There’s nothing quite like the smoky taste of slow-cooked pulled pork but if you aren’t careful you could end up with nothing but bland, chewy meat to show for hours of work. Appliance Center’s very own grill master John Fulton has got 3 tips to ensure you have the perfect pulled pork.
For this demonstration, John is using a Boston butt. Despite the name, this cut comes from the shoulder and is also found in the meat case as pork shoulder. Half a Boston butt normally weighs in at between 5 and 7 lbs.
Season It Well
Whether you use a store-bought rub or create your own special blend, generous seasoning is a must. This is your only chance to get any flavor besides smoke down into the meat. Seasoning the meat after it cooks doesn’t have the same effect. The flavor just sits on top and is far less complex.
The rub also helps create the delicious barbecue bark. The bark is the dark crust that forms on meat after you smoke it for hours. It may look like burned beyond hope but it tastes like heaven mixed in with your pulled pork.
Pat your meat dry and cover every bit of the surface with a good coating of rub. Rub at least a half-hour before cooking. Even better, do it the day before and let it really sink in.
Judge By Temperature Not Time
Temperature is key when smoking. The temperature inside the smoker as well as the temperature of the meat. A temperature of 225 degrees Fahrenheit is ideal for smoking pork shoulder. You don’t want to let it drop too low or get too high. A quality probe thermometer like the Weber iGrill is a must. It monitors the temperature inside the grill/smoker as well as the temperature of up to 4 cuts of meat.
Since the low and slow smoking process will take between 12 to 14 hours, a smart thermometer that sends temperature alerts to your phone will make the process a whole lot easier.
Notice I said between 12 to 14 hours. That’s just a ballpark estimate. Judge the doneness of meat by the temperature of the meat. We’re shooting for around 204 degrees. That’s the perfect temperature for meltingly tender, easy-to-pull pork with a deliciously smoky flavor and a generous amount of tasty bark.
Let It Rest
I know fourteen hours seems like a really long time, but after the smoke time is up, it’s very important to allow your meat to rest for just a bit. Who doesn’t need a nap after cooking for 14 hours? Allowing the meat some time to relax will ensure that it is perfectly tender.
Wrap it in foil and stash it in a cooler for a couple of hours. If you don’t have a cooler handy try double-bagging brown paper grocery bags and putting the foil-wrapped meat inside there. Get yourself a nice cold drink and wait.
Unwrap the meat and pull it apart with two large forks or use claw tools made for the task.
Appliance Center has a big selection of top-quality Green Mountain and Weber products to up your grilling game. Get free delivery and assembly of outdoor grills and smokers priced at $499 and up. Plus, a free bag of pellets with the purchase of any Green Mountain Grill/Smoker.