Best Smoked Pork Shoulder Recipes

SLOW SMOKED PORK SHOULDER WITH NAPA CABBAGE SLAW AND QUESO FRESCO

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the thyme, garlic, onions, ancho chile powder, brown sugar, cumin, coriander, orange juice, lime juice, 1/2 water and chipotle, and cook until the sugar is dissolved. Remove from the heat and let cool. Put the pork in a large pan and pour over the marinade. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
• Remove the pork from the refrigerator 30 minutes before cooking.
• Preheat a charcoal grill for indirect heat and place the soaked wood chips on top of the coals.
• Place the pork on the grill, cover and let smoke until the temperature inside the grill is 220 degrees F. Add chips as necessary to continue smoking until the internal temperature of the pork reaches140 degrees F. Then just let the pork finish cooking until the internal temperature reaches about 190 degrees F. This can take about 5 hours. Let the pork rest 30 minutes.
• Shred the pork and serve in the warm tortillas topped with some Napa Cabbage Slaw, hot sauce, fresh cilantro leaves and queso fresco.
• Whisk the mayonnaise, vinegar, oil and celery seeds until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Whisk in the green onions and serrano chiles. Place the cabbage and carrots in a large bowl. Add the dressing and the queso fresco, and toss to combine.

SOUTH CAROLINA SMOKED PORK SHOULDER WITH MUSTARD SAUCE

Steps:

• Make the rub: add the mustard, paprika, salt, peppers, garlic powder, onion powder, and cayenne in a bowl; stir to mix.
• Sprinkle rub all over the pork, patting it onto the meat with your fingertips; let the pork cure at room temperature while you make the mop sauce.
• Mop sauce: combine the vinegar, mustard, salt, and pepper in a large mixing bowl; add in ½ cup water and whisk until salt dissolves.
• Set up grill for indirect grilling and preheat to medium-low-for a gas grill, place all the wood chips in the smoker box and run the grill on high until you see smoke, then decrease heat to medium low.
• When ready to cook, place the pork, skin side up, in the center of the hot grate, over the drip pan and away from the heat, and cover the grill.
• Cook the pork until darkly browned on the outside and very tender inside, 4-6 hours.
• Test for doneness with an instant read thermometer; the internal temperature should be about 195°; if the pork starts to brown too much, cover it loosely with foil.
• Every hour, for the first 4 hours, swab the pork with some of the mop sauce, using a barbecue mop or basting brush.
• Make the mustard barbecue sauce: melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat; add in onion and garlic; cook until soft but not brown, about 3 minutes.
• Stir in the mustard, brown sugar, vinegar, and hot sauce; add ½ cup of water; let sauce simmer, uncovered, until thick and richly flavored, 6-10 minutes.
• Taste for seasoning, adding more hot sauce as needed and seasoning with salt and pepper to taste.
• Let the sauce cool to room temperature before serving.
• When the pork is done, transfer the cooked pork to a cutting board, cover it loosely with foil, and let it rest for 20 minutes.
• You could pull the pork or chop the pork, but Steven likes to thinly slice it across the grain.
• Place the pork slices in a foil pan if you are not quite ready to serve, cover the pan with foil and place it on a warm, not hot, grill or in an oven turned on low.
• To serve: brush the buns with melted butter and lightly toast them on the grill; load each bun with sliced pork and slather with mustard sauce.
• Top the pork and sauce with pickles and serve at once.

