The third in Rick Rodgers's popular 101 series (see also Thanksgiving 101 and Christmas 101), Barbecues 101 is all the ammunition you need to fire up the grill and keep it going all summer long. Rodgers knows that a barbecue is "the ultimate relaxed get-together," and presents detailed, step-by-step instructions for everything from choosing your grill, firing it up, and using it to basic, foolproof recipes for grilling favorites like burgers and chicken. Named Outstanding Cooking Teacher of 1999
At markets in the squares of Italy, there is almost always a porchetta stand, with a whole pig turning on a mechanized spit. It's impossible to resist getting a sandwich of the roast pork, bursting with garlic and herbs. Back home, I devised a way to make it with a pork shoulder, a cut that gives very moist results. Note that the seasoned pork should be refrigerated overnight to infuse the meat with flavor.
Servings: 10 to 12
Indirect Grilling/ Medium Heat
MAKE AHEAD: Refrigerate the seasoned pork overnight before cooking.
4 cups oak wood chips, soaked in water for at least 30 minutes and drained
4 garlic cloves, peeled
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 cup chopped fresh rosemary
1 (5 1/2- to 6 1/2-pound) whole pork shoulder with skin and bone
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
The day before, chop the garlic. Sprinkle with the salt and chop and smear on a work board into a paste. Transfer to a bowl. Stir in the rosemary.
With the tip of a sharp thin-bladed knife, poke holes all over the pork, going through the skin about 2 inches into the flesh. Push the rosemary paste into the holes. Season the pork all over with the pepper. Place in a large plastic bag and refrigerate overnight.
Meanwhile, build a charcoal fire on one side of an outdoor grill and let it burn until the coals are covered with white ash and you can hold your hand just above the cooking rack for about 3 seconds (medium heat). Place a large disposable aluminum foil pan on the other side of the grill and fill halfway with water. In a gas grill, preheat on High. Turn one burner off, and adjust the other burner(s) to Medium. Place a large disposable aluminum foil pan over the off burner and fill halfway with water.
Lightly oil the cooking rack. Place the pork over the pan, skin side down. Sprinkle a handful of drained chips over the coals and cover. For a gas grill, place the drained chips in the metal chip holder. Or, wrap the chips in aluminum foil, pierce a few holes in the foil, and place the foil packet on the heat source. Cover the grill.
Cook until the pork is very tender and an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part not touching a bone reads about 185 degrees F, 5 to 6 hours. Every 40 minutes, turn the pork, and add 10 unignited briquettes and a handful of drained chips to keep the grill temperature at about 300 degrees F. For a gas grill, just add more drained chips about every hour. (If your grill doesn't have a thermostat on its lid, place an oven thermometer next to the meat to get a reading.)
Transfer the meat to a platter and let it stand for about 15 minutes. Carve across the grain, discarding the rind, and serve hot.
