlic powder
- • 3 tablespoons kosher salt
- • 3 tablespoons dry mustard
- Place all spices in a large bowl and mix with a fork. Remove just the amount you need for the roast you're seasoning so you don't cross contaminate the rest of your rub and have to throw it away.
- Throw it in a pot and put the heat to it. No need to boil it, just heat it until you can get the garlic powder, mustard and salt incorporated. Check your meat about every hour and slather on some mop sauce each time.
I usually keep one temperature probe in the smoker to watch the temperature and after 4 or 5 hours I keep one in the meat also.
You’ve now come to the part where smoking meat is not that much about cooking as it is about waiting. I like to mow my lawn, play with the kiddos and take care of the honey-do list while I’m smoking. Quite often you’ll see a group of us sitting around a smoker trying to look like we’re doing something useful, but in all honesty, we’re just running our mouths.
Want to make a man happy? Give him a hunk of meat, a fire and a stick… Ta-Da!
At some point your meat is going to plateau. You’ll see it hit say, 160-170°F and won’t seem to go any higher. Guess what… keep waiting. Your mantra is “low and slow”… just keep repeating that to yourself. You want all that connective tissue to turn to collagen and be flavored with the melting fat. It takes low, slow, moist heat and time.
Now you may think that your pork shoulder is starting to resemble a crispy kritter and it is, but that’s not a bad thing. The outside is called the crust and once it’s pulled or chopped, all those smoky seasonings will blend in and be yummy goodness in your mouth. If your using a mop sauce, it’ll help to keep the outside from drying out as well.
I pull my shoulders between 195-205 degrees. Some folks like to slice their pork and in that case, pull yours at 180 degrees. As for me and my house, we like it pulled and falling apart. If it feels like a black bag of jello with a bone sticking out, you should be a very happy camper.
Grab a couple of forks and start pulling it apart. If you did it right… I doubt you’ll even need any bbq sauce.
LOVED this post Maureen and Adam! I felt like I was there at a bbq cooking lesson and learning all about it. I also had some questions answered (and yes why is a shoulder called butt?) 😛
“In pre-revolutionary 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. The way the hog shoulder was cut in the Boston area became known in other regions as “Boston Butt.” This name stuck and today, Boston butt is called that almost everywhere in the US,… except in Boston.
Ken! That’s brilliant! I’m from Maine and always heard Boston Butt but never knew what it meant. You must have a lot of information in your head if this is one of the things you store there.
Merry Christmas!
That is an excellent comment, Ken! Thanks from all of us!
Oh my God – it’s posts like these which make me insanely jealous that I have only a balcony and no place to set up a smoker like this. This looks absolutely amazing… juicy, tender, crispy edges… just wonderful, and I loved the photos too…. looks like you all had a wonderful day 🙂
Oh Charles, I just wish I’d been there instead of thousands of miles away in the far far south 🙂
Oops I meant Alan, he looks like a friend called Adam! 😛
You were too quick! I was just going in to change the name. I’m not having any more kids. 🙂
Oh, my. There is nothing, nothing like homemade barbecue, especially when it entails a handmade spice rub and sauce. My fiance was stricken by barbecue love while visiting my family in the US last year (Virginia) – he’s been making my dad’s brisket ever since!
I love your process photos, and the char on the meat looks just divine.
That looks great! If your ever in So Cal, let me know. I could use some tips for my dream BBQ truck.
If I get to Southern California I will definitely want to meet you and see your sidekick too. I’ll bring Al with me. 🙂
Where in Maine are you from? I’m from NH… I’m about 30 minutes over the state line. This some of the best looking BBQ. Your son definitely knows what he’s doing! I wish I owned a smoker…. we were just talking about it this weekend because I had a pork shoulder smoked for our Easter dinner!
I’m from Winslow, 20 miles north of Augusta. I miss Maine in the summer. 🙂
I love New England Summers and Fall…. but could do without our winters!
I don’t mind the winters if I have the clothes for it but the spring slush and brown snow I always found icky 🙂
I live in Augusta, Georgia. A few years ago, we traveled through Maine and into Canada. We stopped in Augusta, Maine and had a delightful dinner at a local restaurant. The people there were as hospitable as anybody I have experienced in the South. That demonstrates that there are fine people everywhere.
