Smoked Pork Shoulder On Pit Boss Pellet Grill

Pit Boss pellet grills are very powerful and versatile, which means that they can cook almost anything you want.

That includes this smoked pork shoulder on Pit Boss pellet grill recipe.

Pork shoulder is one of the larger cuts of pork which takes a lot of time to cook to get a proper finish and doneness on the meat.

That is why you need help from a powerful grill.

I like cooking in the Pit Boss pellet grill because it not only produces the right heat but also adds a little bit of flavor to the meat that comes from the smoke of the pellets.

If you want to buy the best cut of pork shoulder then definitely try out Snake River Farms as I ordered their pork shoulder and the cut that was delivered to my home was simply outstanding.

You need to be careful with this, however, as you would not want the smoke to overpower the flavor of the meat.

You need just enough to make the pork shoulder induce some of the flavors.

So with this recipe and guide below, you will be cooking the best food from a rather lean cut of meat.

Using the Pit Boss grill is perfect as it will help in making the meat tender and flavorful.

Table of Contents

Pork Shoulder Smoked On A Pit Boss Pellet Grill Recipe

Ingredients

1 Pork Shoulder
Olive oil or mustard to coat the pork shoulder
1 tablespoon of sea salt
1 tablespoon of black pepper
1 tablespoon of paprika
1 tablespoon of sugar
1 tablespoon of chili powder

Procedure

Step 1: Prepare The Pork Shoulder

Pork shoulder does not usually need trimming because it is a rather lean cut of meat.

Just make sure to defrost it properly by leaving it in the refrigerator overnight.

If the pork shoulder has loose fats hanging, remove them but do not trim the fat cap.

It will help make the finish juicier and more tender when the pork shoulder cooks for a long time.

Step 2: Preheat The Pit Boss Pellet Grill

Load up a lot of pellets into the pellet hopper of the grill and then fire the grill up.

Set the temperature to 225 degrees Fahrenheit and allow the grill to preheat for 15 minutes.

Make sure that the lid is closed to ensure that the heat does not escape or create cold spots inside the grill.

This helps to eliminate the bacteria and contaminants in the grill.

Step 3: Season The Pork Shoulder

While you are waiting for the grill to preheat, season the pork shoulder with the dry rub.

Coat the pork shoulder first with olive oil or mustard so the dry rub will stick properly on the meat.

Mix all the ingredients for the dry rub in a bowl and coat the pork shoulder with the mixture.

Get it all over the meat and use your hands to massage the rub into it for a little bit.

You can use the ingredients above or purchase a pre-made dry rub to make the process faster.

Allow the pork shoulder to rest for at least 5 minutes or until the grill is preheated properly.

Step 4: Cook The Pork Shoulder

Place the pork shoulder directly on the grill grates and allow it to cook with the lid closed.

The rule of thumb is to cook the pork shoulder for 1.5 hours for every pound of pork meat.

Insert a meat probe into the meat to measure the internal temperature.

Once it has reached 195 degrees to 205 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove the pork shoulder from the grill and let it rest.

Allow the pork shoulder to rest for at least 15 minutes to get the juices back into the meat. Slice or pull the pork shoulder and then serve it while it is still hot.

How Long Does It Take To Smoke A Pork Shoulder On A Pit Boss?

This depends on the temperature you set the grill on but for a standard-sized pork shoulder, you will need to cook it for at least 3 hours. This can get up to 4 hours if needed.

I recommend going for 3.5 hours to ensure that the heat gets in the middle of the meat.

The timing when cooking is a good way to determine the finish of the pork shoulder.

However, I recommend using a meat probe to make sure that the pork shoulder cooks perfectly.

The timing depends on many factors, so there is no real standard for it.

How Long Does It Take To Smoke Pork Shoulder At 225?

As you can see with the recipe above, I did not set a specific time to cook the pork shoulder.

The temperature at 225 degrees Fahrenheit is the easiest to manage when cooking.

At this temperature, you will need to cook the pork shoulder for almost a day.

That depends, however, on the overall weight of the pork shoulder that you are cooking.

Just use the rule of thumb where you cook the pork shoulder for 1.5 hours for each pound. That means that the larger the pork shoulder, the longer it will take to cook properly.

How Long Does It Take To Smoke A 9-Pound Pork Shoulder?

Using the same temperature for cooking and the rule of thumb that I have just mentioned, cooking a 9-pound pork shoulder will take almost the whole day to cook properly.

At a higher temperature or 250 degrees Fahrenheit, it will take around 9 hours for the large pork shoulder to cook all the way through and get to the set internal temperature.

If you use a lower temperature, it will take roughly 12 hours for a 9-pound pork shoulder to be cooked, and make sure that the insides cook with a juicy and tender finish.

What Is The Best Temperature To Smoke A Pork Shoulder?

If we are talking about the grill temperature that is best to cook pork shoulder, then I recommend using temperatures only between 225 degrees and 250 degrees Fahrenheit.

While this is hot, you can manage it easier as they do not burn the meat right away.

However, when it comes to the internal temperature of the meat, you will need a meat probe for that.

The internal temperature that you are looking for is somewhere in the 200’s.

I prefer going with 195 degrees before removing it from the grill and letting it rest.

Remember that while the meat is resting, it continues to cook and will raise the temperature to 10 degrees Fahrenheit.

Should You Wrap A Pork Shoulder When Smoking?

The method of wrapping meat when cooking, also known as Texas Crutch, is not necessarily needed for smoking pork shoulder. It does help, however, to make it juicier.

The main purpose of wrapping the pork shoulder when smoking is to make sure that it maintains its internal temperature.

You can then add juices to the wrapper to help create a juicier finish.

I do recommend this as long as you keep an eye on the internal temperature of the meat.

However, it is not needed to smoke the pork shoulder as it is.

Do You Smoke A Pork Shoulder Fat Side Up?

I like having a little bit of fat cap on the pork shoulder when cooking as it helps create a juicier finish.

It also helps the meat not get burnt when there are flare-ups.

Cooking the pork shoulder fat side up will help melt the juices on top and baste the meat to make it tender and juicy.

This is only applicable when cooking at lower temperatures.

If you think the flare-ups are starting to burn the meat, cook the pork shoulder fat side down to protect it.

It is okay to let the fat burn a little bit, as you can remove that later.

How Do You Keep A Pork Shoulder Moist When Smoking?

Smoking meat is a cooking process that takes a very long time, especially with large pork shoulders.

So the hardest challenge is to make sure that the pork shoulder stays juicy.

To do this, you can either brine or inject the pork shoulder with liquid seasoning.

This will help give the meat a better texture and will also tenderize it in the process.

That goes into the preparation, but if you are already cooking, you can use the Texas Crutch method.

That is when you wrap the pork shoulder in aluminum foil and add juice to it.

The juice inside the aluminum foil will create vapors to help the pork shoulder become more tender and juicy.

This will also add a little bit of flavor to the meat when cooked.

Do You Cut The Fat Off Pork Shoulder Before Slow Cooking?

For most recipes, I would usually recommend cutting the fat off of the meat before cooking.

However, the main point is to leave enough to make the pork shoulder juicier.

I prefer the term trim rather than cut as you do need some of the fats. Just remove excess fat but leave the fat cap so that the pork shoulder does not dry up while cooking for a long time.

Another trick that I usually do is to leave the fat as it is without trimming or cutting some of it.

I do the trimming of the fat later once the pork shoulder is done.

The problem with this is that you might have a hard time getting the seasonings into the meat.

So I suggest that you leave the fat only when you marinate or brine the pork shoulder overnight.

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Smoked Pork Shoulder On Pit Boss Pellet Grill