Newb needs ideas for Friday

I agree with the gang. Don't try something new when there is a crowd waiting

But, ribs for 20? What else is being served? If that's the only meat then you have to plan on half a rack per person. 10 racks is tight on a 22.5" WSM unless you have rib racks.

The easiest meat to cook for a crowd is pulled pork, and it is fairly hard to screw up. The biggest problem is not allowing enough time. If you want to try that, time you cook so that the pork will be done 4 hours before your want to serve. That way if it takes longer (most likely it will) you will still have a buffer.

A typical 8 lb. butt will yield 16 1/4 lb. sandwiches, so you'll need two butts that are at least 8 lbs each. If it were me I would cook them at 270 and plan 75 minutes per pound. But, that's just a guideline. The butts are done when your probe slides in easily, with little resistance, or when the bone wiggles free. When they are done wrap in HD foil and ut them in a dry cooler with some towels or newspaper for insulation until serving time. They'll be too hot to touch even after 4 hours.

Jr2bail said:

Thanks for all the input....you guys are great! Anything special I need to do regarding the butts? I see a bunch of great recipes so that should be pretty easy. Do I need to let sit out of the frige for a while first? I will definitely leave myself an extra 4 hours...good tip there. Is there a preferred type of bread?

Click to expand...

You can go as simple or complex as you want The Chris Lilly recipe for rub and injection comes out great, but a simple rub is good, too.

I like to inject and rub about 4 hours before cooking and let it sit in the fridge until I'm ready to put it in. I don't let butts come up to room temp. I just cook them out of the fridge.


Chris Lilly's Six-time World Championship Pork Shoulder

Recipe By : Chris Lilly of Big Bob Gibson's
About enough for 2 8-10 lb Boston Butts
Categories :

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
For the pork shoulder rub
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup paprika
1/3 cup garlic salt
1/3 cup kosher salt
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon oregano leaves
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon black pepper
-----------
Pork injection
3/4 cup apple juice
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup salt
2 tablespoons Worcestershire
------------
1 whole pork shoulder (approximately 16 pounds)
1 bottle Big Bob Gibson Championship Red Sauce (or substitute your favorite BBQ sauce)

Inject pork shoulder evenly with injection solution. Apply a generous amount of rub onto meat. Pat so the rub will adhere. Place in a smoker and cook with indirect heat for 16 hours on 225°F. Serve with sauce on the side or paint shoulder with sauce the last 20 minutes of cooking. When done, the pork should pull off the bones easily. The internal temperature of the pork should reach 195°F.