How To Smoke A Pork Butt (AKA Pork Shoulder AKA Boston Butt)

Plan

Prep Time

20 Minutes

Cook Time

Approximately 2 Hours/ Pound

Rest Time

30+ Minutes

Total Time

For 8lbs plan for 16 Hours 50 Minutes

Servings:

10 people

Desired Internal Temp

203 °F

Ingredients

  • 1 8-10 pound bone-in pork shoulder roast AKA Boston butt
  • 2-3 Tablespoons yellow mustard
  • 1/4  cup Rollin Blue BBQ Pork Rubs
  • 1/3 cup Apple Juice
  • 4 tbsp sliced butter
  • 3 tbsp brown sugar

Instructions

  1. Preheat your smoker to 225 degrees F for indirect smoking.
  2. Remove your butt 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.
  3. Slather the entire exterior of the pork shoulder with the yellow mustard and season the pork roast on all sides, top and bottom, generously rub with your favorite seasoning. (Don't worry about tasting the mustard—mustard is a binder. A binder helps the rub stick, form better bark, and the acid in the mustard makes the meat more tender.)
  4. Place your roast on the smoker fat side up and in the middle of the grates avoiding any direct hot spots. Close the lid and smoke the pork until it reaches an internal temperature of 165-170 °F.
  5. Time to wrap. Butcher paper over foil any day. Butcher paper allows the bark to breathe more than foil resulting in better bark. Place the apple juice, pads of butter and sprinkle the brown sugar onto your butcher paper. Place the pork shoulder on top, then wrap. (Here's a video on how to wrap.)
  6. Pull once the internal temperature is up to at least 195 °F. If you like softer pork, cook to a temperature of 203 °F. This process can take anywhere between 15-20 hours, about 2 hours per pound of pork. (Time is the most important aspect of smoking especially on long cooks. That's why we created a meat and smoker wireless thermometer so you can master temperature instantly. Check it out HERE).
  7. Allow the pork butt to rest for at least 1 hour before shredding. Now for the BEST part, pull apart the pork! Discard any chunks of fat or gristle. Sprinkle the roast with an additional tablespoon rub and possibly some Texas-style BBQ Sauce on the side. Serve and enjoy!

Josh Martin