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Who doesn’t love a juicy, succulent, and deliciously cooked pork shoulder? That moment when you run the knife through the tender meat and it falls apart like butter is simply everything you can ever ask for. Not to mention, the beautiful aroma of smoked meat that fills the air. It’s heavenly. In this article, we are going to teach you how to smoke pork butt.

The smoked pork shoulder can be used in so many different recipes to create amazing delicacies. It can be pulled and put inside sliders and tacos, sandwiches.

The list of dishes you can make with pulled pork is literally endless. It is so easy to make and the ingredients needed for the recipe are readily available.

However, you do need a have of patience for it does take a sweet long time to get prepped and cooked. But patience has its rewards and you will be amazed by the result once you are done with the cooking.

So, let’s not waste any more time and dig straight into the recipe and get on with the prepping and cooking of the meat.

Pork Shoulder Preparation

It is very important that the meat is well prepared before you even begin the process and proceed further with this recipe. First thing first, choose the right meat. Start with getting a pork shoulder that is fresh and of the right size. Choose a shoulder that weighs around 8-9 pounds.

It might be a bit more tricky to cook a size bigger than this. The larger size of porks tends to get cooked way too fast on the outer surface whereas the inside of the meat still remains undone. So choose the correct size of meat before you begin cooking.

Once you have the desired portion of meat, you are all set for the marination process.

You’ll get a much better result and taste if you marinate the pork overnight. Apply a generous amount of mustard before you rub the meat with the dry BBQ mixture.

The mustard will create a layer around the pork where the rub will stick better and coat the entire piece of meat. Once you have coated it with the mustard paste, let’s prep some quick BBQ mixture.

Pork Shoulder Rub Recipe

This is my personal favorite mix to smoke meat. All you need is a pinch of salt, cayenne pepper, cumin powder, chili powder, rosemary, thyme, dill and just a pinch of brown sugar.

Rub the mixture and make sure the entire meat is completely covered with it. You can always add in any other ingredient as per your taste and desire to the mix.

Then take a plastic wrap and fold the meat with it and put it in the refrigerator. Just remember to take it out an hour before you smoke it.

How To Smoke Pork Butt

It’s the next day and the pork shoulder is all prepped up and well marinated to be cooked. It is very important to bring your cooking pit to the correct temperature before you put the meat on it to cook.

Once the pit is heated up you can go ahead and place the beautifully marinated pork shoulder on the pit with the bone side facing down.

Related: Smoked pork loin recipe

Cook the meat at a temperature of 250 degrees Fahrenheit for about an hour for each pound. It is very important that you place the meat with its bone at the bottom for this will help form the rendered fat which will keep the meat moist.

Once you begin the cooking process, just leave the pork alone and let the heat do all the magic. I don’t even prefer flipping it or turning it size wise while it is cooking. Flipping it will damage that beautiful crust that will be forming on the outer surface of the meat.

While the meat is cooking, prepare a quick mop with apple cider vinegar and oil. Apply the mop on the meat surface every 45 minutes till the meat is cooked. It will not allow the meat to get dried up and hold the moisture and all the juices in while also tenderizing it.

The trick here is to smoke the chunk of meat for about an hour for every pound till the temperature of the pork is about 185 degrees from the inside.

Once you are done smoking the meat for about 7 hours, take out a piece of foil and wrap the meat in it and keep it on the pit for another hour. This wrapping method will help to cook the meat better from within.

How Long to Smoke a Pork Butt

It is very important to figure out the right time to stop the cooking process. When you are cooking such a large portion of meat it is vital to understand whether the meat is fully cooked not only from the outside but also from the inside.

There are amazing tools available to read the temperatures of the meat and see whether it is well cooked. I prefer to take it out of the pit once it reaches about 180-190 degrees.

If you want sliced pieces of the pork shoulder 180 degrees will be just enough for it. But if you are looking for tasty shredded meat to put in tacos and sliders and nachos then just wait a little bit more till the thermometer shows 190-200 degrees.

Trust me you will be amazed at how amazing the result turns out to be. You will have a beautifully flavored pork shoulder with a crunchy surface and tender, juicy meat inside and your knife will just slide through the meat like butter.

Conclusion

It really cannot get any simpler than this, can it? All that you need to keep an eye on is maintaining the temperature at which the pork is cooking.

It is important that the meat is cooked uniformly at a certain temperature in order to be evenly cooked. You can always experiment with the flavors and add your favorite mix to the rub.

Then all you have to do is invite your friends over and have an amazing piece of perfectly cooked pork and enjoy a great time. You can BBQ some vegetables or make potato mash and salads to complement the meat.

