Pulled Pork BBQ

Pork Shoulder

The pork shoulder, which is the entire front leg and shoulder of the pig, is another of the traditional pork barbecue meats. The shoulder, or a portion of it, is usually used for pulled pork barbecue. Pulled pork is meat that is cooked so tender that the individual fibers of the meat can easily be pulled apart with your fingers.

A pork shoulder is tailor made for barbecuing. Pork takes on smoke as readily as any meat there is, and there is enough fat in a shoulder to baste the meat and keep it moist during the long slow cooking process. Yet when the meat is done, almost all of the fat will have been rendered off, leaving wonderfully tender tasty pork. A whole shoulder usually weighs around 12-18 lbs. It might be difficult to find a whole shoulder in a supermarket. You might have to order one or go to a butcher or locker plant to find one. If you can't find a whole shoulder, don't despair. The shoulder is usually cut into two pieces, which are the Boston butt and the picnic. These can be easily found in supermarket coolers.

Boston Butt

The Boston butt is from the upper part of the pork shoulder and has the least bone. Yeps, a pork butt comes from the upper portion of the front leg of the pig. I know that doesn't sound right, but that is the way it is. A butt usually weighs 6-8 lbs. A Boston butt is an excellent choice for pulled pork barbecue.

Pork butts are wonderful cuts of meat to barbecue, and one of my favorites.  Many have said, "They are very forgiving", and a great choice of meat for a novice at barbecue to start with. Why? Mainly because of the fat marbling they have, plus just plain great flavor. If you undercook one just a bit, it may be a little tough, but still eatable; if you over barbecue it, it will still be pretty darn good, and most likely still be moist.

Choosing a butt is not that difficult. Most weight between 6 lbs. to 9 lbs.  A butt with a nice fat cap of about 1/4 to 1/3 inch is good.  When you pick a pork butt try to pick one with some marbling in the meat itself. Sometimes butts can be too fatty, so be careful. You want a fat cap and marbling, but not too much.

Pork Picnic

The picnic is the bonier lower part of the shoulder. It, too, usually weighs about 6-8 lbs. It may have the bone in it or the bone removed and rolled and tied. Both are excellent for pulled pork barbecue, but there is an old saying that the meat nearest the bone is the sweetest, so many barbecuers prefer the bone in. The meat of the picnic has a slightly different flavor than the butt, more like ham.

Cooking Instructions

Following are some general guidelines for smoking shoulders, butts or picnics.

• • Apply pork rub  the night before or at least 8 hours before you plan to cook. Massage the rub into the meat well and place in a plastic bag suitable for food use and refrigerate.

  • Take your meat out of the refrigerator an hour before you start cooking, while you're building the fire in your smoker.  Before putting it in pat it down with another coat of the rub.

  • When the offset smoker has reach a consistent of temperature of 200 F to 225 F (takes about an hour), put the meat into your smoker  fat side up and smoke. Putting it fat side up lets the natural fat juices work over and through the meat and acts as a natural mop.

  • Cook for approximately 1.5 hours per pound. After 6 hours in the direct smoke, wrap it in foil and putting it back in the smoker for the rest of the time. Poke holes in the bottom of the foil so fat and liquids can get away and finish for an hour to firm up the outside crust.

Determining  Doneness

Shoulders, butts, and picnics are done when the meat is literally falling apart. Very carefully remove your meat from the smoker and let sit 15-20 minutes and then pull it apart. You don't want to cut it while it is too hot, for it will be difficult to handle, and turn brown.

Properly cooked shoulders, butts and picnics should never need a knife to cut up the meat. They should easily pull apart. Remove any remaining fat, gristle and bone.  Do not  fork the butt in the fat area to check for doneness. This will be misleading, for the fat will become tender way before the meat (muscle) around the bone area. Always check for doneness in the meat area under or around the bone.

If you are not going to eat the butt within the first hour after barbecuing, double wrap it in foil, set it in a non-drafty area, or a small ice chest (no ice in chest), and let sit until it's time for dinner. As long as the butt stays between 140 to 160F internally, it will not spoil. Check with a meat thermometer every once in a while, or stick thermometer into meat after wrapping in foil so that you can periodically monitor the internal temperature.

If you don’t want pulled pork you can cook it for slightly less time in the aluminum foil follow these temperature guidelines:

• • For a sliceable pork roast, take it out at 180F.

  • For a sliceable and pullable roast, take it out at 185F.

  • For an easily pullable roast, take it out at 190F.

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Serving Instructions

The pulled meat can be eaten alone or put on a plain white bun and a finishing sauce applied to the meat, which is the traditional pulled pork barbecue method. There are many different finishing sauces and you should try as many of them that you can.

Properly prepared pulled pork barbecue is "to die for" and will win you many friends at a cook-out or reunion.