Picnic Shoulder with Kansas Friends

Matt and I love cooking (obviously) and one of our biggest challenges is the concept of cooking for two. It's a concept because in theory it's great - in practice it never works. You end up eating 3x the portion doing drive-bys all night long. Yikes.

The solution? Share with the ones you love! Viva la Saturday night supper with friends!!

Loaded up at Walmart - when you live in the country, this is your go-to market!

We believe the biggest factor of cooking a successful meal for a group has to be the consideration of those you are cooking for. Does anyone have allergies? What kind of meals do they typically eat? Do they like spicy food?

After careful thought, Matt was struck with inspiration of what to cook for his best friend's family: A smoked, BBQ glazed, pork shoulder.

This recipe is perfect for a group. It has a crispy bark and beautiful smoke ring. The meat is juicy and tender. The finishing notes are slightly sweet which balances the savory pork.

Our second tip for a successful hosting is food prep! This meal worked well because it allowed Matt to slow cook the pork all day outside while I made twice baked potatoes ahead of time. We chopped the salad and prepared the appies in the afternoon so we could spend time with everyone when they arrived!

We had a beautiful sunset on deck and refused to be stuck inside while the magic happened! (Seriously - our sunsets are epic ... We could devote a whole page to them)

"Guys? Is that pork for me?" - Captain.

While that's happening ... Make some twice baked smashies!

Twice baked smashies are a staple at The Rose household. Matt's brother, Tom, may make the best smashies I've ever enjoyed. I don't even want to know how much butter he uses ...

We make these ahead of time and let them sit at room temp. Pop them in the oven at 350 twenty minutes before supper and they're good to go.

While your smashies rest and your pork roasts, take some time to play with your toys! #bullseye

Ingredients


Picnic Shoulder (bone in)

Head of garlic, cloves whole and peeled

Hickory smoking chips

Olive oil


Salt & Pepper

Optional: Apple Honey BBQ sauce




Fire up the coals and get the grill to 300 degrees. Add water soaked smoking chips to the coals. Monitor the grill to maintain an even temp. Periodically add more smoke chips as needed.

Stab pork and insert whole garlic cloves into center. Rub with olive oil and season liberally with salt and pepper. During the last hour of cooking baste with BBQ sauce of your choice.

Internal temp of pork should read 145 degrees. Times will vary depending on size.

Slice and nom nom

When the feast is all said and done, enjoy a fire and a glass (or three) of wine