You can even make sliders with pulled pork and add in some BBQ sauce for some more flavor.

Do you enjoy our best smoked pork shoulder recipe? Let us know below!

Smoked ribs have become an American Institution just like baseball and the 4th of July. Nothing beats a barbecuing session in your backyard with some friends and family. Good thing, it quite easy to make smoked ribs with or without a smoker. Here is how to smoke ribs to have your guests begging for more.

There are several ways to prepare smoked ribs, and they all need a smoker. You have the option of leaving the ribs open or wrapping them as they cook. It all depends on your preference.

You need to use a rub or a sauce or even opt to leave out the sauce. The smoker is great to cook the ribs because it leaves them tender both on the outside and the inside.

For a crispy exterior, you will just need to finish cooking them over high heat. Whichever method you decide to use, there are standard equipment as well as ingredients you will need.

Here Is What You Will Need

The first thing you will need is a traditional barbecue meat smoker. If you do not have one, you can opt to use a charcoal grill, gas grill or the oven in your kitchen.

If you are using the smoker, you have to make sure that you have a lot of fuel because this is going to be a long cooking process. You will need to have your charcoal and even wood chunks in place that will help you control the level of heat.

A meat thermometer will also come in handy as well as a heavy duty aluminum foil and a large knife as well. If your knife is dull the knife sharpener guy always advises you to sharpen your knife.

You will, of course, need a rack of ribs, the rib rub and not forgetting the barbecue sauce that is if you intend to have barbecue sauce on your ribs.

Prepping the Smoker

Before you put your ribs on the smoker, you have to prepare the smoker for several hours before time. To make sure that it has the right temperature. Prep the smoker 6 hours before cooking to the temperature of around 220 F.

You will also want the smoker to have strong smoke when you start cooking as well as the end of your cooking. To have smoke from the smoker, you will need to add wood chunks to the fire before you place the ribs on the smoker.

When you have the fire going, you will need to adjust the smoker to the right temperature. When you do this, it is now time to start prepping the ribs.

Prepping the Ribs

It is very crucial to have the right rack of ribs. When you get your ribs, you need to look go a full rack that is even throughout in thickness.

If you get a rack that is thick on one side and thin on the other, it will not cook evenly. Due to the nature of the ribs, you will obviously not get a rack that is even on both sides. All you need to do is look for a rack that is not too lopsided.

Related: How To Smoke Chicken

When you get the ribs home, you will have to work on them a little. The first thing you need to do is trim the ribs. This means that you cut away any loose pieces of meat because they will dry out while cooking.

When trimming you need to remove the membrane as well.  This is the most important part of trimming because it ensures that the meat will cook evenly.

The membrane is the layer of skin on the bone sided part of the rack. The membrane is a sturdy material that if left on will block the smoke from reaching the meat. Also when cooked in low temperature it will be tough and distract the eating process.

After that, you will need to apply the rub. The rub is the source of flavor for the ribs. You will need to use the rub just before you put it in the smoker.

The rub is made of a spice mixture will give the ribs the flavor throughout the cooking process. You can choose a sweet rub, a spicy rub or a savory rub; the choice is all yours. It is also important to note that the spicy flavors will mellow during the cooking time so you will need to make your rib extra spicy.

Also, remember not to put the rub too early before placing it on the smoker because it falls off in most cases. After you are done with putting on the rub place it on the smoker.

How Long To Smoke Ribs

The standard time to cook the ribs is anywhere between 7 to 8 hours. You can decide to have the ribs on the smoker without wrapping them for the whole seven hours, but you if you would like to cover them you will need to place them on the smoker for 3 hours unwrapped the wrapped them tightly with the heavy duty foil for 2 hours. Then for the last hour unpack them.

How to Tell Them When The Ribs Are Done

There are several ways in which you can check if the ribs are done. The most common one is to check if the bones are peeking out. If you see about a quarter inch of the bones which is referred to as the pullback along the slab. This is a good indication that the ribs are ready.

Related: How To Smoke Brisket

A thermometer should ready between 185 and 203 degrees depending on your desired level of tenderness.

Another way to check if your ribs are done is to bend the slab of ribs using a pair of tongs or gloves. Pick the slab and bend it making a U shape. There should be a crack or a separation if the ribs are done.

Another method to use is probing. With this method, the chefs put a skewer between the bones, and if there is minimal resistance and the skewer pulled out cleanly then the ribs are done.

Others use the tasting method to check if the ribs are done.

Conclusion

Making the perfect smoked ribs is an art. If you find that you make some mistakes with your initial trials, then you need to recognize where you made a mistake and improved it the next time you are making your ribs.

The more you practice the better you will be at it. Use the tips above to get the best smoked ribs.