I have tried this recipe for “Boston Butt,” and it is my favorite. It is very similar to what my grandfather did back in the 1950’s in Georgia. Great, job!
As someone who cooks a couple hundred pounds of butts a week, I usually don’t read BBQ posts, but since I’ve never been to GA….. Nice looking pork! I especially like the rub & the mop sauce (though I don’t mop because I cook so much at once the humidity is high on my cooker). The mop sauce could definitely double as a BBQ sauce too, though I agree who needs one -just some slaw piled on top & a nice white bun. Now where’s the peach cobbler post?
200 pounds ???
That’s some mighty big BBQing!
Peach cobbler… I’ll have to ask my Georgia peach friends about that one.
Lovely to see you. Sorry I was out of it for so long. Slowly getting back into life.
It’s because my restaurant is a BBQ joint, hence why I often skip the BBQ posts. I do love the Q though 😀
Oh sweet goody girl, if that’s the kind of food he’d be writing about, I’d sure be the first subscriber of his hopefully-someday-going-to-happen-blog.
C’mon, Maureen! Use your mommy-powers to convince him! 😉
~
Thanks for sharing your recipes, Al!
Maureen, I love this. I lived in Atlanta for 2 years and loved the BBQ, thanks for sharing!
toss it in the crockpot, add about a hal-cup of water, set on HIGH for 8 hours. Oh, and saseon up like this below:Pulled Pork BBQ in Slow Cooker3 pounds fresh pork shoulder, well trimmed3 Tbsp. BBQ or Grill Seasoning1/2 cup ketchup1/2 cup cider vinegar1/4 cup packed brown sugar2 tsp. worcestershire sauce1 tsp. ground mustard 1. Place trimmed pork in 4-quart slow cooker.2. Mix barbecue saseoning, ketchup, vinegar, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, and ground mustard until blended. Pour over pork.3. Cook 8 hours on LOW or 4 hours on HIGH. Remove pork from slow cooker.4. Shred pork, using 2 forks. Return pork to slow cooker, mix and heat with sauce before serving. McCormick
I like that man’s style… and taste – beautiful rub & mop – I sure would like to be in line when the dinner bell starts ringing, love those burnt end pieces… thanks Maureen for sharing your son’s talent…
Hurray for the southern BBQ. We have a monster smoker, gas grill and charcoal grill, so to say the least we are in the BBQ club. If I had to be limited to one type of meat BBQ, it would surely be the pork. That pork picture really does speak to me, especially the taste buds and stomach part of me…delicious feast! No doubt he has some talent for outdoor cooking, thanks for sharing this!
Great post! Now I’m craving bbq! Looks fantastic. The kids are adorable!
These are probably the most appetising meat photos I have ever seen! The real Southern Barbecue… I have once seen a tv program about a Southern BBQ contest and this is how I realised what region I would love to visit when I go to the US 😉 Since then I have been dreaming about such a magic machine, but unfortunately I don’t even have a garden (live in the city centre), so I can only admire this delight!
Holy moly, Maureen! I may be a Texan but SCREW brisket – I want some of this! It looks so incredibly mouthwatering. If you have any leftovers, feel free to send them my way! 🙂
Love the spice mix you used in your bbq, Mayreen..the kids are adorable!
What a fantastic family blog……..Alan you need to share more with us!!
I’m thrilled to have this recipe as most won’t share their secret. Great family pics as well and I’m sure we have another generation of cooks in the making.
Found this post on pinterest, and must say this is a great post!!! Why your son doesn’t think he is a food writer is beyond me!!!! He has TALENT for this!!! Good, easy to follow instructions, great photos, and a sense of humor (sitting around running their mouth)!!!! Can’t wait to get my hubbie or son out on the smoker!! Thanks!
Oh my…….I am longing for roasted pork with a delicious sounding rub. Gimme some!
Snicker snicker… you said ‘butt’! Sorry, that was my six year-old looking over my shoulder. I’m still stunned that you’re a grandmother. Gorgeous grandkids, btw. Al’s voice is strong and unique – he definitely should be a blogger. I’d read it. And I’m loving his mop sauce. Great post!
