Barbecued Pork Shoulder on a Gas Grill

Barbecue. There is nothing better than a good pork shoulder roasted “low and slow” as they say, over wood smoke. The long cooking time and low temperature ensure a succulent roast. And the smoke? Well the smoke is the whole point of barbecuing in the first place, otherwise you could just as easily use a slow cooker.
The thing is, to do this right, you really need a smoker, or a barbecue with a separate box for wood chips. I don’t have either. I may get a smoker at some point, but at the moment, I do have a perfectly functional 2-burner gas grill. The good news is that you can indeed achieve a pretty decent barbecue with your grill, if you watch the temperature and keep up the smoke. It just takes a big more finagling and a lot more attention.

Barbecued Pork Shoulder on a Gas Grill Recipe

Prep time: 1 hour
Cook time: 8 hours
Yield: Serves 6-8.

 

Ingredients

• One 4 pound pork shoulder roast, preferably Boston butt, boneless or bone-in (you can easily make two 4 pound roasts in about the same amount of time if your grill is big enough to accommodate them both)
• 5 to 6 cups of wood chips, hickory, oak, apple, or other fruit wood

BBQ Rub (enough for a 4 pound roast)

• 2 Tbsp brown sugar, packed
• 2 Tbsp white sugar
• 2 Tbsp paprika
• 1 Tbsp kosher salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons chipotle chile powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper

Santa Maria Rub (enough for a 4 pound roast)

• 1 Tbsp salt
• 1 Tbsp finely ground black pepper
• 1 Tbsp garlic powder
• 1 Tbsp onion powder
• 1 teaspoon cayenne
• 1 Tbsp dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dry rosemary (or fresh, finely minced)
• 1/2 teaspoon dry sage
• 1/4 teaspoon sugar

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