Smoked Pulled Pork
Smoked Pulled Pork – Tantalizing and succulent, smoked pulled pork is definitely a comfort food classic! Marinated in a bold mix of herbs and spices and smoked to fall-apart tender perfection. It’s ideal for game days, picnics, or whenever you have hungry mouths to feed.😉
I had the best family reunion at my place last week. Family came from all over; we played games, told stories, and, of course, ate to our heart’s content! And this smoked pulled pork was hands down the star of the show!
We piled it on soft buns, drizzled it with tangy BBQ sauce, and reveled in its melt-in-your-mouth smoky tenderness. Although it required some time and patience, meal prep was relatively hands-off. The smoker did its thing, and the wait was totally worth it!
What’s the Best Cut for Pulled Pork?
Pork butt is my personal fave because it has quite a bit of fat marbling. So you get super tender and flavorful pulled pork. Moreover, its uniform shape makes it ideal for smoking. Pork shoulder is also a popular cut. However, removing the skin beforehand lets that smoky goodness penetrate the meat.
Recipe Ingredients
- Pork Butt – The main star of this standout dish has plenty of fat marbling for extra tasty and juicy meat.
- Pork Rub – A bold blend of pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, thyme, oregano, brown sugar, and cumin penetrates the roast for finger-licking deliciousness. Chili powder, cayenne powder, and paprika kick it up with a nudge of heat.
- Pineapple Juice – It provides a mild tropical flavor and tenderizes the meat, keeping it moist.
- Hot Sauce – For an extra little kick of heat!
- Onions – Caramelized onions take just about any meat recipe over the top.
How to Make Smoked Pulled Pork
Season Pork
- Make the Rub – In a medium bowl, combine pepper, garlic and onion powder, thyme, oregano, brown sugar, chili, cayenne pepper, smoked paprika, and cumin until fully combined. Set aside. (Photo 1)
- Trim Fat – Place your pork shoulder on a large cutting board, fat cap side up. Pork has a thick fat layer covering it, which can vary in thickness. When trimming the pork, make sure to have a thin layer of fat (about ⅛-¼” inch thick) on the outside to protect the pork as it cooks. Pat dry with paper towels.
- Season – Salt pork and rub it with seasonings, pressing them down until every inch is covered. (Photo 2)
- Rest – Place in an aluminum foil pan and let it rest for an hour (up to 24 hours), tightly covered in the refrigerator. Remove pork from the fridge about an hour before smoking to come to room temperature.
Start Smoking
- Smoke – Preheat your pellet grill or smoker to 250℉/120℃. Place pork fat side up directly on grill grates, and insert a probe in the thickest part of the pork to monitor the temperature if desired. You can also start measuring for doneness towards the end. (Photo 3)
- Bark (check out the FAQ!) – Let it smoke for 5-6 hours, depending on the size of the roast. At this point, the pork should have a good bark. Spritz if desired, and smoke until it reaches an internal temperature of 165-175℉. (Photo 4)
- Add Juice – Place pork (fat side up) in an aluminum foil pan, then add pineapple sauce, hot sauce, and sliced onions. This method captures the meat’s fat and juices and can flavor the pork without using BBQ sauce. (Photo 5)
- Slow Cook – Tightly cover it with heavy-duty aluminum foil, and put it back in the smoker to continue smoking until the internal temperature reaches 205℉/96℃ or more. You shouldn’t feel resistance when you probe with your instant-read thermometer. (Photo 6)
Pulled Pork
- Cool – Remove from the smoker and let it rest for at least an hour. If needed, place the pork shoulder in a cooler, without ice, for up to 3-4 hours to rest before shredding. Drain liquid from the pork and separate the fat from the juice with a separator. Use the juice to mix with the pork before serving.
- Shred Pork – Shred pork and season to taste. (Photos 7-8)
Recipe Variations
- Seasoning Swap – Getting all the rub ingredients together for this recipe is super fast and easy. However, your favorite meat rub mix will also work great.
- More Flavor – If you want your pulled pork extra tangy, replace the yellow mustard with Dijon mustard and add a (small) spoonful of ground horseradish.
- Brine It – Brining keeps the meat moist and flavorful. Create a simple brine using 10 cups water, ¾ cup kosher salt, and ½ cup sugar. Mix all the brining ingredients until the salt and sugar dissolve, then pour the brine into a large non-reactive container that will hold everything and add the pork roast. Let it brine in the refrigerator for 8 hours but not more than 24 hours.
Tips and Tricks
- Spritzing keeps the meat moist and enhances its flavor. Fill a spray bottle with the same amount of water and apple cider vinegar or apple cider vinegar and apple juice, and start spritzing the meat just after the bark forms. Spritz every half-hour until the roast reaches an internal temperature of 165℉/74℃.
- Before pulling, let your pork roast rest for at least 30 minutes to give the juices time to reabsorb into the meat.
- Putting a cold roast directly into the smoker from your refrigerator makes it harder to cook evenly. So let it come to room temperature for at least an hour before smoking.