Wow Maureen,
This looks incredible! I think it’s time for me to start the grill. I am starving after reading your post .
Maureen and Alan, the post and the pictures look wonderful! The final product looks incredible – falling apart and delicious!
You’re killing me here Maureen. I am trying to be a good vegetarian and forget all about succulent lovely grilled meat :(((.
I agree start a blog, please! Or maybe more guests posts here? 🙂 This is the first BBQ post I’ve read in a while that has made want to run to the kitchen and try it myself. Wow, does this ever look good! I was too lazy to cook tonight so I bought cooked food at my local store–this post is making me wish I’d opted for the BBQ ribs instead. They may not be as good as this looks but at least I wouldn’t feel so deprived right now.
This is hardcore southern bbq…juicy meat, nice smoke ring and perfect for the coming warm months. I’m hungry all over again.
Oh boy, that’s the real thing. I’ve eaten tons of barbecue in my time (at one time my wife and I seriously thought of doing a pie and barbecue tour of the US – and we still may at some point!), and that’s how it’s done. I’ve never gotten around to doing a pork butt or whole brisket (brisket is big in Texas barbecue) but need to. Maybe this summer – now I’m inspired! Thanks for a truly fun post.
hi maureen, i just made bbq pork ribs the other day (will post soon). i got the dry rub and braising liquid recipe from Food52 cookbook. But thanks for posting this, as I’m forever looking for the “perfect” recipe! of course, i don’t have a bbq smoker for that smokey flavour! oh well! maybe i’d have to go to the South one day!
I had to show this to the hubby, he wants a smoker sooooooo bad! He was loving the pictures, and we love the rub and sauce recipes:-) I am so glad your son shared them with us:-) I want to grab a fork and dig in! Hugs, Terra
Oh, yum! This looks fantastic, especially since I grew up on Memphis barbecue. Great post!
I was going to say that up here in the crown of Maine, we don’t have access to amazing BBQ like this. But that wouldn’t be true, because there’s a BBQ truck that comes around nearly every weekend – pulled pork, ribs, beans, slaw. It’s more than I could ask for given my location!
Emma, I’ve only been to Presque Isle once and to Madawaska a few times but never heard it described as the crown of Maine. The things I learn every day amaze me. I lived in Central Maine and we went from home to Boothbay or shopping to Portland or Boston. Going north meant hours driving through forest or potato fields. Boring for a kid. 🙂 Thanks so much for visiting!
OMG! I. Want. NOW.
Thank you Maureen for introducing your son, and his GREAT recipe! Your grandchildren are so cute too. =) My husband and I are always talking about getting a smoker. This post just convinced me that we need one. After I write this I’m going to send this link to my husband – if he sees these BBQ meat, I am hoping he’ll be convinced, too. 😉 The recipe is a keeper! Thanks Alan and Maureen! p.s. He should start a food blog!
Nami, the kids are adorable. Jade is 6 and she’s going to conquer the world one day and her brother will be her #1 henchman. They are both securely wrapped around their father’s little finger. He doesn’t spoil them but he’s older and realizes just how special they are. Al also has a son who’s 21 🙂 He’s blonde and blue-eyed and adores his little brother and sister. Now how old does that make ME? 30! my story and I’m stickin’ to it. 🙂
OMG! This post was truly orgasmic. Look at those rub ingredients! The smoked meat! Everything looks amazing. You don’t have to be born in the south, to feel the south. Your son feels it!
Cheers.
Velva
You are so right. I suppose moving to Tennessee at 2 kind of makes him Southern. He’s had a drawl since he could talk. 🙂
Love, love your son’s writing style. That platter of barbecue pork is making me so hungry, and my mouth is watering. Thanks Alan for sharing your recipes.
You grandchildren are gorgeous, Maureen.
Thank you Norma! You can probably tell those grandchildren of mine have a mother who’s name is Ming 🙂
Omg I can’t stop drooling. That meat looks fabulous! And I must say, I am rather jealous of that smoker 😉 I do my faux bbq in the oven low and slow (apartment living..) but this would blow it out of the water! Great post and it was nice to see some family stuff – people seem to avoid it too often.
