Smoked Pork Butt (Smoked Pork Shoulder)

Step 1

Preheat smoker to 250°F. Most pellet grills don’t need it, but you can add a pan of water in the corner of the smoker to keep moisture inside.

Step 2

Trim any excess fat or loose ends of pork. You can remove the fat cap completely or trim it down to a thin 1/4” layer.

Step 3

Rub a thin, even coating of yellow mustard on all sides of the pork.

Step 4

Combine dry rub ingredients and sprinkle a thick, even coating on pork butt on all sides. This can be done the night before by wrapping in plastic wrap and storing in the fridge until ready to smoke.

Step 5

Let the pork shoulder sit out on the counter for 1 hour to let the meat come to room temperature and the rub to adhere well. This will ensure a more even cook.

Step 6

Add pork butt to smoker grate and smoke at 250°F until it hits an internal temperature of 165°F in the thickest part of the shoulder, approximately 4-6 hours.

Step 7

Each hour after the first 3 hours, open up the smoker and spritz pork butt. Make sure your spray bottle is set to spray in a light, even mist and not a direct blast of the liquid. You just want to moisten the pork, not soak it.

Step 8

When the pork reaches 165°F degrees in the thickest part, remove it from the smoker, lay it in the center of 2 pieces of heavy duty aluminum foil, spritz heavily one more time with the spray bottle, and then wrap the foil tightly around the pork. You could also put the pork butt in an aluminum pan and cover with aluminum foil.

Step 9

Return the wrapped pork butt to the smoker and smoke at 250°F for approximately 4 more hours. The smoked pork butt is done when the internal temperature is between 200°F-205°F and the meat thermometer slides in & out like a knife slicing through room temperature butter - barely any resistance. I find that this usually occurs around 203°F, but all meat is different.

Step 10

Remove pork from smoker and keep pork wrapped while it rests for a minimum of 30 minutes and up to 2 hours. You can keep in warmer long bu placing it in an insulated cooler.

Step 11

Unwrap the foil and pour the juices into a gravy separator or bowl until you can see the fat separated from the jus. If you're not using a fat separator, carefully spoon off the fat from the top of the jus.

Step 12

Place the pork butt into a pan and shred into thin strands with your fingers, a pair of forks, tongs, or any other shredding utensil you prefer.

Step 13

Pork the reserved jus into the pan and toss with the shredded pork.