Tips for Smoking Pork: Getting it Tender

Most of the Pork that we commonly smoke is safe to eat at 160°F; however, this is usually not the temperature at which the meat is best to eat. Cuts such as ribs and Pork shoulder should be left in the smoker until they are tender, regardless of what their internal temperature might be. When cooking ribs, I don’t even check the temperature of the meat; ribs are still chewy at 160°F and should be left to idle in the smoker until they pass a tenderness test. Pork butt is not at its best until it reaches 185°F to 190°F, and if you want to pull it I recommend letting it go to 205°F, when it will be juicy and will fall apart with very little work.