It’s a cook’s axiom that more flavorful meat comes from the animal’s tougher, more muscle-bound and sinew-riven cuts.

Such is the case with pork shoulder, an inexpensive part of the pig due to its varied musculature, ample fat and copious connective tissue. But therein lies its deliciousness: with long, slow cooking, especially over coals or outdoor flame, all those so-called “negatives” melt into positives.

As it cooks over several hours, that fat and collagen baste the meat, both moistening the whole as well as gelatinizing into unctuousness.

Here are two rubs for your pork shoulder recipe, destined to be cooked by the “indirect method” on an outside grill. I devised the Mediterranean seasoning to capture the aromas and flavors of both the sea’s northern rim of southern France and Italy (the herbs and garlic especially), as well as its southern side along the coast of northern Africa (the lemon and all those succulent seeds).

In addition, I include a wet rub heady with chiles, in the Central and North American way.

You might find these recipes a bonus for your special barbecues this summer, for Juneteenth, July 4th, Labor Day weekend, even Colorado Day which is August 1st — or, indeed, for any cooking on the outdoor grill the summer ahead.

Great side dish for your grilled pork shoulder recipe

Of the recipes for the two side dishes, “Colorado Coleslaw” — perfect for Colorado Day, right? — has an interesting history.

It came to me from an Illinoisian, Bill Richards, of St. Charles, Ill. “My mom and stepdad would take a train out to California to visit his sister in the Bay Area,” he says. “One year they drove out there, instead, and, going through Colorado, they diverted to a dude ranch there. They had this coleslaw for lunch.

“It came from a cookbook that they gave me called ‘Chuck Wagon Cookin’,” says Richards. “It’s ideal for chuck wagon days before the days of refrigeration because it will keep for days without breaking down. The honey and vinegar retard bacterial and microbial growth.”

“It’s one of my favorite recipes,” he says. “Everybody just loves it when I make it.”

Smoked and grilled pork shoulder with Mediterranean seasonings

Serves 6-8.

Ingredients

1 6-7 pound bone-in pork shoulder with fat cap, skin-on if possible

1 teaspoon black peppercorns

1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds

1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds

1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds

1/2 teaspoon fennel pollen (optional)

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (for example, Urfa, Aleppo, or Mexican)

1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves

1 teaspoon fresh sage leaves

1/2 teaspoon fresh rosemary needles

1/2 teaspoon dried Mediterranean oregano

Zest or peel from 1 lemon

8 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped

Juice from 1 lemon

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon salt

Directions

Using a mortar and pestle or molcajete, roughly break up the peppercorns. Add the cumin, coriander and fennel seeds and grind them also, but merely roughly. Add the fennel pollen, if using, and the red pepper flakes and grind up a bit. Set aside.

Very finely mince the thyme and sage leaves, rosemary needles, oregano, lemon zest or peel and the garlic and blend. In a bowl, add the ground-up spices and seeds, the lemon juice and the olive oil and salt. Make of everything a thick and well-blended paste.

Rinse off the pork shoulder and lay it fat-side down and trim off any unwanted globs of fat or sinew. Turn it fat-side up and make a crosshatch pattern of 1-inch squares into the fat (but not cutting down into any meat or muscle). Using a paring knife, make a dozen or more deep slits into the meat all around.

Slather the flavoring paste all over the pork, on both sides, pushing some of it into the slits made with the knife and into the crosshatch cuts. Place the shoulder, fat-side up, on a non-reactive sheet pan or tray, cover tightly with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator overnight.

When ready to cook, remove the pork from the refrigerator and allow it to come to room temperature (1 hour or so). Prepare a grill that has a cover and that allows for both direct as well as indirect cooking (coals or flame to one side).

Place a disposable aluminum tray next to the coals, if using charcoal, and pour into it 3 cups of water (or low-sodium chicken broth). Replace the grate and place the pork, skin-side up, on the grate over the tray.

Place an oven thermometer on the cool side of the grate, close up the grill, keeping all vents open, and slowly cook the pork, skin-side up for nearly the entire time, maintaining a temperature of 250 degrees. (You well may need to add a few pieces of charcoal every hour or so in order to maintain the heat. Do not allow any coals to find themselves directly under the pork. If you wish, flip the pork around a couple of times.)

When the thickest part of the pork, not touching the bone, reaches an internal temperature of 190 degrees—anywhere from 4 to 7 hours—remove the pork and keep it warm under a foil tent. Allow it to sit for 1 hour before cutting it into large cubes or shredding it with two forks or protected hands.

Smoked and Grilled Pork Shoulder with Red Chile Paste: For all the flavorings above, substitute a paste made in a processor of 2 tablespoons each kosher or sea salt; freshly ground black pepper; 6 each seeded, stemmed and rehydrated guajillo and arbol peppers; 6 fresh seeded and de-veined Fresno peppers; 10 cloves peeled garlic, 1/2 peeled, chunked white onion, 1 bunch cilantro, 2 inches cut off the lower stems and 6 tablespoons apple cider vinegar. Proceed with all else in the recipe.

Smoked and Grilled Pork Belly: You may substitute an equal weight of pork belly, available at Asian markets or from specialty butchers, for the shoulder of this recipe. (Indeed, you might barbecue 3-4 pounds of each.) Every step in the directions applies throughout, except there will be no bone with the belly meat.

Watermelon and tomato salad with feta and mint

Adapted from cooking.nytimes.com. Serves 6-8.

Ingredients

1 small seedless watermelon, cut into 1 1/4-inch cubes

4-6 large tomatoes, ideally heirloom varieties, cut into 1 1/4-inch cubes, when cut up in equal measure to the watermelon cubes

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons sherry vinegar

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 cup feta cheese, torn into large crumbles

16-20 leaves of mint, cut crosswise into chiffonade (thin ribbons)

Directions

Combine the cubed tomatoes and watermelon in a large, nonreactive bowl and toss gently to combine. Add salt and let stand 5 to 10 minutes while you prepare the dressing.

Whisk together the oil and vinegar and season with salt and pepper to taste. Add the cheese to the tomatoes and watermelon, then the dressing, and toss gently to combine.

Serve, garnished with the mint chiffonade.

Colorado Coleslaw

Originally from a booklet called “Chuck Wagon Cookin’.” Transcribed by Bill Richards, Geneva, Illinois. Serves 12-20 depending on portion size. Prepare 3 days in advance of service. The slaw keeps refrigerated for weeks.

Ingredients

1 small (2-ounce) jar pimientos, diced

1 medium (about 2 pounds) green cabbage, finely shredded

1 medium white onion, peeled and diced

1 medium green or red bell pepper, seeded and diced

For the dressing:

1/2 cup honey

2/3 canola or mild olive oil

1 cup white vinegar

2 tablespoons sugar (may substitute stevia)

2 teaspoons salt

Directions

Prepare the slaw 3 days in advance. In a large glass or stainless steel bowl, combine the pimientos, cabbage, onion, and bell peppers and mix well. Combine all the dressing ingredients in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, not stirring, and pour over the cabbage mixture.

Immediately place in the refrigerator and seal the bowl well with plastic wrap or aluminum foil. Leave alone for 3 full days. After 3 days, mix to blend all the ingredients. Serve.

Reach Bill St. John at [email protected]