12 Tips For Smoking Tender Pork Shoulder

There's nothing quite like deliciously tender and juicy pulled pork with just a hint of smokey goodness and bursts of flavors from a perfect spice blend. But getting pork shoulder tender in the smoker requires patience, the right techniques, and care and attention to the process. While it may not require a lot of hands-on work, taking the time to select and prep your meat, add spices and seasonings, and monitor the smoke levels are all key steps to getting the best results.

We asked experts what their go-to tips were for getting perfectly tender smoked pork shoulder. Rosangela Teodoro, owner and lead butcher of Teodora's Boucherie Gourmande, shared how she gets the meat extra tender and flavorful with spices and with a keen eye for keeping the fat on the meat. Father-son duo John McLemore Sr. and John McLemore II, also known as The McLemore Boys, have more than 40 combined years of experience as pitmasters, and they look for a very specific type of smoke that tells them the meat is going to be perfectly tender when it's done. These are 12 of their expert tricks of the trade explained.

Before you even get to smoking your pork, you'll need to decide which type of shoulder is best for your dish. You may be tempted to go with boneless, which can be easier to cut and eat, but smoking meat requires a cut that won't dry out with a longer cooking time. Instead, look for pork shoulder that has a bone, which you'll leave in as it smokes. The bone is full of marrow, which adds moisture to the pork, as well as tiny pockets of air. This air helps to regulate the temperature, resulting in more even cooking.

"Boneless pork shoulders are great for crock pots and stews and chopped pork," The McLemore Boys said. "But bone-in pork shoulders are ideal for smoking low and slow for good southern pulled pork." 

So when you go to the store to gather your ingredients, look for a bone-in shoulder to get the best results. Just keep in mind that the bone will contribute to some of the weight of the pork, so you may need to get a larger shoulder to end up with the same amount of meat in the end.

Letting pork marinate in a salty brine ahead of smoking will result in a super tender finished product. You can also add extra flavor with spices and other ingredients. Rosangela Teodoro uses rosemary, thyme, and garlic in a brine with salt and pepper for pork. For something even easier, use pickle juice as a ready-made brine that features flavors like dill and garlic. 

Any brine needs plenty of salt to force moisture into the meat, but sugar can also add a nice subtle taste. Dissolve both in water and then allow the liquid to cool fully before adding your meat to it. Brining meat in warm water can begin the cooking process, which will ultimately interfere with the ideal smoking time and conditions, so it's best to keep things on the colder side.

Pork shoulder can be quite large, so begin with a bowl or bag that is big enough to hold not just the cut of meat but also enough water to cover it. Keep the entire brining container in the fridge for a day or two for the best results.

You may be tempted to get the leanest pork shoulder you can find thinking that you'll get more meat, but fat provides flavor and is essential to helping the meat stay moist. Pork shoulder tends to have more fat on top and less marbling compared to pork butt. So don't trim it all away before putting your pork shoulder in the smoker. Instead, position the fat on the top of the shoulder to allow the meat to catch all of the drippings.

"The fat protects the cooking process and it bastes the pork creating and keeping the meat juicer," Rosangela Teodoro said. Fat melts into the meat as it smokes, which is needed to keep the meat from drying out. Because smoking is a long process, there is a better chance that the meat will get dry without the right amount of fat. You can baste the meat with barbecue sauce, juice, or even oil, but the easiest way to keep it flavorful, tender, and moist is to get a cut with plenty of fat to start with.

While pork has a deliciously salty flavor on its own, take time to add more flavor with spices, seasonings, and rubs once the shoulder is brined and ready. While brining seasons the meat's interior and keeps it tender, adding spices to the exterior of the shoulder can create a crispier exterior crust and a more noticeable flavor. Be generous with salt and pepper, as well as other spices before putting your pork in the smoker. This is the ideal time to season the meat so that it can absorb these ingredients during the cooking process.

"Most people prep their shoulders by lightly rinsing it, patting it dry, and then adding a binder to help [a] rub stick," The McLemore Boys said. "Binders are usually a mustard style sauce or even some cooking oil and then you can use any kind BBQ rub or pork rub that fits your flavor palate."

You can also add heat from spices like cayenne pepper or savory spices like oregano, but even simple additions can make things interesting. Rosangela Teodoro adds lemon to her seasoning blend when cooking pork. As an alternative to fresh-squeezed lemon, look for lemon salt, such as citron sea salt flakes.

When smoking meats, aim for a low temperature to keep things from drying out. Most smokers are equipped with temperature settings to allow for low and slow cooking. Letting your pork shoulder stay inside at low heat for a long time also helps to keep it super tender.

"Most people smoke pork shoulders between 200 degrees Fahrenheit and 275 degrees Fahrenheit," The McLemore Boys said. "You can do a high-temp smoke of around 350 degrees Fahrenheit if you are in a hurry but be careful not to overcook or burn the bottom of the shoulder."

Temperature is extra important in the smoker, so pay close attention to your settings and the actual output. Use a thermometer to keep track of how hot the interior gets. A probe-style design will let you monitor your meat without lifting the lid of the smoker. If your smoker has a built-in thermometer, periodically check it with another unit to make sure that it's measuring accurately. 

If you want to add even more unique flavor to your tender pork shoulder, consider the type of wood chips you want to use in your smoker. Pork works well with applewood and other light wood chips because it is a mild meat. Oak is another popular choice that is versatile and often used for pork, chicken, and beef. You can experiment with different types of wood chips to see what flavors they impart as well as how different variations impact the smoke and cooking time.

