Make delicious, fall-off-the-bone tender smoked pulled pork with these easy to follow steps. This recipe is perfect for your next gathering or family meal and can be served up in a variety of ways.
Smoked pulled pork is a staple at most bbq joints and can be enjoyed in a variety of ways. Most commonly, people eat pulled pork by itself or on a sandwich but there are also so many other ways to serve up this dish.
I love smoking a whole pork butt for our family and using the leftovers in dishes like; tacos, nachos, salad toppings, or even mixing the meat in with things like baked beans or mac and cheese. The great thing about pork butt is that it is relatively inexpensive in comparison to the amount of meat you get.
Most people are too intimidated to smoke a larger piece of meat for fear of failure. Let’s face it, no one wants to invest the time it takes to cook a meal like this only to end up with a disappointing product in the end.
While it does take some time and attention, smoked pulled pork is actually rather easy to make. By following just a few simple tips, you are bound to end up with really great results. You do not need to be a seasoned pro to be successful, even on your first try.
How To Prepare The Pork
Start by purchasing a bone-in pork butt. A bone-in pork butt will have a better flavor and hold its shape better while cooking. We will begin preparing the pork butt by trimming it. There is a large area on one side of the meat that is called the fat cap. While it is not absolutely necessary to remove the fat cap, you aren’t going to want that much fat mixed in with your pulled pork and will end up removing it after the cook regardless.
I choose to remove the fat cap before cooking it to allow the smoke and seasoning to do a better job of penetrating the meat. I promise it’s not going to dry out the meat and it will actually allow you to get a better overall bark. Use a sharp knife to do your trimming. You do not want to cut into the red of the meat, leave the thinnest layer of white fat that you can as you do your trimming.
I will also cut off any larger excess pieces of fat that might be on the outside of the meat anywhere else. Yes, fat is flavor but it’s also a bad bite if you have too much of it.
Now it is time for some seasoning! Use a yellow mustard to coat the entire pork butt. The mustard will act as a binder for the seasoning and help it adhere to the meat. If you are not a mustard fan, don’t worry because you won’t taste it. Pick your favorite rub and heavily season all sides of the pork.
A large piece of meat really requires a generous amount of seasoning. It is not likely that you are going to overseason it. Our BBQ Rub is a great option to use for a cook like this, but any pork rub can be used. I typically like to use a rub with a sweet profile for smoked pulled pork.
After you have fully coated the meat with seasoning, allow it to rest at room temperature for about 30 minutes. The seasoning will begin to draw out the moisture and make the pork appear to look sweaty. Once the meat has sweated out it will be ready to transfer to the grill.
You can also prepare your meat by trimming and seasoning it the night before and leave it in the refrigerator overnight. If I plan to start cooking first thing in the morning, I will usually do all my prep the night before so that I can go straight to the grill the next day.
How To Smoke Pulled Pork
Before grilling, make sure the grates are clean by wiping them down or scrubbing off any food from a previous cook. Ensure you have plenty of charcoal and wood for the duration of time that will be needed. I use natural lump charcoal and hickory wood, but any wood you prefer can be used for this recipe. I typically prefer fruit wood but for a large piece of meat like this, I like to go more traditional and have a stronger smoke flavor.
Next, prepare your smoker or grill to a temperature of 275° F. When trying to decide the cook temperature for this recipe, the focus should be on the time you have available to dedicate to grilling. If I were to do my cooking overnight, I might go at a lower temperature like 225°F or 250°F. Since I am beginning my cook early in the morning and wish to have it done in time for dinner, I went with a slightly higher temperature. I won’t be sacrificing any flavor or quality with this temperature because it is still low enough to really let the smoking process do its job.
I am going to take my fully prepared pork butt and place it directly on the grill grates with the fat cap side up. Next to the meat, I like to place a small foil pan with liquid to add moisture to the meat while cooking. Some people use a pan with just water, but I like to put apple juice in mine.
Keeping the Meat Moist While Cooking
Now that you have the meat cooking, the monitoring process begins. Believe it or not, this is actually a very simple process with pulled pork. I will check on the meat for the first time around the two hour mark. I like to spritz the meat at this point if it is looking a little dry.
Spritzing is not completely necessary but it is something I do to help ensure I don’t ever end up with a dry product. I use apple cider vinegar in my spray bottle but other liquids can be used like apple juice. I will repeat the spritzing process again around the four hour mark. After about six hours of cooking, I will be looking for two things; internal temperature and appearance of the outside bark.
