In it's raw form, pork shoulder is no beauty contest winner. It looks like a gnarled clump of mangled muscle and fat with a bone in the middle. How could anyone expect to turn something like that into an edible product? The answer is fairly simple: Barbecue.

When cooked for a long amount of time over low heat, pork shoulder becomes one of the classic dishes in almost every BBQ joint in the US. Mix in some dry rub seasoning and pour on a sweet and sticky BBQ sauce and that humble cut of meat becomes a pulled pork sandwich that will have BBQ fans standing in line.

The only drawback to cooking slow and low BBQ is in the actual cooking process. Somebody has to keep an eye on the smoker and add fuel on a regular basis. Of course, backyard BBQ aficionados can avoid this, if they are cooking on the Big Green Egg.