Smoked Pork Butt

SEASON THE PORK SHOULDER:

1. Sprinkle the pork shoulder liberally on all sides with rub, patting and rubbing it in with your fingers. Place on a rimmed baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate overnight for maximum flavor penetration.

FOR THE PELLET GRILL:

1. Fill the hopper with wood pellets (you'll typically go through one pound of pellets per hour, and for a large pork shoulder it can take 12 hours to smoke, so 12 pounds of pellets.
2. Preheat the smoker to 225°F.

SMOKED PORK BUTT ON A CHARCOAL GRILL:

1. Soak wood chips for at least an hour.
2. Light charcoal in a chimney starter. Rake coals to two piles at opposite sides of the grill using a long handled tool, like a garden hoe. Place a drip pan in the center. Indirect grilling is usually done at a medium heat. To adjust the temperature, partially open the vents on the bottom. (Closed vents will extinguish the fire, open will fan the flame.)
3. Adjust vents on top of the grill to half open. The same rule for closed and open vents applies. When adjusted properly, the grill will be between 325 and 350 degrees. Toss the drained wood chips onto the coals (about half a cup on each side of the grill). The smoke should start almost immediately. Replenish wood chips about every hour or so to continue the smoke.

SMOKED PORK SHOULDER ON A GAS GRILL:

1. Soak wood chips for at least an hour.
2. Indirect grilling is easy on a gas grill but requires at least two burners. If your grill comes with a slide-out smoker box, fill it with soaked wood chips. You will run a high heat under the chips to generate smoke, while moderating your heat elsewhere on the grill for the required low and slow cooking.
3. When the wood chips begins to smoke, place the food over the unlit burner to start the cooking process.

FOR THE MOP SAUCE:

1. Combine all the ingredients in a non-reactive glass or plastic bowl and stir until the salt and brown sugar dissolve.

TO SMOKE PORK BUTT ON A PELLET GRILL:

1. If your smoker comes with a thermometer, insert it into the center of the butt (without touching the bone). This will help you gauge the temperature and know when to pull it off the smoker.
2. Place the seasoned pork shoulder in the center of the pellet grill and cook with the lid closed for about 12 hours. After the meat has been on the smoker for about 3-4 hours, baste it with the mop sauce every 1½ hours.
3. It's normal for the pork shoulder to hit a "stall" where the internal temperature doesn't increase. The stall can last 45 minutes or up to 4 or 5 hours. Don't panic. It will work through the stall; you need to be patient.

TO SMOKE PORK SHOULDER ON GAS OR CHARCOAL GRILL:

1. Place pork fat side down in the center of the hot grate away from the heat source -- remember it's the indirect heat that cooks the meat. Otherwise, you'd be grilling.
2. Cover the grill and cook the pork until the internal temperature reaches 203° on an instant-read thermometer. This can take 10-14 hours or more (depending on the stall time).
3. After the meat has been on the smoker for about 3-4 hours, baste it with the mop sauce every 1½ hours.
4. For a charcoal grill: Add 12 fresh coals and half a cup of wood chips every hour. Begin checking the internal temperature with an instant-read thermometer at about the 6-hour mark and continue checking every hour or so until you reach about 200°-205°F.
5. For a gas grill: replenish with a new smoker pouch when the smoke diminishes. After the first hour, baste the pork butt with the mop sauce, and repeat hourly. Begin checking the internal temperature with an instant-read thermometer at about the 6-hour mark and continue checking every hour or so until you reach about 200°-205°F.

REST THE MEAT:

1. Once the temperature reaches 203°F, use your grill gloves to carefully transfer the smoked pork shoulder to a rimmed baking sheet. Set aside for 30 to 45 minutes so that the meat can rest.

ASSEMBLE THE CAROLINA VINEGAR SAUCE:

1. In a medium bowl, combine the vinegar, brown sugar, kosher salt, black pepper, crushed red pepper flakes and hot sauce. Whisk until the sugar and salt are dissolved.

PULLING THE SMOKED PORK BUTT:

1. Depending on how fatty your pork shoulder is, you can remove some skin and fat and set it aside to add some back to the smoked pulled pork later. The bark and fat will add richness and a smoky flavor.
2. Pull the pork into shreds and pieces with the meat shredders. Add pieces of skin and fat back into the meat to suit your tastes.
3. Dress the smoked pulled pork with ¼-½ cup of the Carolina-style vinegar sauce and toss with tongs to combine evenly.

TO SERVE:

1. Pile pork on a soft bun and top with a spoonful of coleslaw and extra vinegar sauce if desired. Enjoy!