PELLET GRILL SMOKED PORK SHOULDER AL PASTOR

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Put the dried chiles on a baking sheet. Bake until slightly puffed, about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, cut the pineapple lengthwise into four pieces, then remove the core from each piece. Cut one quarter into chunks and set the rest aside.
• Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat until shimmering. Add the garlic and half the onion and cook, stirring often, until the onion is soft and translucent, about 10 minutes. Stir in the dried chiles, pineapple chunks, vinegar, salt, brown sugar, achiote paste and 1 cup water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and let simmer until the chiles have softened, about 10 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes before transferring to a blender, filling only halfway. Put the lid on, leaving one corner open. Cover the lid with a kitchen towel to catch splatters, and pulse until smooth. Reserve 1 cup for later and let the rest cool completely.
• Put the pork in a large enough container to hold it comfortably and coat completely with the chile-pineapple marinade. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 24 hours and up to 48 hours. Remove from the refrigerator 1 hour before you are ready to cook it.
• Light a pellet grill according to manufacturer's directions and set to 250 degrees F. Once lit, cover and let preheat for 15 minutes.
• Put the pork directly on the grill grate and cook until the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer, about 5 hours. Remove the pork from the grill and wrap it tightly in several sheets of aluminum foil so that it is completely sealed. Increase the temperature of the grill to 275 degrees F and return the pork to the grill, putting it on a rimmed baking sheet to catch any juices that escape. Put the reserved pineapple directly on the grill grates and cook until pineapple is golden and caramelized, about 1 hour 30 minutes; remove from grill. Continue to cook the pork until the internal temperature reaches 195 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer, about 3 hours more. Remove from the grill and allow to rest 20 to 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, once the pineapple has cooled, dice it and add it along with any juices to a medium bowl. Stir in the remaining onion along with the cilantro, lime juice and habanero chile. Season to taste with salt. Slice the pork 1/2 inch thick and cut each slice into 1/2-inch-thick strips. Serve with the salsa, reserved marinade and warm tortillas.

SLOW ROASTED SMOKED PORK SHOULDER

Steps:

• Turn oven on to 300.
• Place pork in lasagne pan fat side up. (can be placed on a rack,optional).
• Score fat lightly in a diamond pattern, not piercing through to the meat.
• Rub salt, pepper and garlic on the fat.
• Cover lightly with tin foil and roast for 3 hours, this gets the fat melting.
• Remove tin foil and reduce oven to 225.
• Continue roasting for 4 hours.
• Remove from oven and drain drippings if desired.
• Turn oven up to 450-500.
• Place pork back in oven until fat is crispy and browned, about 5-10mins.
• Remove from oven, lightly tent with tin foil and wait till cool enought to handle.
• Remove meat and tear apart with 2 forks.
• Toss with favorite BBQ sauce and serve on buns.
• *note* I've made this a 1000 times. Sometimes with aromatic herbs such as rosemary, thyme and sage. Sometimes with a wet rub. Sometimes with fruit such as apples,peaches, or pineapple. I've never had one not turn out. I posted this recipe today because that's what in my oven. (big game on!).
• Enjoy!

TASSO (CAJUN SPICED SMOKED PORK SHOULDER) FOR BRINKMANN SMOKER

Steps:

• IMPORTANT NOTE #1: This recipe makes a product that's quite salty, and meant to be used as a seasoning agent in small amounts (8 ounces) in jambalaya, beans and rice, or other Cajun-style savory foods. This tasso should not be considered a main dish the way a traditional ham would be. A 7-pound bone-in pork shoulder roast will yield about 4 pounds of usable tasso.
• IMPORTANT NOTE #2: Be sure to buy a bag of Morton brand "Tender Quick" home meat cure before making this recipe. Use 2 cups of the Morton cure and 8 cups of water to prepare the brine. Food,com does not recognize the Morton cure as an ingredient, so I couldn't list it in the "Ingredients" section. It's usually found in the spice aisle of larger supermarkets, in a dark blue paper sack, near the regular table salt.
• IMPORTANT NOTE #3: You also will need 7 to 9 chunks of throughly dried hickory wood, about 4 inches x 4 inches each. These are usually available wherever smokers are sold, like Home Depot where the Brinkmann smoker is sold. Soak the chunks in very hot water for about 20 minutes. You may need to put a weight on them to ensure they're completely submerged. Put the soaked chunks in a sealed plastic bag, so they stay moist until needed.
• RECIPE DIRECTIONS:.
• Follow the directions on the bag of Morton cure for making a wet brine, but use 2 cups cure and 8 cups water. Mix until cure is completely dissolved. Leave the skin on the pork shoulder. Submerge the meat in the brine. Weight it, if necessary, to keep it fully submerged. Cure, under refrigeration, for 24 hours.
• If you can't find the Morton cure, you can use 1 cup plain table sugar and 1 cup plain table salt to make the brine. The Morton cure usually is located in the spice aisle of larger supermarkets, near the regular salt.
• Remove the meat from the brine and dry thoroughly. Remove the tough outer skin, but leave the fat layer that's underneath the skin. Combine the spices, maple syrup, oil and water to make a wet rub that should have a spreadable consistency like thick heavy cream. Coat the meat evenly on all sides with the wet rub, just before putting it into the smoker. Use a brush or your hands to apply the rub. If you don't have maple syrup, substitute honey or dark corn syrup.
• Insert a heat-proof thermometer into the thickest part of the meat. Prepare the smoker according to the manufacturer's directions, being sure to include the pan of water. You can add aromatics to the water pan, if desired, for example: lemon zest (yellow part only), whole peppercorns (black, white or pink), bay leaves, dry sherry wine or dry marsala wine. If using wine, replace 1 to 2 cups of the water in the smoker's bowl with 1 to 2 cups wine. Use the zest of a least 2 lemons, 10 to 20 peppercorns and 4 ro 5 bay leaves and add to water in pan. This will give the meat an extra dimension of flavor as it smokes. Place the meat in the smoker, according to manufacturer's instructions.
• Add 3 large, well-soaked hickory chunks to the smoker, per manufacturer's directions. Wood should not touch the heating elements. Put the cover on the smoker and smoker and smoke for 6 to 6 1/2 hours or until meat reaches an internal temperature of about 165 degrees.
• A rough estimate is to smoke 45 to 60 minutes per pound of meat. Add 2 or 3 more well-soaked hickory chunks at 2 hour intervals, or as the wood in the smoker depletes. Figure on 2 addtions of 2 or 3 chunks over the entire cooking time.
• When the internal temperature of the meat reaches 165 degrees, remove it from smoker and tent with aluminum foil. It should rise another 5 degrees to the food-safe temperature of 170 degrees. Let the meat cool at room temperature for at least 1 1/2 hours. Remove the strings and refrigerate, uncovered, until completely cooled. Portion the meat only after it's thoroughly cooled, so any juices are retained.

