The pork butt, or pork shoulder, has many overlapping and hard working muscle groups that are bound together with tight connective tissue and By using the low and slow process of cooking the meat over a wood fire for a long time, those tissues begins to break down, tenderize, and create amazing strands of super succulent smoked pork shoulder.
what you need
1 8-10 pound bone-in pork shoulder roast AKA Boston butt
2-3 Tablespoons yellow mustard
1/4 cup Homemade BBQ Sweet Rub link in recipe notes
1 Tablespoon Homemade BBQ Sweet Rub for later use
what to do
Preheat your smoker to 225 degrees F (110 degrees C) 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 in 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. (90 degrees C) You can cook to 201 degrees F (95 degrees C) 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.