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Created by: Pit Boss Kitchen

Perfect Pulled Pork

4.0 stars
  • 5 Servings
  • 20 minutes Prep Time
  • 7 hours Cook Time

Smoked pulled pork is one of those classic barbecue staples with several regional variations. This Perfect Pulled Pork recipe will show you how to smoke a pork butt low and slow for meat that is so juicy and tender you can easily shred it. Fire up the smoker and make this backyard barbecue creation to feed a crowd or save the leftovers to use in other recipes.

HOW TO MAKE PULLED PORK

Be sure to cook your pork shoulder (also referred to as a pork butt or boston butt) low and slow, between 200°F and 250°F until the meat is fall off the bone tender (usually when it reaches an internal temperature between 195°F to 205°F). By then, all the intermuscular fat has dissolved leaving the meat extremely juicy. Test the meat by either using a probe or your finger. If the pork feels too “springy”, it's not tender yet! There should be a slight indentation in the meat when it is cooked just right.

FAT SIDE UP OR FAT SIDE DOWN?

There's a lot of debate about whether you cook a pork butt (or brisket for that matter,) fat side up or fat side down. To settle the debate- it doesn't really matter! We recommend placing the fat cap on the side the heat comes from- usually on the bottom.

HOW MANY POUNDS OF PULLED PORK PER PERSON?

When cooked and pulled, a bone in pork butt well lose about 30 to 40 percent of its weight. Estimate about 1/3 to 1/2 pounds of meat per person when selecting your pork butt.

Ingredients

  • 1 Bouillion Cube, Chicken
  • 2 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
  • 3/4 cup Peach Nectar
  • 1/2 tablespoon Soy sauce
  • 3/4 cup White Grape Juice
  • 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 3/4 cup Ice
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • 1 tablespoon Pit Boss Homestyle Pork Rub
  • 8 lb. Pork Butt Roast, Bone-In

Directions

  • Place bouillon cube in water in a small saucepot. Heat and stir until bouillon cube completely dissolves.
  • Add brown sugar and stir until it is dissolved. Turn off heat and add remaining ingredients, except ice and stir.
  • After all ingredients are dissolved, add ice and stir to help cool it down.
  • Allow to cool and refrigerate for at least an hour before using.
  • Fire up your Pit Boss Grill and set at 250°F.
  • Place pork butt fat side down in a pan. Using a meat injection needle, inject across the meat in a checkerboard pattern, injecting approximately 1 tablespoon per site. Try to spend extra time around the bone, as this will help radiate the flavor through the meat while it's cooking.
  • Sprinkle meat side thoroughly with Pit Boss Homestyle Pork Rub, then rub in while wearing gloves.
  • Allow to rest 30 minutes before placing on grill. Place in smoker at 250°F.
  • After 3.5 hours, or when internal temperature hits 145°F, remove butt, place in pan fat side down, and add seasoning and drizzle with honey.
  • Cover in foil and return to smoker at 275°F. Check for tenderness when pork butt approaches 190°F.
  • The bone should be showing 1'' or more when it is at 194°F.
  • When it's tender, remove from smoker and let rest for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
  • Wearing ''hot'' gloves (I like cotton gloves with a nitrile glove pulled over them) remove the bone and hand pull the pork, placing aside any large pieces of fat.

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