The collagen breaks down into simple sugars during the smoking process, making the meat sweet and delicate. And the amount of fat that melts away gives the meat a tender and juicy consistency that builds a flavor without using any rubs are sauces.
Pork shoulder makes up the whole front leg and shoulder of a hog. If you are shopping at the neighborhood grocery store, you can expect to find pork shoulder divided into two cuts.
Sometimes pork butt contains shoulder blade bone, but most of the time, it does not. These monikers are where many people get confused. Pork butt actually comes from the shoulder of the hog, not the rear end. The actual pork shoulder is from the same cut that the pork butt comes from, but at the thinner, triangle-shaped end. Having the pork at room temperature is very important, because if you put it on the smoker cold, the outer portion will burn.
Smoke is one of the main ingredients of good barbecue. Soak hickory wood chips or any other hardwood chips used for barbecuing in water overnight. This prevents them from burning. The chips smolder, producing smoke that flavors the meat during the cooking process. The smoke also lends a pink color to the outer inch or so of the flesh, creating what is called a "smoke ring. The more you add, the stronger flavor of smoke you get.
Place meat on the smoker fat side down. After two hours, turn the meat over so it is fat side up. Use a pit thermometer for an accurate reading. Every time wood chips or charcoal is added, spritz the meat with apple juice from a spray bottle. This will add moisture and a fruity background flavor during cooking. Remove the meat from the smoker with two hours remaining, and place on heavy-duty aluminum foil. Spritz generously with apple juice, and tightly seal foil around pork.
Place meat back on the smoker, and cook for two hours more. Using an instant-read meat thermometer, check the internal temperature of the thickest part of the meat, being careful not to touch bone with the tip of the thermometer.
Once you can pull or move the shoulder blade bone easily your shoulder is finished. The main reason people say to let the meat rest is to preserve moisture. And finally, here are a few of our favorite recipes. Consider this the ideal foundation for pulled pork smoking. This recipe uses a sous vide to get the internal temperature perfect before forming a bark in an oven or on the grill. For the easiest pulled pork endeavor, go with a crock-pot recipe. This sear-first recipe is a good way to go if you are a bit short on kitchen equipment, although it does recommend a dutch oven for the sear.
A large cast-iron skillet would work as well. They also use beer in this recipe to spice it up a bit! Competition Style BBQ pulled pork usually involves being more choice with your meat preparation and using different parts of the pork for different style slices. After you choose the right pork shoulder, all you have to do is get to cooking. As far as specific flavors, rubs, and sauces go, pulled pork is very forgiving.
So grab a non-GMO pork shoulder, fire up the smoker, and happy cooking. All of our heritage pork products come from animals raised in Missouri by a cooperative of like-minded small family farms. They are sustainably raised in a healthy environment allowing them to forage for food. Their diets are supplemented with non-GMO feed. Nathan Phelps is a writer, ethical foodie, and outdoors-aficionado hailing from Nashville, TN.
He splits his time between helping sustainable businesses find new customers and managing his ever-increasing list of hobbies, which include playing guitar, baking bread, and creating board games.
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