So nice to meet your son, Alan, Maureen, and WOW, that is some serious BQQ – my mouth was watering looking through the photos. I had a smoker but gave it away – huge mistake – HUGE mistake, especially after seeing this post! Does he ever enter any BBQ competitions? If not, he should!
I’m not sure. He cooks to feed and entertain his friends. He loves it. He’s run restaurants and owned his own in the past and bbq sauce runs in his veins I think. 🙂 I think if he won the lottery he’d have a big party every weekend.
holy cow this sounds fantastic! definitely trying this next time we fire up the grill!!
For the record, “Holy Smokes”, I am so not showing my husband that smoker, I’ll never hear the end of it. lol This is great Maureen, I wish I lived that way, I’d bring the cookies if I could get an invite.
-Gina-
Gina, Al would happily serve you with or without cookies 🙂
What a great post, I definitely think Alan should have a blog. He also has adorable helpers 🙂 This is making me drool and want some BBQ and it is only 9am here in AZ !
Wonderful post! I’m drooling over here. It looks sooo goood. My husband would love this!
“Spice it Up”
Wonderful post! My husband would die to have this setup, and the meat looks totally moist and tender.
Yum with a capital Y! There is nothing better than a Southern BBQ. Thanks so much for sharing the recipe. I’m going to pass it on to my hubby – King of the grill & smoker.
Oh Wow! This looks and sounds so delicious. I will have to bookmark this!!
My mouth is literally watering! This looks AMAZING! And I love that your kids helped in the kitchen – this is one of my favorite things to do as a mom myself. My boys are both super kitchen helpers.
I`ve tried this recipe and i`m really impressed, it has a very good taste. My both child tried it and they like it a lot. Thanks a lot for sharing.
how much do you want to bet that my husband and I are doing this on saturday? Seriously, nothing says down home comfort food than an amazing bbq spread and this recipe looks out of this world. You should be so proud of him! Please tell him to give us more recipes! I can’t wait! Will let you know how it turns out. Can’t wait to show my husband
WOW!!! Fabulous post and Maureen, he’s giving you a run for your money in the blogging gig thing. Great, engaging write up and what an amazing recipe and how-to! I am bookmarking both the rub and the mop sauce – even if I don’t cook butt (he he) or have a grill or smoker. Something this tasty must be tasty indoors as well, right? Great post. And gorgeous grandkids!
I am very late again…
Nice to meet u Adam! I read the post full excitment because I am huge fan of BBQs. Very useful lesson, interessting that u call that the rub, when marinating the meat. Great spice combination too, absolutly my taste. thank your for sharing soo much knowledge in just one post!
Hey fellow Georgian! Any yank who can cook a shoulder like you do is a true Southerner. I grew up in the northside of Atlanta in Dunwoody but have family in your neck of the woods. I now live in St. Louis, Mo where anything yiu grill is called BBQ, something that drives me insane. I maybe from the south but i have tried to smoke a shoulder with not so good results. I am going to give your recipes a try.
this is so good, intact Heavenly Good…
Great Job Alan!!
Maureen, I can only hope that one day my sons will cook something too…
For now if they eat properly without whole lot drama I am a happy mama….
I’d be darned if that’s not the MOTHER of all BBQ grills! (MOAB for short.) LOVE this post. I was introduced to Southern BBQ a few years back, on of our “Yankee” friends had perfected a method for pulled pork and his so far is hands-down the best I’ve had. I may have to invite myself to your son, now, tho. 🙂
now this is one of my favorite bbqers! man those this look good i bbq one like you once a month
best wishes alan
OH MY DROOL FEST! we love ourselves some BBQ in this house this looks amazing. Now I’m hungry!
Precisely the reason why I loved Austin, Texas — for it’s bbq’s! That looks so delish 😀
This looks AMAZINGLY delicious. I haven’t had a true pulled pork since we visited our family in NC years ago. Now I just need to buy a smoker. I love my crockpot, but it isn’t even close to the same thing!
