Smoked Pork Shoulder

Ingredients

• Dry rub from the Memphis-Style Ribs recipe
• 2–4 lbs Boneless pork shoulder (butt)
• Apple wood chunks (or pecan)

Method

Smoked pork shoulder is a test of low-temperature control and patience. The goal is collagen-to-gelatin conversion — the connective tissue doesn't fully break down below 70°C, and you're aiming for 90–93°C internal temperature, well past the safety line of 62°C, to unlock the texture that makes shredding easy.

Prepare the night before. Apply the dry-rub generously — it won't dissolve; it'll form a bark as the surface dries during the smoke. Score the fat cap in a crosshatch pattern, then tie the shoulder with butcher's string to keep the shape compact and prevent thin edges from drying faster than the centre. Refrigerate uncovered overnight so the surface air-dries slightly; this improves bark formation. Remove from the fridge an hour before smoking to bring the meat closer to room temperature.

Set up a smoke-cooking zone using the snake method: arrange charcoal briquettes in a line three-quarters around the grill perimeter, leaving one quarter open for the water pan. This arrangement sustains low heat for 12–16 hours without constant tending. Light 8–12 briquettes separately and add them to one end of the snake; the heat will travel slowly along the line as each briquette ignites the next. Place apple wood chunks along the top of the briquettes — soak them for 30 minutes first, they'll smoulder rather than combust. Set a water pan in the centre of the grill, directly above the unlit section. This maintains humidity and moderates temperature swings.

Aim for 120°C grill temperature. Once stable, place the pork shoulder directly above the water pan, fat-side up. The cook is done when the deepest part of the shoulder — inserted at the thickest point — reads 95°C on a meat thermometer. This typically takes 12–16 hours. Halfway through, the smoke ring (that pink layer just under the surface) will form; this is smoke-cooking working correctly — nitrogen dioxide from the charcoal reacting with myoglobin.

Once the target temperature is reached, wrap the shoulder tightly in butcher paper and place it in a cooler to rest for one hour. The carryover heat will creep the core another degree or two, and the rest allows the muscle fibres to relax, keeping juices inside. Unwrap, shred with two forks, and serve with the pan juices.