Expert: BBQ Woman - 7/1/2008

Question
QUESTION: i'm considering doing the above on an average, no frills charcoal grill; from viewing recipes, it appears they recommend moving coals to 1 side, cooking 4-6 hrs under closed grill, keeping grill temp low/medium, and not opening cover much; knowing how the coals burn down, then burn hotter if adding more, how does one keep the heat fairly constant when the strength of the heat source keeps changing?.is a grill thermometer needed?..other suggestions?

ANSWER: Hi,
I actually like no frills grills. I guess because they are just simple do the job and there are less parts to break on them.
Sometimes what I do is just push the coal off to all sides of the grill leaving the center open and I stick a foil pan in the bare spot with water or some people stick orange juice with some spices in the pan. You would stick the pork above the pan and this is to ensure the pork does not dry out during the long cooking process.

You are right you will need a grill thermometer to keep an eye on the temperature. Most grills even the no frill ones have a lever that you can open and close which acts as a method to raise and lower the temperature. Look at your grill and see if you have it. Some are on the cover, others on the side. If you do not see this feature you can still maintain temperature by raising and lowering one side of the lid. It will be tricky but not impossible maybe wedge up some foil to keep one side slightly open when necessary but be careful not to get burnt touching it use hand protection.

For me personally I would just start out with lump charcoal and add soaked wood chunks during the cooking process. The wood as it dries out turns into additional fuel to heat your grill. It also will add flavor. If you do not want a smokey taste to it then just use the lump charcoal. Its easy to light without the use of fire starters and will not alter the flavor in your cooking.

I hope this helps you.
Good luck and happy grilling,
Misty

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: so where do you put thermometer? what temperature am i looking to keep? ..i have top, back/inside vents--how do they affect heat temp? i'm familiar with the hardwood charcoal but it doesn't seem to last very long--with a 4-5 lb shoulder, which i'm assuming will take 4-5 hrs, i'll probably need to add coals every hr, no?..then doesn't that make the temp much hotter?..basting recommended? finally, what kind of wood chip would be the most "mellow"?..sorry for all the questions....

Answer
Hi,
You should attach a grill thermometer to your grill. Usually they are placed on the lid of the grill. If there is no spot to put it you might have to drill a hole in the cover and mount one.

The second thermometer you should have handy is a meat thermometer that you place in the meat to check for doneness.

Because you are slow cooking the roast and you will be adding and removing oxygen by opening and closing vents it will not burn as fast as if you were using a non covered direct grilling method.

You shouldn't really have to add allot more charcoal to it and when you do add just add one or two pieces at a time.

For the soaked hardwood part I would suggest hickory. Since this is your first time I would go conservative on the amount of wood you are sticking on top of the hot coals to smoke the meat. I would probably stick in one large chunk per hour. Remember that as the wood chunk is smoking it is also drying out and will turn into more fuel for your fire at some point.

Don't be sorry for all the questions. I enjoy helping people have a successful cooking experience. Ask me more if you still need to.

One of my favorite recipes for the type of meat you are cooking can be found at http://primalgrill.org/htdocs/pork%20shoulders.html
South Carolina pork recipe uses simple ingredients but is rich in flavor.

For basting you would use a mop sauce every 4 hours which is explained in the URL I supplied.

You want to cook the pork at 225 to 250 degrees for 4 to 6 hours or until the pork reaches an internal temperature of 195.
The final step is also important once you remove the pork allow it to sit for 20 minutes before slicing or pulling it.

Regards and Happy Grilling,
Misty