SMOKED PORK SHOULDER

Steps:

• Sprinkle pork with salt. Cover and chill for 30 minutes.
• Prepare charcoal fire with half of charcoal in grill. Let burn 15 to 20 minutes or until covered with gray ash. Push coals evenly into piles on both sides off grill. Carefully place 2 hickory chunks on top of each pile, and place food rack on grill.
• Place pork, meaty side down, on rack directly in center of grill. Cover with lid, leaving ventilation holes completely open.
• Prepare an additional charcoal fire with 12 briquettes in an auxiliary grill or fire bucket. let burn for 30 minutes or until covered with gray ash. Carefully add 6 briquettes to each pile in smoker. Place 2 more hickory chunks on each pile. repeat procedure every 30 minutes. You will continue to cook the pork, covered for 5 hours and 30 minutes, or until meat thermometer inserted into the thickest portion registers at least 165 degrees F. Turn the pork once during the last 2 hours.
• Remove pork from the grill. Cool slightly. Chop and serve with Cider Vinegar Barbecue Sauce or Peppery Vinegar Sauce.
• Stir together all ingredients in a medium saucepan. Cover over medium heat, stirring constantly for 7 minutes or until sugar dissolves. Cover and chill sauce until ready to serve.
• Yield: 2 cups
• Stir all ingredients together, blending well.
• Yield: 4 cups

SMOKED PORK SHOULDER (SMOKER OR PIT)

Steps:

• Mix all the spice mixture together until combined.
• In a bowl whisk together all the injector mixture until the sugar and salt is completely dissolved.
• Remove the roasts from the fridge.
• If using the injector liquid, inject the COLD two roasts all over with the liquid (using 1/2-ounce per pound).
• Gently pat/coat the roasts all over with the dry rub making certain to adhere the rub well into the meat.
• Let sit out for 1-1/2 hours at room temperature after injecting and coating with rub.
• Cook on a pit or smoker for 1 hour per pound at 225 degrees.

