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Perfect Pulled Pork
Smoked pulled pork is one of those classic barbecue staples that has spanned the nation. Each region with their own spin on how to smoke a pork butt low and slow where you can just pull apart the meat with your own hands (wearing gloves of course) because it is just so juicy and tender it falls right off the bone.
Award winning Pitmaster, Melissa Cookston, was generous enough to share with us her Perfect Pulled Pork recipe complete with a special marinade injection.
Perfect Pulled Pork Recipe
Rated 3.4 stars by 133 users
Category
Pork
Servings
5
Prep Time
20 minutes
Cook Time
7 hours
Smoked pulled pork is one of those classic barbecue staples that has spanned the nation. Each region with their own spin on how to smoke a pork butt low and slow where you can just pull apart the meat with your own hands (wearing gloves of course) because it is just so juicy and tender it falls right off the bone.
Award winning Pitmaster Melissa Cookston was generous enough to share with us her Perfect Pulled Pork recipe complete with a special marinade injection.
HOW TO MAKE PULLED PORK
Be sure to cook your pork shoulder (also referred to as a pork butt or boston butt) low and slow, between 200°F and 250°F until the meat is fall off the bone tender (usually when it reaches an internal temperature between 195°F to 205°F). By then all the intermuscular fat has dissolved leaving the meat extremely juicy. Test the meat by either using a probe or your finger. If the pork feels to “springy, it’s not tender yet! There should be a slight indentation in the meat when it is cooked just right.
FAT SIDE UP OR FAT SIDE DOWN?
There’s a lot of debate about whether you cook a pork butt (or brisket for that matter,) fat side up or fat side down. To settle the debate- it doesn’t really matter! We recommend placing the fat cap on the side the heat comes from- usually on the bottom.
HOW MANY POUNDS OF PULLED PORK PER PERSON
When cooked and pulled, a bone in pork butt well lose about 30 to 40 percent of its weight. Estimate about 1/3 to ½ pounds of meat per person when selecting your pork butt.
Note: It is recommended to use Apple Hardwood Pellets with this recipe.
This recipe uses Pit Boss Homestyle Pork Rub seasoning.
Author:Ingredients
1 Bouillion Cube, Chicken
2 tablespoons Brown Sugar
3/4 cup Peach Nectar
1/2 tablespoon Soy sauce
3/4 cup White Grape Juice
2 tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
3/4 cup Ice
1/4 cup Honey
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1 tablespoon Pit Boss Homestyle Pork Rub
8 lb. Pork Butt Roast, Bone-In
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Pit Boss Apple Blend Hardwood Pellets
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Pit Boss Marinade Injector
Wood Pellet Recommendation
Special Tools
Directions
Melissa Cookston's Pork butt Marinade Injector Recipe
Place bouillon cube in water in a small saucepot.
Heat and stir until bouillon cube completely dissolves.
Add brown sugar and stir until it is dissolved.
Turn off heat and add remaining ingredients, except ice and stir.
After all ingredients are dissolved, add ice and stir to help cool it down.
Allow to cool and refrigerate for at least an hour before using.
Cooking Instructions
Fire up your Pit Boss Grill and set at 250°F.
Place pork butt fat side down in a pan.
Using a meat injection needle, inject across the meat in a checkerboard pattern, injecting approximately 1 tablespoon per site.
Try to spend extra time around the bone, as this will help radiate the flavor through the meat while it’s cooking.
Sprinkle meat side thoroughly with Pit Boss Homestyle Pork Rub, then rub in while wearing gloves.
Allow to rest 30 minutes before placing on grill. Place in smoker at 250 degrees.
After 3.5 hours, or when internal temperature hits 145 degrees, remove butt, place in pan fat side down, and add seasoning and drizzle with honey.
Cover in foil and return to smoker at 275 degrees.
Check for tenderness when pork butt approaches 190 degrees.
The bone should be showing 1'' or more when it is at 194 degrees.
When it’s tender, remove from smoker and let rest for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
Wearing ''hot'' gloves (I like cotton gloves with a nitrile glove pulled over them) remove the bone and hand pull the pork, placing aside any large pieces of fat.
Recipe Video
Recipe Note
Try serving pulled pork in warm corn tortillas and top with your favorite coleslaw and a dap of barbecue sauce. Delicious!