Smoked Pulled Pork

I wouldn’t exactly call this a hot and fast pulled pork recipe, but I’ll show you how to make some tender and delicious “Carolina Style” smoked pork butt in about half the time.

When I need an easy and affordable crowd pleaser, smoked BBQ pulled pork is my go-to.

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We’ll top it off with a BBQ finishing sauce (known to the North Carolina locals as “dip”) which is the perfect accoutrement for smoked pulled pork.

I season all my pork butts and ribs with my pulled pork rub. It’s got great flavor and makes a beautiful tasty bark. I highly recommend you give it a try.

When the pork, dip, (and red slaw if you’re from there) are served together, either on a plate with hush puppies, or piled high on a bun, you’ve got one of the most iconic bites in all of American BBQ.

If you didn’t know any better, you’d swear you were in Lexington, NC.

I’ll be smoking my pork butt on a Weber Kettle Grill, but this recipe works for any smoker or charcoal grill.

Please check out the step-by-step video in the recipe card below!

How To Make Smoked Pulled Pork

Like most pitmasters, I make pulled pork in 3 phases. After we trim and season our meat, we’ll start the cook.

Phase 1: Unwrapped

We start out the cook with our pork butt unwrapped.

This will “set” the rub and begin forming that beautiful delicious bark. It’s also when the smoky flavor will make its way in to the meat.

We’ll be smoking our pork shoulder at 300 °F, which is a lot higher than the traditional “low and slow” recipes. Don’t worry…the end result will be PLENTY tender and juicy.

Phase 2: Wrapped

After our bark is set and we’ve made it through the stall, we’ll move the pork butt to a disposable foil pan, add some good stuff, and wrap it tightly with foil. This will finish the cooking process and pave the way to tender porky greatness.

Phase 3: Rest and Pull

The BBQ community has increasingly been in favor of extended rest periods for large cuts of meat like smoked pork butts and brisket.

I am definitely convinced the end results are well worth the time.

This recipe works so well because the higher cooking temp gets the meat done faster, which gives even busy dads like me enough time to cook some great ‘cue for a family dinner while still letting the meat rest for 2-3 hours.

Pulled Pork FAQ

What type of pork is best for pulled pork?

For this recipe, there’s really only one choice which is a bone-in Boston butt. The Boston butt is part of the shoulder. It’s a tough cut of meat, but the internal fat makes it perfect for low and slow cooks.

I’ve tried deboning Boston butts and cooking them as two halves, but the end results just aren’t as good in my opinion.

What type of wood to use to smoke pork shoulder?

Normally i go pretty light when I smoke meats, but that is NOT the case here. I like a mix of hickory and apple or cherry and I use 3-4 large chunks.

What’s the pork butt done temp?

BBQ guys love to tell you that you should cook brisket and pork butt until “probe tender” and not to a certain temperature.

That’s fine, but I guarantee that if you follow this recipe and rest your butt for 2-3 hours in a cooler it will definitely end up probe tender. I cook my butts until 200 °F to 203 °F

You’ll need to have accurate temperature readings to consistently cook great barbecue. Ideally you’ll want a multi-probe thermometer, and an instant-read pen. These affordable choices are the ones I use.

ThermoPro TP25 650FT Wireless Meat Thermometer with 4 Probes, Bluetooth Meat Thermometer for Cooking, BBQ Oven Food Smoker Thermometer Rechargeable

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Smoked Pulled Pork

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5 from 2 reviews

• Author: The Kettle Guy
• Total Time: 10 hours 5 minutes
• Yield: 24 servings (varies) 1x

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Description

Based on the world famous North Carolina style, this recipe for smoked pulled pork is my go-to when I’m cooking for a crowd. I finish it off with a peppery, vinegar based BBQ Dip (that’s sauce to you and me) and the results are out of this world tasty. 

This recipe works for any smoker, but if you’re using a Weber Kettle like me, look for the Kettle below for detailed instructions.