SMOKED BONE-IN PORK SHOULDER WITH A TWIST

Steps:

• 1. Gather your ingredients
• 2. Mix the apple cider vinegar and the apple cider (or juice) in a small spray bottle, and reserve.
• 3. Chef's Note: I prefer to spritz the pork shoulder; however, if you don't have a spray bottle handy, you can always use the "mop" method.
• 4. Using a pairing knife carefully cut off the fat cap, and reserve.
• 5. Cover the roast with the mustard.
• 6. Add the spice rub.
• 7. Secure the fat cap back on the pork shoulder using a bit of twine.
• 8. Chef's Tip: Use a surgeon's knot to hold the fat cap securely to the pork shoulder.
• 9. Wrap the pork shoulder in two layers of cling film.
• 10. Chef's Note: Stick in the fridge for a minimum of 8 hours, or up to 48.
• 11. Chef's Note: Some spice rubs because of their ingredients do not work well over long periods of time, and can even make the meat mushy. If you're using a prepackaged spice rub, check with the manufacturer on the amount of time the rub should stay on the meat.
• 12. Remove from the fridge, and uncover.
• 13. Chef's Tip: If you have a remote thermometer, insert it into the pork shoulder, but make sure it doesn't make contact with the bone.
• 14. Chef's Note: Get your smoker fired up and ready to go. The magic number for temperature is: 225f (107c).
• 15. Add the pork shoulder to the smoker.
• 16. After the first two hours, open up the smoker, and spritz it (or mop it), with the apple cider vinegar/apple cider (or juice) mixture.
• 17. Chef's Tip: Make this process as quick as possible. Open/Spritz/Close. And no peeking... Remember if you're lookin' it ain't cookin'
• 18. Chef's Note: The reason you want to wait about two hours before spritzing is this will give the crust a chance to form.
• 19. Chef's Note: If you're slicing the pork shoulder, remove it when the internal temperature reaches 170f (76c).
• 20. Chef's Note: If you're going to shred it, then wait until the internal temperature reaches 190f (87c).
• 21. Chef's Note: On an eight-pound pork shoulder the time will be from 6 to 8 hours. But don't rely on time... rely on temperature.
• 22. Chef's Tip: If you don't have a temperature probe, another way to check for doneness is to grab the bone and give it a twist. If it moves without any resistance, the roast is ready.
• 23. Chef's Note: When the temperature of the pork shoulder reaches 165f (73c) you might experience what is called the "stall." This is when the evaporation of the moisture coming from the meat, starts to cool things down... you might even see the temperature drop a degree or two. Don't worry, have another beer and the temperature will eventually get back on track.
• 24. Remove the pork shoulder from the smoker, and allow it to rest 20 minutes before slicing or shredding. Enjoy.
• 25. Keep the faith, and keep cooking.

SMOKED PORK SHOULDER

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Season pork with salt and pepper. Transfer to a roasting pan; cover with parchment and then foil. Roast until pork is tender but not falling apart, 5 to 6 hours. (A paring knife inserted into the center should meet little resistance.)
• About 30 minutes before pork is finished roasting, heat charcoal grill to medium, piling coals on 1 side to set up direct and indirect heat zones. Set a drip pan under the grill grate in the indirect heat zone. Cover grill.
• Soak 4 cups applewood chips ( barbecue-store.com) in water for 30 minutes. Drain 2 cups wood (leave 2 cups in water); add to coals.
• Once smoke develops, transfer pork to grill rack, and set over drip pan. Position open lid vent over pork. (This will direct the smoke and impart maximum flavor.)
• Smoke pork for 45 minutes. Drain remaining 2 cups wood; add to coals. Smoke pork for 30 minutes more. Shred pork using a fork, and serve with sauces.

SMOKED CHAR SIU PORK SHOULDER STEAKS RECIPE - (5/5)

Steps:

• For the Char Siu Sauce: Whisk together hoisin, honey, soy sauce, sherry, and 2 teaspoons of Chinese five spice powder in a medium bowl. Set aside. For the Rub: Mix together 2 tablespoons Chinese five spice powder, brown sugar, and salt in a small bowl. Coat shoulder steaks all over with rub. Place shoulder steaks all in a large resealable plastic bag. Pour in char siu sauce, seal, and toss to thoroughly coat pork. Place in refrigerator and marinate overnight. Fire up smoker or grill to 225°F, adding chunks of smoking wood when at temperature. When the wood is ignited and producing smoke, place pork in smoker or grill, reserving marinade, and smoke for 5 1/2 hours. While pork is smoking, pour reserved char siu marinade into a small saucepan. Bring to boil over medium heat, reduce heat to low and simmer until sauce has thickened and reduced by half, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Brush pork with reduced sauce and continue to smoke for 30 minutes more. Remove pork from smoker and let rest for 15 minutes. Slice and serve.