Meat Sweats With Jordie: Have You Ever Heard Of Bad Pulled Pork? Didn't Think So
There are so many great meals when it comes to barbecue. Ribs are awesome. Brisket kicks ass. But if I had to choose just one BBQ item to eat for the rest of my life, I'm making the easiest decision ever. I'm going with pulled pork. And it just so happens that pulled pork is the most unfuckable meal in barbecue.
I mean sure, some places are going to have better pulled pork than others. But have you ever heard of bad pulled pork? Didn't think so. Because even if you fuck it up past the point of no return, you can still just douse it in sauce and you're good to go.
So today I take you through the way that I smoke and pull a pork butt for the one meal I actually feel pretty confident cooking every time. And in case some of you don't feel like watching the video, here's a little step by step.
- 8.5 lb Boston Butt Pork Shoulder
- Trim however much you prefer. I typically trim a little bit of the fat cap and then trim out all of that stringy fat/silver skin along the blade bone.
- Season however you prefer. I just go with an All Purpose rub and cover the full pork butt pretty liberally. No need to get super fancy with the rubs because you're just going to be pulling it all apart later.
- Set your pit for 250 degrees. I smoke mine with a combination of lump charcoal and then chunks of pecan and cherry wood.
- Once the internal temp of the meat hits somewhere around 160, that's when I typically wrap in foil. That usually ends up being somewhere between 5-6 hours into the cook. Also I put a foil tray down at this point to catch as much of the juices that render off for the rest of the cook.
- Continue cooking until the finishing temperature of the meat is around 200-203 degrees. Usually ends up being somewhere around 9-10 hours. Let the meat rest for an hour or so. Pull out the blade bone and then pull away. Serve however you'd like.
Now go loosen up that belt a notch and enjoy.