Pulled Pork on the Smoker

Pulled pork.

Pulled Pork from Smoked Pork Butt: A BBQ Classic

One of the classics of BBQ, nothing beats the tasty tenderness of smoked pulled pork cooked low and slow over hardwood heat. 

This is a straightforward classic recipe that you can make your own in many ways. Pick your own rub, sauce and injectable marinade and you will have a completely different taste. But the basic principles of the cook are the same.

A 10.4 pound pork butt ready for the marinade injection.

What You Will Need

• Pork Butt/Boston Butt/Pork Shoulder

• hickory wood chips (or your favorite)

For the injection (or substitute your own)

• 3/4 cup apple juice

• 1/2 cup water

• 1/2 cup granulated white sugar

• 1/4 cup kosher salt (finely ground)

• 2 tablespoons worcester sauce

For the rub (or substitute your own)

• 2-1/4 tablespoons garlic salt

• 2-1/4 tablespoons fine kosher salt

• 1.5 tablespoons paprika

• 1 tablespoon granulated white sugar

• 1/2 tablespoon brown sugar

• 1/4 teaspoon cumin

• 1/8 teaspoon oregano

• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne

• 1/8 teaspoon cracked black pepper

For the sauce (or substitute your own)

• 1.5 cups apple cider vinegar

• 3/4 cup ketchup

• 2 tablespoons brown sugar

• 1 tablespoon dry mustard

• 1 tablespoon worcester sauce

• 1/2 teaspoons fine kosher salt

• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne

Applying the rub to the pork butt.

Inject Marinade and apply the Rub

Pork butt takes injection marinades very well. Fill your syringe with the injection marinade and methodically go around the entire pork but and slowly inject the marinade approximately every inch. Don't worry if some liquid escapes, there will be plenty of juiciness trapped inside.

Once the injections are complete you can cover the pork butt with your rub. Be sure all sides and areas are covered. Cover with plastic wrap and let it rest in the refrigerator for a few hours.

After 15.5 hours at 225F, this 10.8 pound pork butt has reached 200F. That is the thermometer sticking out of the left side. Leave it in the butt, wrap in foil and store in a cooler until ready. Monitor the temp so that it does not drop below 140F (the danger zone).

Prepare for the Cook

Count on this being a long cook. Pork butt is a bit funny (like brisket) in that it can sometimes cook at speeds of an hour per pound (or so), and other times 90 minutes per pound (or so). Just remember, for pulling purposes you are looking for an internal temp of at least 195F. I go to 200F and it is always perfect.

Fire up your smoker and when it gets to 225F, add your moistened hickory chips (or fruitwood if you prefer) and place your butt into the smoker. Remember to have a probe in the thickest part of the butt. I your pork is bone-in, be sure that the probe is not touching the bone.

And then comes the fun part…pulling the pork.

Cooking Time

The pork butt pictured here took 15.5 hours to reach 200F. I put it in the smoker at 10:30 p.m. on a Saturday night and it was done at 2:00 p.m. the next afternoon. To keep it hot for pulling at dinner time, I immediately wrapped the pork in foil and placed it into a cooler with newspapers. I left the probe inserted to monitor the temperature (do not let it drop below 140F). At 5:00 p.m my pork was at 170F and this is when I was ready for pulling, so I removed it from the cooler and started the pull (pictured).

Pull the pork and serve it on a white hamburger bun with the sauce in a squirt bottle for your guests. I also made fresh cole slaw for topping off the pulled pork.

Enjoy!