[brewmichigan]

If you do brine the shoulders watch how much salt you put in the rub.  You can go overboard with doing both.

I was thinking of doing the brine mentioned above then putting a slight rub on as well. I would not add salt to the rub, just chile powder and maybe some garlic powder. I'll be doing this up north so I won't have my usualy pantry available to improvise on the spot or use my normal smoking methods. I'll get it to work though.

I also just got a notice from the local butcher he has a bunch of Tri-tip in for 7.99 a pound. Don't know if I can pass this one up!

[phillamb168]

Anybody own one of those Summit grill centers? Perhaps it'd be cheaper to build my own out of wood + SS weatherproofed sheeting interiors?

[euge]

A brine is perfectly acceptable for a pork butt or shoulder as the purpose is about flavor and preservation not retaining moisture. Roughly, in the solution you are going to want about 3% of total weight of the meat to be salt. The same with sugar. You can pump or inject the meat to speed things along.

As stated before then your rub will be without salt.

[markaberrant]

A brine is perfectly acceptable for a pork butt or shoulder as the purpose is about flavor and preservation not retaining moisture. Roughly, in the solution you are going to want about 3% of total weight of the meat to be salt. The same with sugar. You can pump or inject the meat to speed things along.

As stated before then your rub will be without salt.

Yup, I brined my pork shoulders last time I made them, using Flanders Red instead of water.  The vinegar and sour cherry flavours really compliment the pork.

I also do smoked hot wings this way.  Brine them with a Flanders Red base along with various peppers and hot sauces.  While they are smoking, I'll take the reserve brine, reduce it down while adding enough brown sugar to taste, then use this as a baste and final glaze.  Glorious stuff!

[Joe Sr.]

I got inspired by all the talk of brine and brined a shoulder in some root beer this weekend.  Tasty.

6 lbs brined with root beer and salt.  15 lbs with dry rub. 

No real flavor from the root beer, but it's damn tasty.  As are the other two shoulders.

We'll be eating pork for awhile.

[markaberrant]

I got inspired by all the talk of brine and brined a shoulder in some root beer this weekend.  Tasty.

6 lbs brined with root beer and salt.  15 lbs with dry rub. 

No real flavor from the root beer, but it's damn tasty.  As are the other two shoulders.

We'll be eating pork for awhile.

I've used root beer before in brines, marinades and sauces, never found it really added anything but a bit of generic sweetness, and I was very turned off by the scum that formed when I reduced it down one time.

I don't find that brining adds a whole lot of flavour per se, though my Flanders Red brine definitely adds a unique fruitiness.  I did 3 spatchcocked chickens this weekend, they were damn tasty.

[thebigbaker]

I may try doing a brine w/ my next shoulder, just to see if there is a difference.  I've done several competitions and have family in Alabama that are on some very successful competition BBQ teams and I've yet to meet any BBQers that do.  I remember attending a talk w/ Myron Mixon and Chris Lily and they each said that they thought doing a brine w/ a pork shoulder is a waste of time.  Then again, they are cooking under time constraints so doing a long brine just may not be in the cards for them.  I'll brine the shoulder and then move on w/ my normal routine of injecting w/ apple juice solution and putting on the rub and do another shoulder at the same time that is w/ out the brine.  I've got lots of volunteers to do a blind taste test to see what they think!

[euge]

I did lamb's breast this Labor day weekend. Salt-cured with oregano, garlic, dried onion, pepper and crushed red chile for two days. One day longer than I had planned...

Rinsed the meat, dried and set in the fridge uncovered to dry for a couple hours then into the smoker for 4 hours at 200F.

Served with pita-bread, tzatziki, Zergut Hot Peppertizer and dolmas made with fresh mint and dill. The meat was a bit salty but paired with the creamy sauce and bread it was perfect!

The leftovers went into a batch of boudin. Not sure if mint belongs in this style of sausage but darn tasty nonetheless!

[bluesman]

Sometimes simpler is best.

I took some fresh ground chuck roast (about 80/20) and gently formed some round patties about 5" round and 3/4" thick then seasoned them with Weber's hamburger seasoning on each side of the patty. Then grilled them over one chimney of charcoal on a Weber kettle to medium (doneness). Sear them on one side before flipping to cook the opposite side. The key here is only work the meat just enough to form them together (about 5 seconds contact time).  This method produces a fabulous grilled hamburger patty.  Freash and tasty.

BBQ 101 at it's finest!

[redbeerman]

Sometimes simpler is best.

I took some fresh ground chuck roast (about 80/20) and gently formed some round patties about 5" round and 3/4" thick then seasoned them with Weber's hamburger seasoning on each side of the patty. Then grilled them over one chimney of charcoal on a Weber kettle to medium (doneness). Sear them on one side before flipping to cook the opposite side. The key here is only work the meat just enough to form them together (about 5 seconds contact time).  This method produces a fabulous grilled hamburger patty.  Freash and tasty.

BBQ 101 at it's finest!

Can't beat a burger and a beer!

[euge]

I don;t know... I like hotdogs and beer.

[deepsouth]

Sometimes simpler is best.

I took some fresh ground chuck roast (about 80/20) and gently formed some round patties about 5" round and 3/4" thick then seasoned them with Weber's hamburger seasoning on each side of the patty. Then grilled them over one chimney of charcoal on a Weber kettle to medium (doneness). Sear them on one side before flipping to cook the opposite side. The key here is only work the meat just enough to form them together (about 5 seconds contact time).  This method produces a fabulous grilled hamburger patty.  Freash and tasty.

BBQ 101 at it's finest!

hard to beat fresh ground burgers.  this was a chuck roast, chuck eye, two strips and a pound of bacon, ground twice....





smoked then seared.

[Pawtucket Patriot]

Sometimes simpler is best.

I took some fresh ground chuck roast (about 80/20) and gently formed some round patties about 5" round and 3/4" thick then seasoned them with Weber's hamburger seasoning on each side of the patty. Then grilled them over one chimney of charcoal on a Weber kettle to medium (doneness). Sear them on one side before flipping to cook the opposite side. The key here is only work the meat just enough to form them together (about 5 seconds contact time).  This method produces a fabulous grilled hamburger patty.  Freash and tasty.

BBQ 101 at it's finest!

hard to beat fresh ground burgers.  this was a chuck roast, chuck eye, two strips and a pound of bacon, ground twice....





smoked then seared.

Dear Lord...you have the audacity to post picks of fresh ground bacon burgers but not the final product?!  My mouth is watering just imagining what it was like.   

[deepsouth]

i know right!  i had company from out of town coming in and i didn't get a chance.  plus we were dealing with important business....

[Pawtucket Patriot]

Given the gravity of the task at hand, I can't possibly fault you.