Best-Ever Smoked Pork Shoulder Recipe Creates Melt in Your Mouth Meat: No Smoker Needed

The next time you’re craving a juicy pulled pork sandwich, save that trip to your local BBQ joint for another day and make it at home. Using a few chef’s tips, you can nail rich and tender pork without a fancy smoker. Pork shoulder being an inexpensive cut of meat also means you can buy a large amount to produce several servings. Here’s how to make smoked pork shoulder as a hearty and flavorful BBQ main!

The basics of smoked pork shoulder

Usually pork shoulder involves rubbing the meat with a blend of seasonings before smoking it for hours. Once the meat is soft, it’s shredded and served with BBQ sauce. This method produces melt in your mouth pork shoulder, but you can achieve similar results even if you don’t have a smoker.

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Easy trick to smoke pork shoulder without a smoker

Mimicking the low and slow effect of a smoker is simple by using indirect heat on your grill. This type of heat is even and gentle, making it ideal for cooking large cuts of meat like pork shoulder until it’s moist and easy to shred. For more insights on indirect versus direct grill heat, watch David Rose, executive chef at Omaha Steaks, explain it in the video below.

The correct internal temperature for pork shoulder

Although pulling the meat apart with a fork is a way to test if it’s done, taking the meat’s internal temperature is a more precise method of doing so. The experts at Kingsford consider 205°F to be the magic number, though it’s fine to eat if it reaches at least 195°F. Once the meat is at the proper temperature, the pork can be shredded and tossed with BBQ sauce and any pan drippings.

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A mouthwatering smoked pork shoulder recipe

This pulled pork recipe comes from our test kitchen and is inspired by The Pioneer Woman. The recipe uses a bone-in pork shoulder as the bone helps the meat stay moist throughout the cooking process. Additionally, a mixture of spices like smoked paprika, garlic powder and brown sugar are used to flavor the meat before it hits the grill. Enjoy the sweet and smoky meat with your favorite sides or place it on a bun to make a pulled pork sandwich!

Pulled Pork

Ingredients:

• 1  (5 lb.) bone-in pork shoulder roast
• 2 Tbs. brown sugar
• 1 Tbs. smoked paprika
• 2 tsp. garlic powder
• ¼ tsp. cayenne pepper
• 3 onions, halved
• 1½ cups barbecue sauce

Directions:

• Active: 20 mins
• Total time: 7 hrs
• Yield: 10 servings

1. Prepare grill for low indirect-heat cooking. Rub roast with sugar, spices and 1 tsp. alt; let stand at room temperature 30 minutes.
2. Place onions in roasting pan; place pork on top, fat side up. Place roasting pan over indirect heat; grill with lid closed until meat is very tender and meat thermometer inserted into thickest part registers 195°F, about 6 hours. Transfer pork to plate; slice onions. Skim and discard fat from pan juices; stir juices into barbecue sauce. Using forks, shred meat; add onions. Serve with sauce.

Best way to store leftover pulled pork

Any leftover pulled pork can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge, where it will last three to four days. When you’re ready to savor those sweet and smoky leftovers again, follow the steps in our guide on how to reheat pulled pork.

Continue reading for more recipes worth adding to your BBQ menu!

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