Pulled Pork BBQ

This is our take on how Pulled Pork BBQ is cooked to perfection.

The Boston Butt is a tasty cut of the pig, especially when slow cooked in a smoker. This cut is what is generally used to make pulled pork for sandwiches. The size of the shoulder or butt is what makes it a perfect choice for smoking in any smoker.

You have the option of buying the butt with either the shoulder blade bone-in or boneless. Bone-in will impart a little more flavor as it cooks. However, it does take a bit longer than a boneless roast. For this recipe, we will use a bone-in butt.

Look for around an 8 to 10 pound butt. You will want to start the recipe the night before you smoke the meat rubbing it in McCormick Grill Mates Applewood Rub. The day of smoking will be an 8 to 10 hour project that really doesn’t require that much effort on your part.

Smoked Boston Butt Recipe for Pulled Pork

This recipe will serve approximately 10 to 16 people, depending on appetites. Preparation time is approximately 10 minutes for a bone-in Boston Butt. Cook time is approximately 8 to 10 hours.

Equipment needed

Charcoal, Electric, or Pellet Smoker

Paper towels

Cutting board

3 Disposable foil roasting pans large enough to hold the meat

Aluminum foil

Meat thermometer

Apple wood chips

Cooler

2 large forks

Ingredients

8-10 pound bone-in Boston butt roast

6oz McCormick Grill Mates Applewood Rub

1/2 cup Ridgecrest Ray’s BBQ Sauce

1/4 cup Liquid Smoke

Apple Juice

Water for drip pan

Total time: 18 hours – Prep time: 10 hours – Smoke time: 8 hours

Directions

Reminder: When working with raw pork, be sure to meticulously clean any surface it comes in contact with, including your hands, the sink, and the cutting board. Toss the paper towels out immediately.

1. Time to get your hands dirty (or wear disposable gloves). Rub the entire roast well with the Applewood rub to coat. Wrap your butt in aluminum foil and place it into the refrigerator overnight.

2. An hour before you fire up the smoker, remove the roast from the refrigerator so that it can come to almost room temperature.

3. Add the apple wood chips to the smoker drawer. Fill the water pan with half water and half apple juice. Preheat the smoker to 225 degrees F.

4. Place the butt on the upper rack of the smoker. Place a disposable pan on the rack below the butt to catch any drippings. If your smoker has a meat thermometer attached, insert it into the butt at one end.

5. Smoke for approximately 8 hours.* Because of the rub the meat will form a dark caramelized crust. This is delicious crunchy stuff. Replenish the wood chips and liquid approximately every 60 minutes. If you don’t see any smoke coming from the vent, it is time to add more wood chips.

*Wrap your butt up with aluminum foil after 4 hours and place back into the smoker. If you don’t want to continue watching a smoker, turn your oven on 225 degrees F. Place your wrapped butt into another aluminum pan and let it cook for an additional 8 hours.

6. At 8 hours, check the internal temperature of the meat with a thermometer. It should read 190 degrees F or even a little higher. If it isn’t quite up to temperature remove the pan of drippings and place the butt inside the pan. Cover this with new aluminum foil and place the roast back in the smoker (or oven) until it reaches the desired temperature, approximately 1 hour more. The pan and foil will help the meat to retain heat and cook thoroughly.

7. Allow the fully cooked butt to rest in a cooler for at least 60 minutes.

8. After removing the butt from the cooler, place it in a clean disposable pan and pull the bone out of the pork then use 2 forks to shred the meat into strands.

9. After your pork is pulled add 1/2 cup of Ridgecrest Ray’s BBQ Sauce and 1/4 cup of liquid smoke. Mix thoroughly and enjoy.