You can order wood chips online, like this popular bundle of four styles. Most hardware stores also carry wood chips for grilling, especially in peak grilling and smoking seasons, although make sure to get those approved for cooking. Grocery stores may carry wood chips but typically don't have the same variety that you'd find in a store that caters to grilling enthusiasts. 

Check the owner's manual for your smoker to see how to add the chips to the setup. Many smokers have a separate compartment to allow you to tend to the chips and even add more if needed without releasing too much smoke from the cooking compartment.

Having the right tools and setup is key to getting the best results when doing any type of cooking, but especially when tenderness and flavor are top priorities. "It is best to use a smoker when doing a pork shoulder because you want to go low and slow," The McLemore Boys said. But you can still replicate the recommended "low and slow" method even if you don't have a dedicated smoker by using your grill. 

You likely won't have a dedicated spot for wood chips in your grill, so create a foil packet to hold them. Then, poke a few holes in the top of the foil packet to allow the air to flow around the wood chips and the smoke to move around the inside of the grill. Add a shallow aluminum foil pan filled with a few inches of water to the inside of the grill. As it heats up over the hot section of the grill, the water will create steam to mix with the smoke, infusing the desired flavor into the port shoulder. Once you have a decent amount of smoke built up, move your pork shoulder to a cooler section of the grill. It needs to stay at a low temperature, ideally between 225 and 300 degrees Fahrenheit, for a long time to become super tender.

Knowing when the pork is done is important to avoid overcooking it. The tricky part is knowing what temperature your pork reaches without poking too many holes in the meat. The more you poke and prod the shoulder, the more juice gets out and the drier the meat becomes. To keep from checking on it too often, set up a probe thermometer that you can monitor from outside. Make sure to cook the pork shoulder to at least 145 degrees Fahrenheit to avoid potential foodborne pathogens.

The McLemore Boys recommend adjusting the target temperature slightly for pulled pork to create a deliciously tender final dish. "If you are doing sliced or chopped pork shoulder then you want to smoke it unwrapped until the internal temp hits 165 degrees Fahrenheit and it is ready to be chopped," they said. "If you are doing pulled pork, you want to smoke it unwrapped to 165 degrees Fahrenheit and then wrap the pork shoulder with either tinfoil or butcher paper, place back on the smoker until the internal temp hits 205 degrees Fahrenheit and it will literally fall apart."

If you really want to lock in flavor and tenderness when smoking, wrap the pork shoulder in foil. This method keeps the fat and juices right next to the meat as it cooks. Fat is needed for moisture, but it tends to drip off of the shoulder once it melts. A foil layer keeps it close, reducing the moisture that is lost. 

The McLemore Boys also collect drippings while the shoulder cooks, then inject them back into the pork before wrapping it in foil to finish smoking. This ensures that the meat gets as tender and juicy as possible.

This step does require some extra maneuvering, so be careful to avoid the hot parts of your smoker if you are collecting drippings. Some models have a drip pan that you can remove, although you should be ready with a fresh pan so that you always have one under the meat as it cooks. This keeps your smoker clean and in the best possible condition, extending its life.

Your smoker shouldn't be putting off so much smoke that you can't see the setup itself. Pay attention to the color of the smoke as well to monitor the quality and airflow. The McLemore Boys like to see thin, blue smoke rather than white, puffy billows or dark black smoke. The thinner variety means that the temperature is right and that the air is able to circulate within the smoker. Over-smoking your meat can cause dark, acrid smoke and can add a bitter taste to the end result, especially if you are using stronger flavored wood chips.

High amounts of smoke can also be an indication that the temperature is too high or that the heat is directly on the meat rather than on the wood chips, which will cause the shoulder to lose too much moisture. "The key with pork is not to overcook them because they can become tough and dried out," Rosangela Teodoro said. A thin and consistent stream of smoke is key to getting the "low and slow" method that The McLemore Boys recommend.

To keep your smoker in tip-top shape, you might need to turn it on super high heat to burn off any residue from time to time. This helps keep it clean and ready to use. Your smoker will need a deep clean occasionally to handle larger messes or signs of wear. "Be sure to clean off any major gunk, rust spots, or dirty areas," The McLemore Boys said.

Cleaning grill grates with heat rather than a solution is ideal, especially if you're priming the surface for a new batch of meat. Once the grates are nice and hot, use a stiff grill brush to get rid of any food debris. Remember to also remove used wood chips after smoking and replace them to get the best flavor and to keep potential bacteria from growing.

Don't overdo it though. The father-son duo cautions home chefs against overcleaning the grill or smoker, comparing it to a cast iron skillet. For the best results, it should be seasoned to keep anything from sticking during the smoking process.

You may be tempted to jump right into your delicious meal, but like with any pork shoulder cooking method, giving the meat time to rest after smoking is key. These key minutes let the juices make their way back into the tender meat itself, resulting in a better dish after just a short time of resting. If you cut into the pork right away, you'll see all of the juice run out of the meat and right onto your cutting surface. Letting that juice escape will leave your pork shoulder dry and bland, eliminating all of the effort you took to get it tender and juicy in the first place.

Rosangela Teodoro recommends letting the meat rest for five minutes after it is done cooking in the smoker. You should remove it from the heat source, but keep in mind that it will continue to cook as the temperature comes down. The meat needs to be able to cool slightly for that juice to redistribute into the now-cooked flesh.