Hello, my name is Paul and I am a blogger, (for my amusement primarily) and as of the last few months unmotivated to write much through the cold winter months in Utah. So as the weather has warmed up so have my interests.
Let me start by saying I think your son has a natural and entertaining way of writing and I think if he’s got the talent for it and I hope he gets a out door cooking blog going.
Now, on to the nitty gritty details…
I have never made pulled pork and I want to do it right. After scouring the internet I have decided your recipe is the most appealing for my first attempt. I am going to make your dry rub and your Mop sauce and I am even going to stay true to the mop sauce recipe by using old crow. I will post my efforts to create this fine looking dish on my blog (if your ok with that, I will fully credit your son for the recipe)
Frankly I am excited, this is new and who knows if I’ll be able to reproduce the mouth watering results that you have here. But it looks like a lot of fun and as I am new to the smoking world I am preparing myself and my smoker for a new delicious learning experience.
Sincerely yours,
Paul
PS~ I do wish I lived near Georgia to sample some fine company and good eats.
This post was wonderfully entertaining (not too long at all!) and the end results were BBQ perfection. Loved the kids helping out — looks like another generation of BBQ experts in the making! Maureen, you have a wonderful family!
Props for such a delicious looking recipe. I am definitely going to try that this weekend.
Oh Maureen I enjoyed this post right down to the very last bite! I’m so glad I found it on Pinterest. The only thing is, I can’t find you. Are you there, lol? Thank you so much much for sharing. Have a wonderful, delicious and safe weekend! Louise
I’m @orgasmicchef and my pins show Maureen Shaw 🙂
love me a good BBQ – this looks incredible!!
God, I love this post.
Thanks, Sherry!
I’ve been watching a show called ‘BBQ Pitmasters’ and this episode is about ‘Peach State Country Picnic’ and it’s a Pitmaster competition in Atlanta. I decided to Google Georgia BBQ and your post came up. What a great post on true GA BBQ. Not only does your son have a knack for BBQ, he tells a great story. Thank you very much for a great post!!
Hi John and thanks so much for stopping by and leaving a fantastic comment. I live in Australia but Alan and his family live in Atlanta and holidays are always tough. Your comment really made my day. Happy 2013!
Oh how this post makes me miss GA!!! I really enjoyed reading this and I’m really excited to try Alan’s methods. I use to live in Locust Grove, GA and Worked on Jonesboro Rd. in McDonough. Wish I would have found this article sooner so I could Have caught up with him. As an active duty Army Soldier I recently left GA and had to move to Fort Riley, KS. My Wife is from Savannah, and though I’m from Portland, OR. I now consider GA my home. Good People, Good BBQ, Good Times!! Send my best wishes and let him know he is free to shoot me an e-mail and we can BBQ when we are back there visiting!
Hi Jonathan, I’ve sent your comment to Alan and I hope he gets in touch. He LOVES making new friends and loves feeding them too! 🙂 I’m a very long way away but I remember Jonesboro Road and Locust Grove too!
I like big butts and I can not lie…and your butts look so yummy. I’m definitely trying your recipe/method when I smoke my next batch. Thanks for a droolworthy recipe.
Thanks PammyJo, at first I thought this was a spammy comment 🙂 Thanks so much for coming by!
Hi Maureen, today I’m collecting barbecue and grilling recipes Please drop me a line on ca4ole@gmail.com if you are ok with me linking to your post in my blog (Carole’s Chatter). Cheers
Holy moly this bbq is epic! We just slap a piece of rump on a grill and call it a bbq but I love the flavour combo and complexity of this, all the hard work is certainly worth the effort I’m sure! Amazeballs! x
Yep, reading this had me drooling – that is one epic BBQ recipe. I will try your bourbon mopping sauce this season. Cheers!
Hi BBQ Bob, nice to meet you and thanks for the kind comment!
My daughter requested Georgia style pulled pork this weekend. In the past she was at ft. Stewart and found out about pulled pork. I’m going to use your recipe, and have a great time with the family. It is the last weekend for our granddaughter here in San Antonio. They are getting ready to go to Kuwait for 2 years , but I have heard it’s not bad there . I do a lot of brisket , so think the pork will be great. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks, Mark and good luck to your daughter!
