A smoked pork roast is an especially tender entree with several serving possibilities. A butt roast -- which comes from the upper shoulder of a pig -- is usually slow-smoked and shredded for pulled-pork sandwiches. The same is true for a picnic roast -- the lower side of the shoulder -- though a picnic is sometimes served in slices. The basics of smoking a 5-lb. pork roast are identical regardless of the cut.

Mix the sugar and spices in a plastic bag. Rub all sides of the pork roast with the mixture. Enclose the roast in plastic wrap, and refrigerate it overnight.

Pour charcoal briquettes in the smoker's firebox. Light the briquettes, and allow them to burn until they are white-hot and smouldering.

Soak the hickory chips in a 5-gallon bucket for a minimum of 30 minutes. Spread a thick layer of chips over the white-hot charcoal. Allow the smoker to heat to 225 degrees Fahrenheit.

Remove the pork roast from the refrigerator. Remove the plastic wrap, and place the roast on the smoker's cooking grate. The fat cap of a butt or picnic roast must be facing up. The fat melts during the smoking process, tenderizing the meat.

Smoke a 5-lb. roast for approximately seven hours. Add more hickory chips to the firebox every hour for the first three hours. Wrap the roast in aluminum foil for the last two hours of smoking. This tenderizes the meat to the point that it literally falls off the bone.