FRED’S ULTIMATE SMOKED PORK SHOULDER

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If you want the easiest version, do as I did and don’t bother with injections or wood chips. Injection syringes are available at cookware stores and some supermarkets. Don’t forget to start the day before.

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Ingredients

  • Nutrition is based on a 7 pound picnic and 15 servings total. No sauce.
  • 1 Tbs paprika
  • 1 Tbs sugar
  • 1 Tbs kosher salt
  • 1 Tbs freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 tsp white pepper
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp dry mustard
  • One 5- to 7-pound bone-in Boston butt or picnic shoulder
  • 1 cup prepared Cuban mojo marinade, strained (Fred prefers Nellie and Joe’s brand.)
  • 6 to 8 cups hickory or applewood chips, soaked in water for at least an hour
  • Servings: 15
  • Nutrition Facts
  • Serving size: 1/15 of a recipe (7.6 ounces).
  • Percent daily values based on the Reference Daily Intake (RDI) for a 2000 calorie diet.
  • Nutrition information calculated from recipe ingredients.
  • Amount Per Serving
  • Calories 542.03
  • Calories From Fat (71%) 385.75
  • % Daily Value
  • Total Fat 42.84g 66%
  • Saturated Fat 14.83g 74%
  • Cholesterol 150.29mg 50%
  • Sodium 520.22mg 22%
  • Potassium 631.66mg 18%
  • Total Carbohydrates 1.45g <1%
  • Fiber 0.27g 1%
  • Sugar 0.93g
  • Protein 35.49g 71%

Preparation

Step 1

1. MIX paprika, sugar, salt, black pepper, white pepper, garlic powder and mustard together in a small bowl. Rub this mixture all over the pork. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

2. REMOVE pork from the refrigerator at least 1 1/2 hours before you plan to cook it. Take an injection syringe and pull the mojo marinade up into the tube. Plunge the injector into the pork and then slowly push in the mojo as you move the needle back toward you and out of the meat. You want to do it this way to avoid huge puddles inside the meat and make sure the marinade is evenly distributed. Repeat several more times in various spots until the marinade is gone.

3. OIL the grill racks. Preheat grill using all burners set on high with the lid closed for 10 to 12 minutes. Once the grill is hot, turn off the center or back burner and adjust your heat to medium-high.

4. DRAIN wood chips. If your grill is equipped with a smoke box, fill it with the chips. If not, divide the wood chips among six foil packets and place one packet at one end of the grill while it preheats. When the grill is ready, turn off all but one burner and turn it to low. Place the pork away from direct heat. Place a disposable 9-by-13-inch aluminum pan opposite the smoke source and fill the pan halfway with water. If your grill has a smoke box with its own separate burner, turn off all the burners except that one and turn it to low. Close grill.

5. CHANGE out the wood-chips packet and add water to the aluminum pan, if needed, every 20 minutes. When you have used all the chips, try not to open the grill again until the barbecue is close to being done, which can take 2 to 5 hours longer. (A five-pound Boston butt can take less than four hours to cook, but in windy conditions or if it is cold, it can take up to seven hours.) The best way to judge if the barbecue is done is to take a pair of tongs and grab the flat bone that runs through the center of the meat. If it moves easily or you can pull it out, the meat is done. Or it is done when it reaches an internal temperature of 190 degrees.

6. REMOVE pork and place in a large roasting pan and let rest for 20 minutes. Then with forks or tongs, begin to pull the meat so that it comes off in stringy chunks. Separate out the skin and as much fat as you desire. Any of the outside brown, which is crispy, should be set aside and finely chopped, then stirred back into the meat. You can leave the barbecue pulled as it comes off the shoulder or you can chop it a little finer, if desired.

7. TOSS pulled pork with 1/2 cup of the sauce you intend to serve with it. Serve hot with additional sauce on the side.

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