Meaty Overlord

Hello my esteemed friends and visitors, the Wizard is back with some more meat musings. I know the subject may be getting a little tired by now and you are probably wondering what has come over me, but there is method to my madness. As I mentioned previously, our yard is a veritable mosquito heaven during the warmer months. Now that the chilly weather has snuffed our their lives, I can reclaim my dominion over all things backyard. The most sacred and revered backyard tradition is, of course, cooking meat over a fire. Since I have a limited time to bone up(pun intended) on my BBQ skills, I must take advantage of the opportunity while I can. This week I am focusing on furthering my meat smoking repertoire by graduating to the pork shoulder. This is perhaps the signature cut for all smoking aficionados and one of the most rewarding when done properly. The task began at Sam's Club yesterday. Wifey has recently procured a membership from the warehouse giant and I spotted some reasonably priced cuts ideal for smoking. The whole shopping experience was a little surreal and unfamiliar, as I had not been to Walmart's evil cousin in over a decade. I cannot recount the number of strange glances I received while standing in line with only two items. The cashier was practically incredulous--"It that ALL?". The clientele was also an odd mixture of characters. Overall an interesting experience. The smoking commenced at 9:15 this morning and should continue all day. Stay tuned for all the juicy(once again, pun intended) details.