Smoked Pork Shoulder Burnt Ends
For those of you who want an easy smoker recipe to test on your Traeger, look no further! Have you ever heard of meat described as candy? These deliciously caramelized morsels of pork shoulder are precisely that!
Equipment
- 1 Pellet smoker
Ingredients
- 6-8 lbs of cubed pork shoulder
- 1/2 cup .5 cup Barbecue rub
- 1 cup Apple juice
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup .5 cup Apple cider vinegar
- 4 tbsp Barbecue sauce
- 4 tbsp Honey
- 2 tbsp salt
- 2 tbsp pepper
Instructions
Step 1: Prepare the Pork Butt/Shoulder for Traeger Smoking
- Remove as much excess moisture from the piece of meat with a paper towel.
- Cube the pork butt/shoulder into 1-inch cubes. (Using bone-in pork butt? Remove before cubing) Season with salt and black pepper. Leave in the fridge for 60 minutes.
- Remove further excess moisture that was drawn out by the salt. Put the pieces of pork into a clean mixing bowl.
- Cover the pieces in the BBQ rub and brown sugar. Ensuring each is coated evenly by mixing or shaking the bowl. Pour some apple juice into the foil tray. This helps retain moisture while the pork is smoking and acts as a drip tray)
Step 2: Smoking the Cubes of Pork Butt/Shoulder
- -Load the pellets, prime, and set the Traeger to a grill temperature of 225°F and wait until temp. Place the foil tray underneath the wire rack or grill grates.
- Place the seasoned pork cubes on the wire rack or grill grates above the tray. Tip: Use a disposable grill liner for an easy clean!
Step 3: Spritz the Pork Butt/Shoulder While Smoking
- Mix the remaining apple juice and apple cider vinegar into the spray bottle. Spritz the pork every 30 minutes while smoking to keep the meat moist.
- Note: Make sure you continuously monitor your smoker temperature!
Step 4: This Cooking Process Transforms the Pieces Into Burnt Ends
- Cook the porky cubes until you reach an internal temperature of 190°F using a temperature probe.
- This will take 2-3 hours, A long slow smoke will slowly break down the connective tissues and fats to infuse with moisture and give a tender meat.
- After 2 -3 hours, or when the meat reaches 190⁰F internal temperature, remove the pork pieces from the grill and place them in another aluminum foil tray.