I have been drooling all over the May issue of Gourmet magazine for the past month. Been dying to replicate the cover. Reading the recipe over and over again, in order to get the “slow grilling technique” down to a T. Invited 3 couples over and planned a big BBQ-a-thon.

Lenny really wanted to get a bike ride in and since the cooking is really my “thing” I let him, as long as he cleaned when he got home. The entire process started so smoothly, from getting the perfect Pork “Butt” shoulder from Marin Sun Farm, to scoring the fat (I have never done that, I usually rip the stuff off). In order to serve our 7 hungry friends and their kids, I had to start the process around 10 am, no later than 11am. Nothing like waking up your neighbors with the smell of a grill starting up. Needless to say, I was really excited. Got the little pig butt on the grill and started rest of the meal – home made hamburger buns, 3 bean salad, traditional coleslaw, homemade chocolate ice cream and a berry dessert. It was all coming along so nicely, basting every 30 minutes, re-stoking the grill to keep the heat going, the pig was looking PERFECT! Even the hamburger bun dough was fantastic. What a great evening of food it was going to be.

230pm – just as I turn away from putting the salads in the fridge and am thinking it is time to baste the little piggie, I see a HUGE PUFF of smoke coming from the grill – HOLY SHIT. I run outside. Lift up the cover and my heart sinks when I find a ball of charcoal on the grill. Between the “perfect” stage at 200pm and the next basting at 230pm, it caught fire and turned into a big black lump. Put the temperature gauge in, big surprise, perfect temperature, “IT WAS DONE”! Carried it into the house and just set it on the counter. Maybe some of it was edible ………………

Then I moved on to putting the buns in the oven. They were raised and looked just like buns, could not wait for at least part of the meal to be perfect. Carefully started removing the oiled wrap from the tops – stuck, deflated buns …. NO BUNS! So far, burnt pork and no buns. By this time it was 300pm and I did not know if I should panic, come up with Plan B or just order pizza!

Plan B – call Lenny, have him pick up buns and a couple pounds of ribs! Salvage what pork I could and make the best of it.

In the end it all came together nicely….. Great Friends, just enough pork for everyone to try a sandwich and ribs to further fill oneself up on. The pulled pork was moist, flavorful and tasty. I definitely liked the vinegar and chilie pepper sauce that you poured over the top of the meat and the bun with the slaw on it. Well, I make it again, you bet your “pork butt”, we will! Already thinking of when we can…..