Miso-Rubbed Smoked & Flame-Grilled Pork Shoulder
An experiment that worked: miso paste as a binder, Gospel rub, smoked to 170°F, thin sliced and charred over a blazing yakitori grill.
This little experiment on a pork shoulder turned out amazing. I'd eaten the best char siu I've ever had at a Hawaiian BBQ place, and my wife wanted to see if we could do something similar.
Smoked and grilled
Instead of mustard, I used miso paste as the binder, then Meat Church The Gospel. I smoked it to about 170°F internal. That's well short of pulled pork temperature, so the meat holds together and you can slice it. Then I sliced it and charred the slices over a hot fire on my Millscale Yakitori.
The miso comes through subtly and adds a nice depth. Don't slice much thinner than you see in the video for grilling, or the slices dry out. The really thin slices I didn't grill were juicy and tender, and they'd be great on a sandwich.
Watch the cook
Pork
Miso-Rubbed Smoked & Flame-Grilled Pork Shoulder
An experiment that worked: miso paste as a binder, Gospel rub, smoked to 170°F, thin sliced and charred over a blazing yakitori grill.
Print- Prep
- 15 minutes
- Cook
- 6–8 hours
- Total
- About 8 hours
- Yield
- 8–10 servings
- Method
- Smoked, flame grilled
- Wood
- Your choice
Ingredients
Instructions
- Set your smoker to 250°F.
- Smear the miso paste over the whole shoulder as a binder, then season with The Gospel.
- Smoke until the internal temperature is about 170°F.
- Rest for 20 minutes, then slice thin, about ⅓ inch.
- Build a hot charcoal fire in a yakitori-style or close-to-the-coals grill.
- Sear the slices for 30–60 seconds per side, until charred at the edges. Serve right away.
Pitmaster Notes
- Pork is safe at 145°F, so slicing at 170°F is fully cooked. The final sear is for texture and char.
- Slice thinner than that for sandwiches and skip the grill.
Product links are things I actually used. Some are affiliate links, and as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Times and temps are my starting points. Every cooker and every cut runs a little different, so cook to temperature and feel, not the clock.
