Flavor-Infused Barbecue Pork Roast

Pork is wonderful for the grill or BBQ. But because pork roasts are fairly lean, injecting them with a little extra flavor can make a big difference in taste. And slow-cooking the roast makes it very tender. Here is an easy way to make a barbecue pork roast that's a perfect main dish for a cookout.

What You'll Need

• A pork butt or pork shoulder roast, about 6 to 7 lbs. We use bone-in for the most tender roast, but boneless is okay too if you prefer it. Trim off the the excess fat (including the fat cap, if there is one).
• A meat injector needle.
• Possibly a blender.
• BBQ wood chips - we like apple wood or hickory, but you can use whatever you want (but we don't recommend mesquite because it's so strong). Soak the chips for at least an hour prior to use, to create more smoke.
• A couple of strong aluminum pans, large enough to hold the roast.
• Aluminum foil.

Injection Marinade

You can go the easy route and just use your favorite BBQ marinade, or you can make one of your own. We prefer the herb/garlic marinades rather than the sweeter types, but you can use anything you like.

To inject the roast, fill up the injector needle with the marinade or sauce (make sure the marinade / sauce doesn't have any 'chunks' that could block the needle -- if it does, run the sauce through the blender first). Place the roast in an aluminum pan. Inject the meat in a dozen or so spots: stick the needle in deep, then press the plunger slowly (do it too fast, and the marinade will squirt out). Some of it will run out, which is normal. Turn over the roast and repeat the process. If you find yourself short of marinade, use the stuff that's run into the bottom of the pan.

Put any leftover marinade into a spray bottle for extra marinating during cooking. If you don't have a spray bottle, you can use a basting brush.

Ingredients for the Dry Rub

To add even more flavor to the roast, use a dry rub on the surface of the roast prior to barbecuing. Many people love sweet-tasting rubs that are typically a mixture of apple juice or cider, plus a sweetener like sugar or honey. We prefer a savory rub of 1/3 cup of garlic powder, 1/4 cup of onion powder, 1 tbsp crushed red pepper flakes, plus salt & pepper to taste.

Rub the seasoning mixture evenly over the roast so that it's well-coated. We sometimes also chop up about 3 tbsp of fresh garlic, sautee it in a bit of butter, then rub it onto the top of the roast.

Barbecuing the Roast

Set up your BBQ for indirect heat, low to medium-low temperature (somewhere around 225 to 250 degrees Farenheit). Once the coals are ready, add the wood chips to get them smoking nicely. Place the roast directly on the grate and put the lid down to retain the moisture and smoke. We find that it typically takes about 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours per lb of roast to cook it through. It's done when the internal temperature reaches 190 to 195 degrees C. Remove the roast from the barbecue, place it in a (fresh/clean) aluminum cover, cover with a aluminum foil 'tent', and let rest for 20 to 30 minutes.

Shred the barbecue pork roast with meat shredders, a couple of forks or with your hands. Discard any chunks of fat or gristle. Serve on a bun, with sauce if you want. Wonderful to bring on a picnic, and always greeted with enthusiasm! Check out more BBQ pork recipes, and find stuff to serve with it with our BBQ side dishes too.