Tag Weldon
Memphis, TN


1 fresh pork shoulder (12-14 pounds, well trimmed)

Immerse in large pot boiling (simmering) for 20 minutes. (If it can't be covered completely, 20 minutes per side). Place 25-30 briquettes (half charcoal briquettes and half mesquite) on open end of the grill. Light and cook down briquettes to a grey covered ash. Then place shoulder skin side down back end of the grill -- Hock end towards charcoal. Open both bottoms vents all the way. The top vents should be opened a quarter inch. The back vent may have to be adjusted keep the fire going and confine smoke as much as possible. Tend the fire every 30 minutes adding 3-5 briquettes as needed. To test the fire (heat) place bare hand over back vent if you can hold it there for more than 10 seconds the fire is too cold. Using a bent wire poke dead ash from under the fire out of the way of the vent, to keep air circulating. Usually 12-18 hours to cook or until flat bone can be twisted and removed without difficulty. Also, the leg bone should move in joint without difficulty. Baste with mop last couple of hours cooking with sauce of your own choosing. The sauce should be thin (laced with lots of white vinegar to achieve a thin consistency).