Overview

Use a foil boat to keep pork shoulder bark crisp while capturing juices and pushing through the stall without steaming. This method balances airflow and moisture so you get deep bark and succulent pull.

Ingredients

• 1 bone-in pork shoulder (Boston butt), 7–9 lb / 3.2–4.1 kg
• Kosher salt: 1.5–2.0% of meat weight (15–20 g per kg); example: 55–70 g for an 8 lb / 3.6 kg butt
• Coarse black pepper: 2 tbsp / 14 g
• Sweet paprika: 1 tbsp / 7 g
• Garlic powder: 2 tsp / 6 g
• Onion powder: 1 tsp / 3 g
• Cayenne pepper (optional): 1/2–1 tsp / 1–2 g
• Brown sugar (optional): 1 tbsp / 12 g
• Yellow mustard, for binder (optional): 1–2 tbsp / 15–30 g
• Spritz: 1 cup apple cider vinegar (240 ml) + 1 cup water (240 ml)

Equipment

• Smoker (offset, kettle with charcoal baskets/snake, pellet grill, or kamado)
• Fuel: hardwood lump/charcoal or pellets
• Hickory chunks/splits (apple optional)
• Heavy-duty aluminum foil, 18 in / 46 cm
• Instant-read thermometer and a leave-in probe
• Sheet pan and wire rack
• Spray bottle for spritz
• Heat-resistant gloves and tongs
• Butcher paper or clean towels; insulated cooler for holding
• Fat separator (optional)
• Meat claws (optional)

Wood

Hickory as the primary wood; add a touch of apple if you like a softer edge

Time & Temp

Time & Temp
Smoke temp: 255 °F (124 °C)
Target internal: 203 °F (95 °C)
Approx duration: 9 hours

Why the Foil Boat Works

A foil boat is a shallow tray of heavy-duty foil that supports the pork shoulder and catches rendered fat while leaving the top and most sides open to airflow. Unlike a full wrap, it preserves bark texture and smoke exposure, protects the underside from drying, and shortens the stall by limiting evaporative cooling.

Selecting and Trimming the Shoulder

Choose a bone-in Boston butt (7–9 lb / 3.2–4.1 kg). Look for good marbling and an intact fat cap. Trim away thin flaps and hard exterior fat, leaving about 1/8–1/4 in (3–6 mm) on the cap. Square up ragged edges for even cooking. Pat dry. Bone-in shoulders tolerate long cooks and shred more easily; the blade bone is a built-in doneness indicator.

Seasoning and Dry Brine

Salt at 1.5–2.0% of meat weight (15–20 g per kg). You can apply a light mustard binder, then a simple rub of black pepper, paprika, garlic, onion, and optional cayenne/sugar. Season all sides, including the underside. For best flavor and moisture, dry brine on a wire rack over a tray, uncovered in the refrigerator for 6–24 hours. Keep raw pork on the lowest fridge shelf to avoid drips and cross-contamination.

Fire, Pit Temp, and Wood

Run a steady 250–265°F (121–129°C). Clean, light-blue smoke matters more than heavy smoke. Hickory is the primary wood recommendation for pork shoulder; add a touch of apple for sweetness or use post oak if you prefer a Texas profile. In offsets, manage a small, clean-burning fire; in pellet grills, set 250–260°F and consider a water pan to moderate temps; in kettles/kamados, use a charcoal snake or heat deflector for indirect heat.

Smoke Phase: Build the Bark

Place the shoulder with the fat cap toward the heat source (cap up in offsets where heat comes from above/side, cap down where heat is primarily below). Smoke until the rub darkens to a deep mahogany and the surface feels tacky-dry, not pasty. Begin spritzing a 50/50 apple cider vinegar and water mix after the first 2 hours only if the surface looks dry; spritz every 45–60 minutes as needed. Expect bark to set and internal temperature to reach 160–170°F (71–77°C) around 3.5–5 hours, depending on size and pit behavior.

