Smoked Pork Picnic Shoulder Recipe
This smoked pork picnic shoulder is slow-cooked on a Traeger pellet smoker until tender and pull-apart perfect. Seasoned with a simple dry rub and smoked low and slow, this Traeger pork picnic recipe delivers deep smoky flavor, juicy meat, and a rich bark ideal for pulled pork.
Ingredients
For The Pork Rub:
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar packed
- 1 ½ tablespoons black pepper coarse ground
- 1 tablespoon coarse kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
For The Pork:
- 3 to 4 lb bone-in pork picnic roast
- 3 to 5 tablespoons mustard
For The Steam Bowl:
- ½ can root beer
For The Spritz:
- ½ can root beer
Instructions
- Start smoker according to the manufacturer's directions - set temperature to 225F.
- Meanwhile make the rub by combining 2 tablespoons brown sugar, 1 ½ tablespoons black pepper, 1 tablespoon coarse kosher salt, 1 teaspoon paprika, and 1 teaspoon garlic powder in a small bowl.
- Place 3 to 4 lb bone-in pork picnic roast on a flat surface, and gently but thoroughly rub the top and sides with an even coat of yellow mustard - about 3-5 tablespoons. Using a spoon, carefully sprinkle the rub across the surface, place some rub on your fingers and pat them along the side to ensure even coverage. Flip over the shoulder and do the same on the backside. Mustard and then rub.
- Fill a heat-proof dish with ½ can root beer and approximately the same amount of water. I use a tin loaf pan. Place both the water dish and the pork on the rack in your smoker. If you've got an internal temperature probe, place it now.
- Fill a food-safe spray bottle with ½ can root beer. Every forty-five minutes to an hour until the pork shoulder hits 160F internal temperature, spritz the top of the roast with the root beer.
- Once the pork hits 160F internal temperature, pull it off the grill and wrap it in plain butcher's paper.
- Return the pork to the grill. Top up your root beer/water dish with more water if it seems to be running low. Increase the temperature of the grill to 250F and cook the pork until the internal temperature reaches 202-205F.
- Once the internal temperature of the pork reaches ~203F, remove from the smoker, and wrap in two layers of tinfoil, then wrap in a towel. Then place the wrapped roast into a cooler and rest for at least 1 hour.
- Remove the pork roast from the cooler, save any juices that didn't reabsorb into the meat. Shred the pork, and toss with any remaining juice and your favorite BBQ sauce, if desired.
Notes
Expert Tips
- Use a rimmed baking sheet when you’re applying the mustard and the rub! This keeps in any and all juices and greatly reduces the amount of rub you’ll be wiping off your counters for the next 3 days. I’ve determined that rub is the glitter of the culinary world.
- Disposable tin foil pans are some of my favourite accessories for our Traeger. Disposable doesn’t mean one use only – especially if I’m using them for the steam bowl. I just wash out and reuse over and over.
- Shred or slice, that’s up to you! This smoked pork shoulder picnic recipe is great either way. If you want to make shredding a breeze, get some meat claws.
- Start your roast early. The rule of thumb is 90 minutes per pound plus a 1-hour rest. We prefer to get the smoked pork roast on the smoker and have the estimated time of doneness to be at least 2-3 hours before we plan on eating. Don’t worry, it will stay hot till serving time.
