I have only had my Texas off-set smoker for a few weeks, and the weekends are the only time I have to devote the time required, so I’m on a learning curve. But having said that, I was very pleased with the outcome. I started with a boneless pork shoulder, skin on and weighing 2 kg (4 lb). I then made a dry rub with the following:

4 Tb salt

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 Tb ground cumin

1 Tb ground allspice

1 tsp ground cayenne pepper

I dry rubbed the pork shoulder and left overnight in the fridge. The next morning, I packed the smoke box of the smoker with hickory wood and kindling, set it alight, and let the fire cook down for about 2 h, until there was a substantial amount of smouldering chunks of wood and coal.  I then topped up the wood a bit, closed up the smoker and closed the flues somewhat to limit the burn of the wood and promote smoke. I then placed the pork shoulder in the main portion of the smoker, and smoked it uncovered for 4 h, maintaining the temperature around 100 C (210 F). I then wrapped the shoulder in baking paper and aluminum foil to limit moisture loss, and continued cooking for 3 h (my next try will be to cook uncovered for the full time to see the differences). After resting the pork for 1 h, I ‘pulled’ the pork apart with two forks. The pork was very moist but not dripping wet, very meaty and it had a nice smoke crust on the outside. My first meal with the pork was with fresh bavarian rye bread, a generous portion of pulled pork, and home-made chunky BBQ sauce, which was made with the following:

1/2 butter, unsalted

1 medium onion, minced

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 small can (8 oz, 220 g) whole peeled tomatoes

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

1/2 cup dark brown sugar

1 Tb ground cumin

1 Tb dried oregano

1/2 tsp dried rosemary

1 Tb ground sweet paprika

1/2 tsp ground cayenne pepper

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp salt

Saute the onion and garlic in the butter for a few minutes, then add the rest of the ingredients and simmer for about 1 h, until thickened.