Can somebody tell me about pork shoulders and how to barbecue them?
Harry Jiles– The pork shoulder, which is the entire front leg and shoulder of the pig, is another of the traditional pork barbecue meats. The shoulder, or a portion of it, is usually used for pulled pork barbecue. Pulled pork is meat that is cooked so tender that the individual fibers of the meat can easily be pulled apart with your fingers. A pork shoulder is tailor made for barbecuing. Pork takes on smoke as readily as any meat there is, and there is enough fat in a shoulder to baste the meat and keep it moist during the long slow cooking process. Yet when the meat is done, almost all of the fat will have been rendered off, leaving wonderfully tender tasty pork. A whole shoulder usually weighs around 12-18 lbs. It might be difficult to find a whole shoulder in a supermarket. You might have to order one or go to a butcher or locker plant to find one. If you can’t find a whole shoulder, don’t despair. The shoulder is usually cut into two pieces, which are the Boston butt and the picni
