Smoked Pork Butt, Baby Back Ribs and a Big Black Furry Creature from Mars?

Big Black Furry Creature from Mars

Hauntingly Beautiful...
Is it a meteorite or something more sinister?  If you know BBQ this smokey bark is a work of art.  Besides patience and waking up way too early, smoked pork shoulder couldn't be easier.

Big Black Furry Creature From Mars - Pork Butt (Shoulder)

5 pound-ish Pork Shoulder

Meathead's Memphis Dust  (yields about 3 cups, so plenty to save for other rubs)
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup spanish paprika
1/4 cup kosher salt
1/4 cup garlic powder
2 tablespoons ground black pepper
2 tablespoons ginger powder
2 tablespoons onion powder
2 tablespoons rosemary powder (I love rosemary -  original  recipe calls for 2 teaspoons)


Trim most of the fat from the shoulder.  Leave no more than 1/8 an inch of fat. Tie with butcher twine (or else it will fall apart) Thoroughly wash the pork shoulder and pat dry with paper towels.  Cover your butt (cough) with 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil.  Completely cover with 1/3 cup of Meathead's Memphis Dust, wrap and refrigerate for at least 12 hours.

Heat your smoker to 225°F and add your pork butt.  For the first 2 to 3 hours add 1/4 cup of the wood of your choice every 30-45 minutes as needed.  For this cook I used Apple Wood and it turned out wonderful!  Allow 1.5 to 2 hours per pound of meat as you smoke.  The temperature will rise steadily until you reach about 160°F.  Around that temperature welcome to "the stall" or "the zone."  You may stay within 10°F for up to 2 hours.  Don't crank your heat, be patient!  This is the magical stage where fats and muscles are melting into pure goodness.  Once your digital thermometer (positioning the tip right in the center. Not touching the bone or within 1/2 inch) hits 190°F it is time to check your butt.  If there is a bone, wiggle it. If it turns easily and comes out of the meat, the magic has occurred  and you are done. If there is no bone, use the "stick a fork in it method". Insert a fork and try to rotate it 90 degrees. If it turns with only a little resistance, you're done.  All butts are not created equal.  If your shoulder doesn't pass this test, reduce the heat to 190°F and cook up to one more hour.

That's it... patience an excellent rub and consistent temperature.

We shredded our pork, added our homemade BBQ sauce (wasn't that great - won't bore you with recipe)  accompanied by our homemade rolls.

Basic Roll with Basil, Rosemary and Thyme

Oh.....  we also made Scrumdiddlyumptious Baby Back Ribs!

Thoroughly wash the ribs and pat dry with paper towels.  Cover your ribs with vegetable oil.  Add 2 tablespoons per slap of Meathead's Memphis Dust.  Cover and refrigerate overnight. Heat your smoker to 220°F and add your ribs, allow 5 to 6 hours for St. Louis Cut (SLC) ribs and 3 to 4 hours for baby back ribs..  For the first hour add 1cup of the wood of your choice every 30 minutes.  For this cook I used Hikory.  Allow 1.5 to 2 hours per pound of meat as you smoke.

To test your ribs use the the bend test.  Pick up the slab with tongs and bounce it gently. If the surface cracks, it is ready.

At this point purists will say your ribs are done.  Personally at this stage I fire up my grill on high.  Apply a thin layer of my favorite BBQ sauce and put on the grill.  Please pay close attention to the grill because sweet sauce can go from charred to carbonized before you realize it!

Pork Butt, Baby Back Ribs, a simple bun, BBQ sauce and heck throw in some mashed potatoes.  You will be the hero of your Cul-de-sac!  Take a bow.