Make-Ahead Instructions
Although pulled pork requires some time and patience, it’s relatively hands-off. If you prepare the roast the day before and refrigerate it overnight, you can pop it in the smoker early in the morning and let it do its thing!
And it’s just as delectable a day or two after cooking! So feel free to smoke and shred the pork a day or two ahead, refrigerate it, and then reheat it before serving.
Serving and Storage Instructions
Like most meat, pulled pork is best hot. However, room temperature on a sandwich is awesome as well.
Leftover pulled pork is refrigerator and freezer-friendly and tastes even better the next day. Store it appropriately in the fridge for up to 4 days or freezer for as long as 6 weeks. When ready to enjoy, let it thaw overnight in the refrigerator and heat it in a 300℉/150℃ oven for 20-25 minutes.
FAQs
A what? No dog involved! 😉 Think tree bark instead. It’s that delicious crust that forms when the meat protein reacts with the smoke and spice rub. It might look like something that fell from the sky, but the flavor is absolutely heavenly.
Cold pork is harder to shred, and hot pork will burn your fingers. Experience speaking here! Letting it rest 30-45 minutes after taking it out of the smoker is the best time to shred it. Not too hot, and not too cold.
Once you get that mouthwatering meat out of the smoker, you want to dive right in! But resist the temptation to chop the meat. Take the time to pull each strand apart with your fingers, or use two forks and gently pull them in opposite directions to separate the fibers. This will give you silky, tender strands of meat.
What Goes With Smoked Pulled Pork
Um, just about everything! 😉 Pile it on grilled bread to elevate the classic pulled pork sandwich. Or treat your guests to smoked pulled pork tacos topped with grilled onions and grilled pineapple for a feast fit for a king.
More Smokin’ Hot Smoker Recipes to Try
Conclusion
Treat your loved ones to the best comfort food with this melt-in-your-mouth pulled pork. How do you usually serve pulled pork? Leave your thoughts in the comments below!😊
Smoked Pulled Pork
Ingredients
- 1 8-12-pound (4-5.5k) pork shoulder, skinless and bone-in
- Salt as needed
- 1 tablespoon (7g) ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon (5g) garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon (4g) onion powder
- 2 teaspoons (2g) dried thyme
- 2 teaspoons (2g) dried oregano
- ¼ cup (50g) brown sugar, firmly packed
- 1 tablespoon (6g) chili powder
- ½ -1 teaspoon (1-2g) cayenne pepper
- 2 tablespoons (14g) smoked paprika
- 2 teaspoons (4g) cumin
- ½ cup (119ml) pineapple juice (or broth)
- 3 tablespoons (45ml) hot sauce (or more)
- ½ medium onion, sliced
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, combine pepper, garlic and onion powder, thyme, oregano, brown sugar, chili, cayenne pepper, smoked paprika, and cumin until fully combined. Set aside.
- Place your pork shoulder on a large cutting board, fat cap side up. Pork has a thick fat layer covering it, which can vary in thickness. When trimming the pork, make sure to have a thin layer of fat (⅛-¼ inch thick) on the outside to protect the pork as it cooks. Pat dry with paper towels.
- Salt pork and rub it with seasonings, pressing them down until every inch is covered.
- Place in an aluminum foil pan and let it rest for an hour (up to 24 hours), tightly covered in the refrigerator. Remove pork from the fridge about an hour before smoking to come to room temperature.
- Preheat your pellet grill or smoker to 250℉/120℃. Place pork fat side up directly on grill grates, and insert a probe in the thickest part of the pork to monitor the temperature if desired. You can also start measuring for doneness towards the end.
- Let it smoke for 5-6 hours, depending on the size of the roast. At this point, the pork should have a good bark. Spritz if desired, and smoke until it reaches an internal temperature of 165-175℉.
- Place pork (fat side up) in an aluminum foil pan, then add pineapple sauce, hot sauce, and sliced onions. This method captures the meat's fat and juices and can flavor the pork without using BBQ sauce.
- Tightly cover it with heavy-duty aluminum foil, and put it back in the smoker to continue smoking until the internal temperature reaches 205℉/96℃ or more. You shouldn't feel resistance when you probe with your instant-read thermometer.
- Remove from the smoker and let it rest for at least an hour. If needed, place the pork shoulder in a cooler, without ice, for up to 3-4 hours to rest before shredding. Drain liquid from the pork and separate the fat from the juice with a separator. Use the juice to mix with the pork before serving.
- Shred pork and season to taste.
Notes
- Spritzing keeps the meat moist and enhances its flavor. Fill a spray bottle with the same amount of water and apple cider vinegar or apple cider vinegar and apple juice, and start spritzing the meat just after the bark forms. Spritz every half-hour until the roast reaches an internal temperature of 165℉/74℃.
- Before pulling, let your pork roast rest for at least 30 minutes to give the juices time to reabsorb into the meat.
- Putting a cold roast directly into the smoker from your refrigerator makes it harder to cook evenly. So let it come to room temperature for at least an hour before smoking.
- Please remember that the nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary significantly based on the products used in the recipe.
