For years now, I’ve been wanting to try my hand at smoking meat. There’s just nothing like a great piece of meat that has that little something “extra” smoking gives. I’ve enjoyed many special dinners with friends who’ve become proficient at this method of cooking and felt I should try my hand at it. After some research, I purchased a small, portable, electric smoker from Masterbuilt. It’s just the right size for what I’ll be cooking and it’s easy to move around and to clean. Now, on to the important part of smoking…the meat. Pretty much everybody from the south knows that pulled pork is a classic dish that can be found on menus at BBQ joints and even fancy restaurants. I’m not really sure if folks actually know which part of the pig this goodness comes from. Often, people refer to cooking a pork butt when actually they are cooking a cut of meat that comes from the pork shoulder. It’s inexpensive and depending on the size of the meat you get, you can feed a crowd.
How To Smoke a Pork Shoulder
This recipe for smoked, pulled pork was the second thing I cooked in the smoker. I have successfully smoked 2 whole chickens and was ready to move on to something more, let’s say, difficult. Well, I could not have been more wrong regarding the level of difficulty for this dish. Preparing the pork shoulder was easy since all I did was sprinkle on my homemade spice rub. Then it was on to the smoker. Actually, the hardest part was setting the timer and waiting. Y’all already know that I work really hard at being patient, so I was like a little kid at Christmas waiting for that needle to register the right temperature so that I could pull that glorious hunk of meat out of the smoker! After “pulling” the succulent meat into bite-size pieces, I served it up. I kept things nice and simple with just the juicy, flavorful pork, slaw and a little cornbread. It’s hard to describe how happy those people around my table were. It looks like trying something new pays off!
Smoked Pulled Pork Questions, Answered
Pork shoulder is what you want — it’s sometimes called pork butt, but they both come from the shoulder area. It’s inexpensive, has great marbling, and holds up beautifully to the low-and-slow smoking process. That fat and connective tissue renders down over time, giving you incredibly tender, juicy pulled pork with a beautiful smoky flavor.
For pulled pork, I love the mild, sweet flavor of applewood or cherry wood. Hickory is a classic Southern choice and gives a bolder, smokier flavor. I recommend starting with a mild wood if you’re new to smoking — it’s easier to control and lets the flavor of the pork shine through.
Plan on about 1.5 hours per pound at 225 to 250 degrees. A 6-pound pork shoulder will take roughly 8 to 9 hours. I know that sounds like a commitment, but low and slow is what transforms this cut into something truly incredible. It’s the kind of cooking that fills your yard with an aroma that has everyone wondering what’s for dinner.
You’re looking for an internal temperature of 195 to 205 degrees — that’s when the collagen has fully broken down and the meat pulls apart easily with a fork. Use a good meat thermometer and don’t rush it. Let it rest for at least 30 minutes before pulling so all those juices redistribute throughout the meat.
Ingredients
- 1 6 pound pork shoulder
Dry Rub
- 3 tablespoons paprika
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon dry mustard
- 3 tablespoons coarse sea salt
- 2 tablespoons fresh cracked black pepper
For the smoker
- apple wood chips
- 2 small cans fruit juice (apple or pineapple)
Instructions
- Heat smoker to 225 degrees.
- In a small bowl, mix together all dry ingredients. Sprinkle rub evenly over the meat. Pat the dry rub into pork shoulder - DO NOT rub it in. Set aside until smoker is up to temp.
- Place wood chips and liquid into smoker containers. Spray smoker rack with nonstick spray, place pork on rack and insert into the middle section of the smoker. Insert the thermometer probe into center of meat. Close door of smoker.
- Smoke pork for 1 hour per pound. Once the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees. remove meat from smoker. Place pork in a metal pan. Pour approximately ¼ cup of fruit juice into pan and cover tightly with foil. Place back in smoker. Continue to cook until internal temperature reaches 190 degrees.
- Pull meat from smoker and let rest for 30 minutes. Uncover and "pull" pork using 2 forks. Drizzle on drippings from pan for extra flavor.
*** COOKS NOTES***
- *You do not need an electric smoker for this recipe. You can use your gas grill. Use small metal containers for wood chips and liquid. Monitor the temperature to keep it at 225 for the whole smoking process.
- *Use whatever type of wood chip you'd like. I just happened to have apple chips and they added a nice flavor to the pork.
- *If you do not have a metal pan, the pork can be wrapped in heavy duty foil for the last cooking time.
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A plus
Hello Donya, I would appreciate your advice about the possibility of cooking/smoking in a convection/air fryer oven (NuWave Brio XL.) I have added moistened apple wood chips (agree they’re great) when roasting beef. The cook time would change but my main question is if you think it’s possible? Thank you very much for your delicious recipes. Never had a failed SS recipe.
My brother is the smoked meat master in my family, but I am so tempted to give it a go myself. This looks fabulous!
I am trying it today
What kind of smoker due you have? Thank you for your help.
Hey Cathy – I bought a Masterbuilt portable smoker. It’s great for our family of 4 but is large enough with the 2 racks to cook larger cuts of meat. Metal pans also fit in there easily. Hope this helps!
XO,
~Donya