Pork shoulder (also known as Boston butt) is a tough cut of meat that is undesirable to most people other than barbecue cooks. At roughly $1 per pound, typically a shoulder cut in half is sold in a 12-16 pound package. The proper way to smoke pork can take up to 24 hours and requires smoking experience and the right equipment.
My shortcut recipe takes about 10 hours of low maintenance time using a regular Weber grill and a crock pot -- a dish we serve two or three times a year typically for large gatherings. This shortcut does not achieve the balance of crispy and moist that a well smoked shoulder would, but is nonetheless a great dish and introduction to smoking without delving into the time and equipment necessary to maintain a steady 200 degrees F for up to 24 hours.
Ingredients and equipment:
- 1 Pork shoulder
- 1 jar mustard powder
- charcoal
- chunk hardwood (I use mesquite or our native pecan wood.)
- charcoal grill
- foil double loaf pan
- crock pot
- instant read thermometer
- BBQ sauce & buns
Typically I coat and rub the shoulder with mustard powder the night before. Doing so just before smoking will work fine. The purpose of the rub is to help form a "bark" which will seal the moisture in the meat while it's on the grill. There is no noticeable mustard flavor in the final product.
Indirect grilling - Prepare the grill with charcoal. When the coals are ready, place a foil double loaf pan in the center of the grill, surround with coals, and lay the wood chunks over the top of the charcoal.
Place the
shoulder fat side up over the pan. Place cover on with vents open and heavily smoke the meat for 2-3 hours. Additional wood need not be added.
Transfer the meat to a large crock pot and cook on high for approximately 7 hours. Check the internal temperature with an instant read thermometer. The temperature should reach 175 degrees F and the meat should fall off the bone and be easy to "pull" with two forks. Remove bone, turn crock to low and serve when desired.
Serve on buns with your favorite BBQ sauce.
