How to Smoke Pulled Pork

Pulled pork is the friendliest big cook in barbecue. A pork shoulder is affordable, full of fat and connective tissue, and forgiving of small mistakes. Here is how to smoke one from start to finish.

Choosing the cut

A whole pork shoulder is usually sold as two cuts:

  • Boston butt (pork butt): the upper part of the shoulder, despite the name. Well marbled, an even shape, and the most popular choice for pulled pork. Often sold bone-in.
  • Picnic shoulder: the lower part, often sold with skin on. A bit leaner, more irregular, and good for those who love crisp skin.

Bone-in shoulders are a favorite because the bone tells you when the meat is ready: it slides out clean. Cook two at once if you have room; the work is the same and leftovers freeze well.

What you need

  • One or more bone-in pork butts
  • A smoker and wood such as hickory, oak, apple or cherry. See wood and fuel.
  • A rub and an optional binder (yellow mustard)
  • A leave-in probe, an instant-read thermometer, and a smoker thermometer
  • Butcher paper or foil, and a pan
  • Heat-resistant gloves or two forks for pulling

1. Prep

  1. Make sure the pork is fully thawed. The USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) advises completely thawing meat before smoking, in the refrigerator.
  2. Trim loose fat and any hard fat pockets. Leave a thin layer of fat cap.
  3. Apply a thin coat of mustard if you like, then season all sides with rub.
  4. Refrigerate until the smoker is ready. Seasoning the night before, in the refrigerator, is fine.

2. Set up the smoker

Bring the smoker to a steady temperature with clean smoke. FSIS recommends keeping smoker air between 225 and 300 °F throughout the cook. Use a thermometer at grate level.

3. Smoke

  1. Put the shoulder on the grate, fat cap up or down according to your smoker's heat source.
  2. Insert a probe into the thickest part, avoiding the bone.
  3. Close the lid and keep the fire steady.
  4. Spritz occasionally with apple juice or vinegar if the surface looks dry, but not too often.

4. The stall

Like brisket, pork shoulder often stalls: the internal temperature stops rising for a long stretch as moisture evaporates from the surface. Be patient, or wrap.

5. Wrap (optional)

Once the bark is deep mahogany and set, you can wrap the shoulder in butcher paper or foil, or place it in a covered pan with a splash of apple juice or vinegar sauce. Wrapping speeds the cook and keeps the pork moist, at the cost of some bark crispness.

6. When is it done?

Pulled pork is done when it is very tender: a probe slides in with almost no resistance, and on a bone-in butt the bone wiggles freely and pulls out clean. The exact internal temperature at that point varies, so go by feel. For safety, FSIS lists 145 °F with a three-minute rest as the safe minimum internal temperature for whole cuts of pork. Pork for pulling is cooked far beyond that; at 145 °F it is safe but nowhere near tender enough to pull.

7. Rest

Rest the shoulder, wrapped, until it is cool enough to handle. For longer holds, wrap it and place it in a dry cooler lined with towels, keeping it at 140 °F or above as FSIS recommends for hot-holding.

8. Pull

  1. Unwrap over a pan to catch the juices.
  2. Pull out the bone and any large pieces of fat.
  3. Shred the meat with gloved hands or forks, mixing the dark, crusty bark through the tender interior.
  4. Pour some of the saved juices back over the meat, and taste for salt.
  5. Toss lightly with sauce, or serve sauce on the side.

9. Sauce and serve

  • Carolina: vinegar sauce, slaw on the bun.
  • Memphis: tangy tomato sauce, slaw on the bun.
  • South Carolina: mustard sauce.
  • Kansas City: thick, sweet tomato sauce.

Serve on soft buns, as a plate with beans and slaw, or in tacos, nachos and baked potatoes.

10. Leftovers

FSIS advises refrigerating smoked meat within two hours, in shallow containers, and using it within four days or freezing it. Freeze pulled pork in portions with some of its juices. Reheat to 165 °F, covered, with a splash of liquid.

Troubleshooting

  • Will not pull: it is not done yet. Keep cooking until tender.
  • Dry: overcooked very hot, or no juices returned. Mix in reserved juices or a little vinegar sauce.
  • Bland: season the pulled meat with salt and a little rub, then sauce.
  • Bitter: dirty smoke from smoldering or damp wood.

Short on time? Try ready-to-heat Carolina style pulled pork. Ready for more? Move on to brisket or a whole hog.

Frequently asked

Bone-in or boneless?

Bone-in is the classic choice, and the bone is a handy doneness test. Boneless works too, often tied with twine to keep its shape.

Fat side up or down?

It depends on where the heat comes from in your smoker. Many cooks put the fat toward the main heat source as a shield.

Sources

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