Pork butts, shoulders and picnics – When purchasing these cuts the fresher the better.

I only like to cook fresh, never frozen, meat.

I like to buy by the case so i can see the packing date.

Pork is best the fresher it is.

My preference in size is the bigger the better.

I also like to see a lot of fat content in the meat itself, if possible.

For contest it takes a minimum of 2 butts to get enough meat for turn-in.

Take the fat cap off and look to make sure that the gland is not left in the butt.

Take off as much fat as you can on the outside of the muscle.

My feeling is you have to inject if you want any chance of a decent score.

After prepping the brisket, pork is the next category you should work on.

Blend all injection ingredients until clear, for this recipe, it’s really considered a pickle.

Shoot/inject the butts with a Cajun injector until the butt is bleeding with the liquid everywhere.

Do this in a pan and let it sit in the pan until time to season.

Do this 4-8 hours before cooking.

Apply very liberally and rub in well.

Season just prior to cooking.

I put pork and brisket on together. Beef above pork. Cook the same time as brisket (6-8 hours at 180° F, or the “Smoke” setting, then switch to the 250° F setting for 4-6 hours) and look for 190° F internal temperature.

The main thing to look for is the bone getting loose.

If it starts to look crusty on the exterior, wrap in foil.

I mainly cook open though.