Pork Shoulder Burnt Ends
Use pork shoulder for these, not lean pork loin. The fat and connective tissue need time to soften, and the cubes are ready when a probe slips in easily. Homemade barbecue seasoning goes on before the smoke; BBQ sauce, butter, and brown sugar go in for the covered finish. Set aside an afternoon and let tenderness decide when they are done.
Homemade pantry recipes: HKT Barbecue Seasoning — https://www.homegrownkitchentable.com/all-recipes/barbecue-seasoning
HKT BBQ Sauce — https://www.homegrownkitchentable.com/all-recipes/how-to-make-your-own-bbq-sauce
Ingredients
6 pounds boneless pork shoulder, fully thawed
2 tablespoons olive oil
¼ cup HKT Barbecue Seasoning
¼ cup (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
⅓ cup packed brown sugar
¾ cup prepared HKT BBQ Sauce
Instructions
Heat the smoker to 225°F and set it up for indirect cooking, using a wood you like with pork. Check the cooking temperature with a smoker thermometer. Have enough clean grate space or smoker-safe metal racks ready to hold the pork with gaps between the pieces.
Trim away tough skin, hard fat, and any bone, leaving the softer fat within the meat. Cut the pork into fairly even 1½-inch cubes. Toss with the olive oil, then sprinkle all sides with the measured barbecue seasoning.
Arrange the cubes in a single layer on the grates or smoker-safe racks, with space for smoke to circulate. Smoke for about 3 hours, until the outside has a deep reddish-brown crust that holds when touched lightly with tongs.
Transfer the pork to a deep metal baking pan that fits the smoker, roughly 9×13 inches, or divide it between two smaller pans. Add all the butter, brown sugar, and prepared BBQ sauce, dividing them evenly if using two pans. Toss gently to coat and cover the pan tightly with foil or a fitted heat-safe lid.
Return the covered pan to the 225°F smoker. Cook for about 1–2 more hours, checking several of the larger cubes with a food thermometer. Aim for about 195–205°F and a probe or fork that slides into the meat with little resistance. Keep cooking if the pork is still tough, even if the clock says it should be ready.
Carefully uncover the pan, keeping your hands away from the steam. Stir to coat the pork in the pan juices, then smoke uncovered for about 20–30 minutes, until the sauce clings to the cubes. Check occasionally so the sugar does not scorch. If the pan becomes dry before the pork is tender, cover it again and continue cooking before this final uncovered step.
Let the pork rest for 10–15 minutes, then stir once more and serve with the glaze from the pan. Refrigerate leftovers in shallow containers within 2 hours, or within 1 hour when the temperature is above 90°F. Use within 3–4 days and reheat to 165°F throughout.