I found this recipe on Hey Grill Hey. Great name for a website!
Most smoked pork butt recipes call for a bone-in pork shoulder, sometimes also labeled a Boston butt roast or a pork butt. All of these labels are for the exact same cut of pork. None of them actually come from the butt end of the pig (which can definitely be confusing), but from the upper part of the shoulder. The pork butt, or pork shoulder, has many overlapping and hard working muscle groups that are bound together with tight connective tissue.
That tight tissue makes this cut particularly well suited for smoking. It would be very difficult to simply slice and serve a pork shoulder roast that wasn’t cooked low and slow to break down those tight muscles and connective fibers. You’d end up chewing for a long time and not getting anywhere. By using the low and slow process of cooking the meat over a wood fire for a long time, those tissues begin to break down, tenderize, and create amazing strands of super succulent smoked pork shoulder.
The reason I call this smoked pulled pork butt “simple” is because of how little effort it really takes. This recipe doesn’t require any fancy injections, tools, spritzing concoctions, or wrapping to have it come out absolutely perfect every. single. time. I’ve used those methods, and they’re incredibly evasive.
All you really need is a good pork shoulder, a great homemade sweet BBQ rub which I’ll also share with you, good smoke and plenty of time. Once the meat is on the smoker, all you need to do is grab a cool drink and kick your feet up. I used a pellet grill but you can use really any smoker for this recipe.
Prep Time: 15 Minutes
Cook Time: 18 Hours
Total Time: 18 Hours, 15 Minutes
Servings: 16 People
INGREDIENTS
1 8-10 pound bone-in pork shoulder roast (AKA Boston butt)
2-3 Tablespoons yellow mustard
1/4 cup Homemade BBQ Sweet Rub (see recipe below)
1 Tablespoon Homemade BBQ Sweet Rub (for later use)
DIRECTIONS
Preheat your smoker to 225 degrees F for indirect smoking.
Remove your roast from the packaging and wipe it down on all sides with paper towels, cleaning off any small bone fragments or extra liquid on the exterior.
Slather the entire exterior of the pork shoulder with the yellow mustard.
Season your pork roast on all sides, top and bottom, with the Homemade BBQ Sweet Rub. Don't worry about rubbing the seasoning into the meat, just be sure it is liberally coated all over.
Place your seasoned roast on the smoker fat side up, preferably in the middle of the grate avoiding any direct hot spots.
Close the lid and smoke the pork until it reaches an internal temperature of at least 195 degrees F. You can cook to 201 degrees F if you like softer pork. This process can take anywhere between 15-20 hours, depending on the consistency of heat in your smoker and the size of your pork shoulder.
Remove the pork shoulder from the smoker and wrap tightly in foil. Allow the roast to rest for at least an hour before shredding.
Pull apart the shoulder, discarding any chunks of fat or gristle. Sprinkle the roast with an additional tablespoon or so of the Homemade Sweet BBQ Rub. Serve and enjoy!
THE BEST SWEET RUB FOR GRILLED PORK AND CHICKEN
INGREDIENTS
¼ cup dark brown sugar
1 Tablespoon coarse sea salt
2 teaspoons cracked black pepper
2 teaspoons smoked paprika ((hot or mild, whichever you prefer))
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons onion powder
1 teaspoon ground mustard
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
DIRECTIONS
Combine all of the ingredients for the rub in a small bowl. Stir well to combine, using a fork to break up any clumps.
Store BBQ sweet rub in an airtight container. This rub will last in your cupboard for up to a month.