Number 1 grandson birthday party Saturday and today I melted fat by request. Party’s a good little drive away and we leave tomorrow. Not sure how many mouths will be fed but doubt any will go home hungry. Kicked off the heat with dry hickory and hardwood charcoal. When it got right added some green hickory limb cut fresh off a tree in the back yard. Just kept adding as it burned down. Did 6 hours in the smoke then double wrapped in foil and back on the grill for another 2 1/2 hours with the heat kicked up by more dry wood. We sneaked a shallow cut off the only picnic roast to sample for dinner and it was indeed fit to eat. The other 3 are large butts and expect the blade bones will just drop right out when it’s time to pull.

Made 3 similar yet different sauce recipes totaling about 4 gallons. Should be plenty for the party and the take homes. Was a busy day. Also had to take garbage to the transfer while shootemette watched the grill. And in the middle of it all I hit a few licks on a downstairs kitchen cabinet I’m redoing with a new countertop. In my spare time I learned to play the piccolo.

Cool.


Hogs aren't selling so well....I am going to be cooking lots of pork this year.

How did you season the pork?

Tell us about the sauces?

Looks good. I've been smoking pork since the mid-1960's when I ran my grandparents' commercial pit- - - -15-20 butts at a time.

Piccolo- - - - -is that anything like a skin flute? "Inquiring minds want to know!"

We baste with a vinegar & spice mix with a little oil. Spice is mostly garlic, salt and tabasco. The sauce is just a homebrew I’ve tweaked over the years. Tomato purée base, apple & white vinegar, a little mustard, some Worcestershire, and a top secret blend of spices. I also use a little molasses and Florida Crystals demerara raw cane sugar. One batch is more tart and less sweet, one is more sweet and more pepper, and one is sweet but with very little heat. Something for everybody.

Only skin was on the picnic roast and I cut it off !

Pork in its many forms is always delicious when done properly. 😊

Sounds familiar

Render your coals, keep a supply on hand, pit or stainless box, stay up with all night. Dogs, stars, beer!

Nice

Your pork sounds like it will definitely be good.

Set the pork on on the kitchen cooktop to cool and had to move it to the garage. Whole house smelled like hickory smoke. It’s an old family tradition though. My daddy, in my formative years, used to cook on a pit dug into a bank and lined with rock. Had an old grate of some sort he laid on top. Stayed with the fire until everything was done (after a hound we had dragged a side of ribs off one time) (thinking back on the way things were then mama probably washed it off and put it back on the coals).

Those Carolina style butts look great! It’s hard to beat smoking your own pig for an event like this.

Can’t cater such an event. Best to leave it to family

LIKE the pit. Is that poured concrete with rebar

8” and 6” block filled with concrete

Fried up some pork burgers tonight.

Beer?

would have taken at least a case for me in the olden days.

ps, when you going to put a coat of paint, or rust converter at least, on that trailer?

Sweet cooking rig you have going there too, did I mention that.

Just noticed the yeller dog about to P on the cooking wood. Smoke and baste at the same time? Is that oak?

To finalize the discussion, the barbeque was a big hit. Ended up with 3 big baking pans of pulled meat. Wasn’t enough left to make a decent sandwich. Probably 40 to 50 people some of which never had real hickory smoked pork. And more unfamiliar with home recipe sauce. Had several find me to say it was good, better, or best. Daddy would be proud of his boy

Your pork looks great. Your dad taught you well!

Only thing you might add is a side dish.
Potatoes
Onions
Carrots
Butter
Salt
Pepper
Slice each and add layer in a disposable aluminum pan. Salt and pepper and add butter to each layer.
Wrap in foil and add to a spare spot on the pit. No matter how good you wrap it the smoke will get in.
This makes a easy and good side dish.

Good smoking is good eats