American · Main · Medium
Pulled Pork Shoulder
Smoked pork shoulder with a caramelized bark, pulled into juicy strands. The most forgiving and crowd pleasing barbecue there is.
The whole recipe in 60 seconds
Pulled Pork Shoulder, in 5 ideas
- Pork shoulder is the most forgiving barbecue cut. It is hard to mess up.
- The bone wiggle test is the real doneness check. If it slides out clean, it is ready.
- Apple wood gives a sweet mild smoke that pairs perfectly with pork.
- Save the cooking juices. A spoonful tossed through the pulled meat keeps it moist for days.
- Serve sauce on the side so the smoke flavor shines through.
What you need
Ingredients
- 1 pork shoulder, 8 to 10 lbs (Boston butt)
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 tbsp kosher salt
- 2 tbsp smoked paprika
- 1 tbsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper
- Yellow mustard as binder
How to make it
Directions
- Rub the pork shoulder with a thin coat of mustard. Mix the dry spices and coat the meat generously on all sides.
- Heat your smoker to 250F with hickory or apple wood.
- Smoke the pork fat side up until the internal temperature reaches 165F, about 6 hours.
- Wrap in foil or butcher paper and continue cooking until the internal temp hits 203F and the bone wiggles freely, about 4 more hours.
- Rest 1 hour, then pull the meat with forks or gloved hands, discarding the bone and large fat pieces.
- Toss with a little of the cooking juices. Serve with barbecue sauce on the side.
A pork shoulder reheats better than almost any barbecue. Make it a day ahead, refrigerate, and warm gently in a covered pan with a splash of apple juice.