Fennel Garlic Pork Shoulder

Fennel Garlic Pork Shoulder with Worcestershire Mop
Serves 10 to 20

This mop recipe is a gift from my good friend, Pat Burke, who is a legend in barbecue. The mop not only keeps the meat moist while cooking, it adds tanginess to the finished dish. Thank you, Pat!

What you need:
1 quart Worcestershire Mop (recipe to follow)
1 (8- to 10-pound) bone-in pork shoulder, trimmed
½ cup Fennel Garlic Rub (recipe to follow)

What to do:
Prepare the Worcestershire Mop. Keep warm until ready to use.
Dust the pork shoulder evenly overall with the Fennel Garlic Rub. Refrigerate, uncovered, overnight.
When you are ready to cook, heat the smoker to 300 degrees F pit temperature. Alternatively, heat the grill to 300 degrees F, using the 2-Zone setup, with 5 to 6 chunks of your favorite wood, in addition to the charcoal or gas.
Place the pork shoulder in the smoker, or on the cool side of the 2-zone grill, close the grill lid, and cook 1 hour, then baste with the Worcestershire Mop. Continue to cook 3 hours with the lid closed, basting the shoulder again every 30 minutes.
At the end of 4 hours, wrap the shoulder tightly in heavy-duty aluminum foil and return it to the smoker, or to the cool side of the grill. Continue to cook at 300 degrees F for 2 ½ to 3 1/2 hours, checking the temperature after 2 ½ hours with a meat thermometer. The meat will be done when a thermometer placed in the thickest part of the shoulder reads an internal temperature of 195 degrees F.
Serve the pork sliced, chopped, or pulled.

Worcestershire Mop
recipe from Pat Burk
Yields a generous 1 ¼ quarts

What you need:
1 quart apple cider vinegar
¼ cup kosher salt
1/8 cup white pepper
¼ cup Worcestershire sauce
¼ cup hot sauce, your favorite brand
4 ounces (1/2 stick) unsalted butter

What to do:
In a 2-quart saucepan over medium heat, combine the vinegar, salt, white pepper, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, and butter and whisk until the butter melts. Bring the pot to a simmer, whisking constantly, then immediately remove from the heat and pour the mop into a lidded heatproof container. Keep warm until you are ready to use; or cool the sauce completely at room temperature, and refrigerate in an airtight container until ready to use.

Fennel Garlic Rub
Yields a generous ¾ cup

What you need:
½ cup kosher salt
¼ cup cracked black pepper
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1½ teaspoons granulated garlic
2 teaspoons freshly cracked fennel seeds

What to do:
In a small bowl, mix all ingredients together thoroughly. Store in an airtight container until ready to use.