Smoked Pulled Pork makes amazing sandwiches, or Tacos de Carnitas. Heat up your smoker, and follow this recipe to make fall-apart tender, melt-in-your-mouth delicious smoked pulled pork, aka Boston Butt. It’s an all-day smoke, but well worth the wait.
Smoked Pulled Pork Recipe
Smoked Pulled Pork
Equipment
- 1 smoker
- 1 bag quality hardwood charcoal
- 1 set of meat shredding claws
- 1 basting mop
- 1 basting sauce pan
- 1 tray with insert
- 1 digital thermometer
- 1 roll of heavy duty tin foil
Ingredients
- 10 pounds Boston Butt roast
- 1 bottle mustard – yellow, prepared
- 2 cup Boston Butt Rub
- 4 cup Carolina Mop Sauce
Instructions
- Preheat smoker to 225 degrees with hickory wood or good quality charcoal. See my Smoking Meats guide for advice.
- Rinse the roast under cool water, then dry with paper towels. Trim the fat cap to about ¼ inch thick, then score into 1 inch squares.10 pounds Boston Butt roast
- Rub all sides with yellow mustard, then generously apply the rub, working it into all of the nooks and crannies.1 bottle mustard, 2 cup Boston Butt Rub
- Using a tray or roasting pan, place the roast into the smoker, and insert a digital thermometer into the deepest part of the roast.
- Smoke at 225 degrees until roast temperature reaches about 155 degrees. This will take several hours depending upon the size of the roast. Baste with Carolina Mop Sauce once every hour. The roast should have formed a good bark by this point.4 cup Carolina Mop Sauce
- Remove the roast from the smoker, and wrap with 2-3 layers of heavy duty tin foil. Then return to the smoker, re-insert the thermometer, and continue to smoke until internal temperature reaches 195 degrees.
- Remove from the smoker and rest for at least 10-15 minutes.
- Shred the roast into a large bowl, mixing in any juices that have collected in the pan.
PRIVATE NOTES
Nutrition
More Information
Maintaining a Long Smoke
Follow my Smoking Meats guide to learn how to maintain the hours-long, low-and-slow smoke that a Boston Butt requires.
Choosing a Roast
Boston Butt
The preferred cut for Smoked Pulled Pork is the Boston Butt. This does not actually come from the pig’s butt. The Boston Butt comes from the thicker part of the pork shoulder. It’s a large, but rather inexpensive cut that is perfect for low-and-slow smoking. Look for lot’s of marbling and fat which self-bastes the roast while smoking. This result will be a super tender, delicious barbecue when it’s done. Prepare for a long day of smoking, smoking a pork butt can take a long time. It’s well worth the wait though, I assure you.
Picnic Roast
The Picnic Roast, aka Pork Shoulder is a smaller, triangular shaped cut just above the front leg. It has less marbling and fat than its big brother, but it can be used interchangeably with this recipe. Look for a roast that has as much marbling as possible. The marbling is what gives smoked pork shoulder such a delicious flavor. A picnic roast won’t take as long to smoke as a Boston Butt, but it will still take most of your day, so plan accordingly.
Serving
Smoked Pulled Pork makes excellent sandwiches. Toss some shredded pulled pork with my Texas BBQ Sauce, and serve with pickled slices on brioche. It so good!
Brown some shredded smoked pulled pork in a pan with my Tex-Mex Spice Blend. Add chopped white onions, cilantro and lime juice. Serve in a warm tortilla. Muy Delicioso!
Related Recipes
Gaspard’s Texas BBQ Sauce
Smoked Pork Spare Ribs
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