At this point, your bark should be a nice, deep mahogany color. If the bark is where you want it to be and the internal temperature is in the 160-170°F range, I will remove the meat from the grill and wrap it to begin the final stage of cooking.
Wrapping the meat is done for a couple of reasons; it allows you to preserve some of the juice that is rendered out and will help speed up the cooking process. Place the pork butt in an aluminum pan and then apply another layer of seasoning to the outside of the meat. I will also add a few tablespoons of sliced butter on top of the meat to add flavor at the end. Wrap the pan with heavy duty aluminum foil and place it back on the grill.
Allow the meat to cook like this for a couple of hours and then check the internal temperature. I am trying to get to an internal temperature of 200°F but more importantly, I want it to pass the “probe test”. The “probe test” is where I take an instant read thermometer and probe for any resistance in the meat. I should be able to insert the probe anywhere in the meat without any resistance at all. If there are any spots that don’t easily go through with the thermometer, I might let the internal temperature rise a couple of more degrees.
Now, I am going to remove the meat from the grill and let it rest. I like to let some of the steam out of the pan when I first pull pork off of the grill to help set the bark and keep it from being too soft. After leaving the foil unwrapped for about 10 minutes, I will rewrap the meat and let it rest for another 20 minutes.
I like to let a large piece of meat like this rest for at least 30 minutes but if I have more time to do it longer, I would suggest waiting until around the 60 minute mark before pulling it apart. If you do not let the meat rest after cooking, you will lose a lot of moisture. Make sure you include rest time in your preparations, especially if you are on a schedule.
Serving The Pork
Take the smoked pork and place it on a large cutting board. Pour all of the juice from your aluminum pan into a fat separating container. If you don’t have a fat separator, you can simply skim the fat off the top of the juice with a spoon. Before you begin to pull the pork, remove the bone.
If the bone comes out clean, that is a great sign. Start pulling the pork into the size pieces you prefer and remove any excess pieces of fat that you may come across. Place the meat back in the foil pan and add in some of the reserved juice. Sprinkle the top of the meat with a light coat of seasoning and it is ready to serve!
Frequently Asked Questions
I recommend using a bone-in pork butt to get the best flavor. However, you could also use pork shoulder but it may not be as tender.
You can smoke pulled pork anywhere from 225°F to 275°F. It will just depend on the amount of time you have to cook it.
Cook times will vary depending on the size of your pork butt and the temperature you are cooking it at. A good rule of thumb is to allow about 1 hour and 15 minutes per pound of meat. Always use a probe thermometer to ensure the meat has reached a temperature of at least 145°F to ensure it is safe to eat.
What To Serve With Pulled Pork
Smoked Pulled Pork
Ingredients
- 10 pound bone-in pork butt
- yellow mustard use more or less as needed
- bbq rub use more or less as needed
- ¼ cup butter sliced into tablespoon pieces
- apple juice for smoking
- apple cider vinegar for spritzing
Instructions
- Prepare the pork butt by trimming off the fat cap and any excess fat on the meat. Slather the pork with yellow mustard. Apply a heavy layer of seasoning on all sides of the meat and allow it to set out for 20-30 minutes or refrigerate overnight.
- Preheat your grill or smoker to a temperature of 275°F and place the prepared meat directly on the grill grates.
- Place a small foil pan containing apple juice next to the meat inside the grill.
- Spritz the pork with apple cider vinegar around every 2 hours or as it begins to appear dry.
- Once the meat appears to have a nice outside bark and has an internal temperature of around 160-170°F, remove it from the grill and place it in an aluminum pan to be wrapped.
- After removing the pork from the grill and placing it in an aluminum foil pan, apply another layer of seasoning on the meat and top it with a few tablespoons of sliced butter. Use heavy duty aluminum foil and wrap the pork in the pan and place it back on the grill.
- Allow the meat to continue to cook until it reaches an internal temperature of 200°F. The total cook time will be around 10-12 hours depending on the size of meat you cook.
- Let the pork butt rest 30-60 minutes before pulling it apart and then enjoy.
Notes
- Be sure to include rest time into your allotted time for cooking. Not letting the meat rest properly will cause you to lose moisture and dry out your pork.
- If you want to freeze any leftover meat, simply place it in a vacuum sealed bag in your freezer for up to 6 months.