For an old school pit barbecue flavor, I like using a Weber Smoky Mountain. I’ll remove the water pan and cook the pork shoulder on the top rack directly over the coals. The fat renders over the coals and makes for a great smoky flavor.
Add all the mop ingredients to a 2-quart pot and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Whisk everything together until the butter melts.
Immediately remove it from the heat and keep it warm until you’re ready to use it. Otherwise, cool the sauce at room temperature, then refrigerate it in an airtight container.
Season the pork shoulder evenly all over with the kosher salt and black pepper. Refrigerate, uncovered, overnight.
If you’re using the Weber Smoky Mountain Cooker Smoker, set it to 275°F pit temperature, with 5 or 6 big wood chunks underneath the coals. Remove the water pan so you can cook the pork shoulder directly over the coals. This is going to give you an old school pit barbecue flavor.
Set the grill to 275°F. Preheat it for 15 minutes and brush the grill grates clean.
Alternatively, you can use a kettle set to 275°F using the snake method. Line the perimeter of the kettle with 2 rows of briquettes that circle ¾ of the way around, placing a 2nd row of 2 briquettes on top of the first row. Be sure that the briquettes are lined up vertically, and that all the briquettes are touching.
Cook the pork with the fat cap down for the first 2 hours, then flip it and keep cooking for another 2 hours, basting it with the mop every 30 minutes.
Place the wood chunks on top of the charcoal, toward the beginning of the snake. Don’t add a water pan so that you get a nice dry heat.
With either method, cook the pork with the fat cap down for the first 2 hours, then flip it and keep cooking for another 2 hours, basting it with the mop every 30 minutes.
When the pork has a rich, brown color to it, wrap it tightly in heavy-duty aluminum foil and return it to the smoker so that the fat cap is facing down again. Continue cooking at 275°F for 2 ½–3 ½ hours.
Start checking the pork after 2 ½ hours. The meat will be done when a thermometer placed in the thickest part of the shoulder slides in and out easily and reads an internal temperature of 195°–200°F.
Serve the pork sliced, chopped, or pulled with some of the remaining Worcestershire mop as a condiment.
Recipe Tips
To make this on a kettle, heat the grill to 275°F using a 2-zone set up, with 5–6 chunks of your favorite wood. Cook the pork with the fat cap up for 1 hour, then baste the meat with the mop. Cook for another 3 hours, mopping the pork every 30 minutes. Wrap the pork and continue cooking as the recipe is written.