This looks amazing, I’m going to try it this week with my husband’s new smoker. (Hopefully I don’t break it!). Is there any way you would be able to ask your son an approx timeframe it takes for a pork butt to get to 195-205 degrees? I have no idea what kind of time frame I’m looking at and I don’t want to eat at 3am!
I don’t understand the parts on the ingredients
2 parts of sea salt how do I measure that if I am making 2 pork shoulders
it all depends upon how much rub you’re making. If you are using a measurement of a tablespoon, then you’d use two tablespoons of salt. If you’re using a 1/4 cup, then it would be a half cup of salt. That’s why the recipe is written that way so no matter how much you need to make, it’s all about the relationship of one ingredient to the others.
I followed this recipe today. This was hands down the BEST pulled pork we’ve ever had. AMAZING! We put it in the smoker at 10:00pm in a half pan, and throughout the next day, poured out the pork drippings. Siphoned off the fat, added tomato paste and brown sugar. The result was the best BBQ sauce! Thanks so much for sharing the step by step instructions, photos, and recipe!
I just wanted to say Thank you for this excellent recipe. I am a GA girl who loves cooking some pulled pork. Well my son-in-law just celebrated his retirement from 20 yrs of service in the Army and I fixed these for 60 people at the party. They were floored with how good and juicey they were. I followed your recipe to the T. I forgot to let you know until I got ready to smoke some tonight…. sooooo Thank you.
Wow! I’m very impressed!! 🙂
When you say 2 parts of this and one part of that for the rub, can you tell me what the parts are supposed to be? Tablespoon or half tablespoon or??? you get the point I hope.
Hi Joe,
Parts are whatever you want them to be. My family consists of two people but your family might be 8.
one part might be one cup.
so two parts would be two cups.
etc.
I think I used 1/4 cup as my part and had plenty of rub for the piece of meat I used. My son who would be smoking 20 pork butts at a time might use 2 cups as a part.
Hi Maureen,
Yes, I knew to smoking etc. and your post looks fab! But I need some help with the rub.
I’m embarrassed to ask but can you please educate me on the rub measurements? How much is 2 parts /1 part etc.? Is that cups?
Going to try this next week and looking so forward to it.
I’m so sorry I missed this. Parts are whatever you choose them to be, that’s because what I might make for John and me wouldn’t be enough if you have a family of 8.
one part = maybe one cup
that means two parts would be two cups
okay?
I don’t have mustard powder. Is it necessary! Also, where does the bourbon come into play? Making this for super bowl. Hope it turns out great!
Mustard powder is an ingredient I wouldn’t leave out if I were making it but if you don’t have any, it will only change the flavor a little bit.
You make the rub for the meat and the bourbon is in the mop sauce.
Fantastic recipe.
Love this recipe. Gonna try this weekend and im excited. Work in McDonough GA. Live nearby…. what a coincidence
Isn’t this cool. My son Alan *BBQ master) runs Maximum One Realty in McDonough so if you have BBQ questions, he’s the man to call. He would crack up and love every minute of it.
u should the recipe with out the bourbon in it what’s up
Loved this recipe! I know I’m a few years late finding it but I did. One question though if you are still monitoring this site….Does the bourbon go in the bbq mop and if it does (and I am guessing it does) when? Before or after the other mop ingredients are heated?
It goes in the mop sauce
Hi Maureen,
Thank you both for this BBQ recipe. I made it a few weeks ago and tasted great! Didn’t have bourbon then but plan to try it. Alan says it’s part of the mop sauce but it’s not listed under the Mop Sauce ingredients. Is it part of the mop or used in conjunction with the rub before going on the smoker?
Thanks
Jon
Thought this recipe looked good and worth trying after looking through all the ingredients. Absolutely lovers it! Normally put bacon wrapped poppers above the meat so they drip extra goodness while smoking. I make extra mop to mix in with the meat while I tear through it with my bear claws. My only complaint is the neighbors come out of the woodwork hoping I will throw some their way. Really good rub and mop. Thanks for sharing!