Boating the Shoulder

Lay two overlapping sheets of heavy-duty 18 in (46 cm) foil across a sheet pan to form a cross, then fold up shallow walls about 1–1.5 in (2.5–4 cm). Transfer the shoulder onto the center and crimp the foil snugly around the base so it sits in a shallow tray, leaving the top and most of the sides exposed. Keep one higher wall on the heat-source side to shield the bottom edge. Pour any juices from the grates into the boat. Return the boated shoulder to the pit—no tight covering. This captures drippings for later while maintaining airflow for the bark.

Finish, Doneness, and Rest

Continue at 250–265°F (121–129°C). After boating, you generally will not need to spritz. Cook until probe tender at multiple points, typically 198–205°F (92–96°C) internal, about 2.5–4.5 more hours. The probe should slide in with little resistance, and the blade bone should wiggle freely. If it is not tender at 205°F, keep cooking in 1–2°F increments; stop if the bark is at risk of over-darkening and let carryover plus a long hold finish the job. For resting, vent the top of the boat 10–15 minutes to stop carryover, then loosely fold the foil or wrap in butcher paper and hold at 150–165°F (66–74°C) for 1–3 hours in a warm oven or insulated cooler. Separate fat from the collected juices and mix the defatted jus back into the pulled pork.

Serving and Leftovers

Pull by hand or with claws into long strands and tender chunks, discarding excess fat and any gristle. Taste and adjust with a light sprinkle of finishing salt or a Carolina-style vinegar sauce if desired—sauce on the side keeps bark crisp. Typical yield is 50–60% of raw weight. Cool leftovers quickly; divide into shallow containers and refrigerate within 2 hours, then use within 3–4 days or freeze up to 3 months. Reheat covered to 165°F (74°C), moistening with reserved jus.

Food Safety Essentials

Avoid cross-contamination: trim and season on a washable board, keep raw pork and tools separate from ready-to-eat items, and wash hands, boards, and spritz bottles that contacted raw meat. Keep the cook hot and steady; avoid holding the roast in the 40–140°F (4–60°C) danger zone for more than 2 hours cumulative. During service or holding, keep the meat above 140°F (60°C). Chill leftovers to ≤40°F (≤4°C) within 2 hours and reheat to 165°F (74°C).

Troubleshooting

Soggy bark: open the boat fully and run the pit at 265–275°F (129–135°C) for 10–20 minutes to re-dry before resting. Bark too dark before tender: lightly tent with butcher paper over the top (not foil) to diffuse heat while maintaining airflow. Dry meat: boat earlier next time when bark just sets, and be sure to hold with the captured jus; avoid overshooting 208°F. Stubborn stall: it is fine to bump to 270–275°F (132–135°C) after boating. Too salty: bring salt down to 1.5% by weight and avoid salty injections or brined store-bought pork.

Regional Notes and Wood Pairings

The foil boat is a Texas-adjacent technique popularized for brisket and adapted here for pork shoulder to keep bark lively without steaming. Hickory is classic in the Carolinas for pork and works beautifully in this method; blending a split or two of apple softens the profile. Serve with Carolina vinegar sauce for pulled pork sandwiches or keep it Texas-simple with pickles and onions.

Notes

• Boat when bark is set and internal reads ~160–170°F (71–77°C); waiting too long reduces the benefit.
• Keep foil walls low (1–1.5 in / 2.5–4 cm) to maintain airflow; a taller wall on the heat side can prevent scorching.
• Stop spritzing after boating; steam softens bark.
• If your pit runs cool, plan 10–11 hours for a 8–9 lb (3.6–4.1 kg) shoulder; hotter pits can finish in 7–8 hours.
• Return defatted juices to the pulled pork for moisture and flavor; reserve excess for reheating leftovers.
• For pellet grills that run dry, a small water pan near—but not under—the boat helps stabilize the cook without steaming.