Luau Pork Shoulders in the Caja China

Hey all,

Roasted up 4 pork shoulders (6lb ea) in the Caja yesterday for my little girl’s birthday Luau. They came out great!

After bringing the shoulders to temp, I scored the fat cap and rubbed them with coarse sea salt and liquid smoke.

Then wrapped them in banana leaves (couldn’t find Ti leaves) tied with string, then wrapped in foil.

 

Roasted them for about six hours, maintaining a box temp of about 200d. Started with 16lbs of coals and added 5lbs every half-hour. That’s not exactly how the instructions read, but I’ve found the “every hour” thing caused dips in the heat, and I can maintain a more even 200 by adding less coals, more often. I used the racks and flipped the shoulders after about 4 hours. Then unwrapped them and peeled back the banana leaves to let the fat get crispy for the last half-hour.

 

Cooked to about 180d (would have cooked longer, but I had hungry guests waiting, lol) Chopped the meat and then mixed with a wash of 1/2 cup liquid smoke, 4 cups hot water,  1/4 cup Adobo Criollo spices, and 2 Tbs seasoned salt. I let that sit about 15 minutes, drained remaining liquid (most had been soaked up) and served.

I think the wash made it all much more flavorful, I will be be experimenting with different types in the future!