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Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

• 1 Boston Butt (8–10 lbs)
• 1/2 to 1 cup Pulled Pork Rub (see note 1)
• 1 cup Carolina BBQ Sauce (see note 2)
• 2 Tablespoons Yellow Mustard (see note 3)
• 4 Tablespoons Butter (salted or unsalted)
• 2 Tablespoons Light Brown Sugar
• 2 Tablespoons Hot Honey (or regular honey if you prefer)
• 1/4 cup Apple Cider Vinegar
• 1/4 cup Water

Equipment

• 1 Half-Size Disposable Foil Pan (10x12 inches)
• Heavy Duty Aluminum Foil (18 inches or wider preferred)
• Empty spray bottle
• Insulated Cooler

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

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Instructions

1. Preheat your smoker to 300 °F
2. Mix the apple cider vinegar and water in the spray bottle. This will be used to spritz the meat later
3. Trim the fat cap off your boston butt down to about 1/4 inch (or remove entirely if you prefer)
4. Lightly coat the meat on all sides with the yellow mustard
5. Generously season the meat on all sides with the rub and pat firmly. You should have plenty, but reserve about 2 tablespoons of rub for later
6. When your smoker reaches 300 °F, place the pork butt on the indirect side. Insert a thermometer probe in to the thickest part of the meat not touching the bone
7. If your smoker requires the addition of wood chunks for smoke, add them now (see note 4)
8. After 2 hours of smoking, generously spritz the meat every 45 minutes to an hour
9. Smoke the pork butt until it reaches 165 °F. The time it takes will vary, but should be about 6 hours (any cooking temp between 275 and 325 °F is fine)
10. Carefully remove the pork butt from the smoker and place in the disposal pan, fat side down
11. Cut the butter up in to about 9 pats and place across the top of the meat. Sprinkle on the brown sugar and reserved 2 tablespoons of rub. Pour or squeeze on the honey and then cover the pan tightly with foil, leaving the temperature probe in the meat
12. Continue to cook at 300 °F until the internal temperature reaches 200 °F to 203 °F. This should only take about another 90 minutes or so
13. Remove the pan from the smoker and carefully remove the foil. Be careful of steam burns! Remove the meat from the pan and set aside. Place the pan with the drippings in the fridge. The fat will harden on top leaving the good stuff to pour in to the meat later
14. When the meat has cooled down to about 190 °F, wrap it tightly in foil and a large towel and place in an insulated cooler for a minimum of two hours. (see note 5)
15. After resting, the meat will shred or pull apart easily. I like to wear nitrile gloves over garden gloves for a bit of heat protection. Place the shredded pork in a large container. Pour the reserved pan drippings over the meat and add a generous amount of the Carolina BBQ Sauce. Mix the meat well.
16. Serve as sandwiches with more sauce (with dill pickles and onions of course) or however you like!

Weber Kettle Instructions

As with most long cooks, we’ll be using the snake method. Whether you’re using a 22″ or a 26″ Weber Kettle, a 2×2 snake would be big enough, but in the 26″ Kettle I do use an extra row laid flat on top for this cook (not stacked tightly upright) for a bit of fuel insurance.

Begin with steps 2 through 5 above (the prep work)

We’ll be shooting for 300 °F but anything between 275 and 325 °F will be fine. The snake should be built most of the way around the grill to ensure it will last long enough (about 7-9 hours)

Light 30 coals in a chimney and place at the head of the snake when ashed over (about 15 minutes). Place a temperature probe in the indirect side of the grill. When it reaches 300 °F you can follow the rest of the steps above starting with step 6.

Note: After you add the meat you’ll likely need to close either the top or bottom vent (I use the top) 3/4 of the way to bring temps down towards 300 °F. Once your temp gets down to about 290, open the vent most of the way and temps should settle in. You may need to make small adjustments to the vent here and there to hit your target. Just be patient.

Please feel free to contact me or leave a comment with any questions!

Notes

1. Whatever rub you like will do here but I really like mine if you want to give it a try. Chances are you’ve already got the ingredients in your spice cabinet
2. This recipe really is all about the sauce. It’s what sets Western North Carolina apart from the rest of the country and it’s the best damn stuff you can put on a pork sandwich. Period.
3. The mustard is just a binder to make the rub stick. If you hate mustard or don’t have it….don’t worry. You can use water, worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, apple juice, or whatever.
4. For the smoke, I like to use a good amount of hickory and apple or cherry. Large cuts of meat like this can take as much as you want to throw at it but I don’t go crazy.
5. It’s critical that you let the meat cool down to 190 °F before wrapping to rest. If you don’t, your meat will likely overcook and dry out. I’ve learned the hard way. The rest is not 100% critical if you just can’t spare the time, but I highly recommend giving it at least 2 hours in the cooler. The results are far superior.

• Prep Time: 5 minutes
• Cook Time: 10 hours
• Category: BBQ
• Method: Smoking
• Cuisine: American

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 6 ounces
• Calories: 258
• Sugar: 1g
• Sodium: 150 mg
• Fat: 12g
• Saturated Fat: 4g
• Unsaturated Fat: 8g
• Trans Fat: 0g
• Carbohydrates: 1g
• Fiber: 0g
• Protein: 30
• Cholesterol: 115g