The rain let up just as the pork hit the stall, so I set the slow cooker on high, threw in some sliced onions and a few tablespoons of apple juice, and watched some old BBQ Pitmasters episodes. Four hours later, it hit an IT of 195, so I pulled the pork, hit it with a butane torch to firm up the bark (added a little more rub here and there), then poured the liquid from the slow cooker into a saucepan. I added some water, apple juice, and a tablespoon each of brown sugar and my BBQ sauce to make a little broth for a new Japanese dish,
baabekyuu-don. I pulled the pork into large pieces, then sliced it into bite-size chunks, served it over white rice along with the onions, and added a spoon or two of the broth. No extra barbecue sauce.
The family seemed to go for it, and said I should make it again sometimes (meaning "instead of straight BBQ"). It was pretty good. Afterwards, I put a piece of the pork on a piece of white bread, and wow, some of the best pork shoulder I've made so far. Some of the pork that was in the bottom of the slow cooker got a tad soggy, so next time, I'll try to remove some of the liquid as it builds up.
The portable burner method seemed to work pretty well. A bit easier than charcoal, actually. I used a good amount of cherry wood, which got me enough flavor and a little smoke ring to boot.
