Recipe · Pork
Low-and-Slow Pork Shoulder (6 Hours)
Low-and-slow is a specific technique, not a vibe. It means cooking at 225F for long enough to melt connective tissue (collagen) into gelatin without overcooking the muscle fibers. That happens at internal temperature 195-205F, a range only achievable by holding external temp at 225F for hours. Do it faster and you get tough meat. Do it hotter and you dry it out. The Ninja Woodfire Pro Connect XL holds 225F precisely for the entire 6-8 hour cook, which is the entire technique, everything else is just rub and timing.
Technique how-to
How the low and slow method works
A method demonstration from Hey Grill Hey — watch it for the technique, then follow the ingredients and steps in our recipe above. We do not produce our own videos.
Start-to-finish low-and-slow tutorial from one of the most trusted independent BBQ channels. Covers the full 225°F method.
Ingredients
- 6 lb bone-in pork shoulder
- 1/4 cup mustard
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 2 tbsp salt
- 1 tbsp smoked paprika
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp onion powder
- 2 tsp black pepper
- Apple wood pellets
Instructions
- 01
Coat the shoulder in mustard, then apply the rub heavily. Refrigerate 4-24 hours.
- 02
Preheat the smoker-grill to 225F with apple wood pellets.
- 03
Place the shoulder fat-side up on indirect heat.
- 04
Smoke for 4 hours without opening the lid. Trust the thermometer, not your eyes.
- 05
At internal temp 165F, wrap in butcher paper and return to the grill at 250F.
- 06
Cook until the internal temp hits 203F. This is another 2 hours.
- 07
Rest wrapped in a towel in a cooler for 45 minutes.
- 08
Pull apart with forks and serve.
Pro Tips
Tips for this cook
- ★Low-and-slow means 225F. That specific temperature is chosen because it is above the danger zone for bacteria (140F) but low enough that collagen can fully render into gelatin without the meat drying out.
- ★The internal temperature matters, not the time. A 6-lb shoulder might hit 203F in 5 hours or 8, depends on the specific piece of meat.
- ★Fat-side up is right for pork shoulder. Gravity helps render fat through the meat as it cooks.
Recommended for this cook
Tools that make this cook easier
A probe thermometer turns this from a guessing game into a timer-based cook. A smoker box adds the wood flavor the recipe assumes.
Ninja Woodfire owners who want better pellets than the bag in the box.
We recommend for this recipe
Ninja Woodfire Pro Connect XL OG951
The Ninja Woodfire Pro Connect XL OG951's 406 sq in surface and bluetooth app connectivity and 2 built-in thermometers make it our pick for this recipe.
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