Easy Smoked Pulled Pork Butt

bbq smoked pulled pork butt on a white platter.

5 from 33 votes

Easy Smoked Pulled Pork Butt

My Easy Smoked Pulled Pork Butt (smoked pork shoulder) is a great choice when you need to feed a hungry crowd. Laced with flavorful fat and connective tissue, a pork butt cooked low and slow, produces melt-in-your-mouth pork with an incredibly tender texture and succulent flavor.

Prep Time15

Cook Time11 30

Resting Time1

Total Time12 45

Course: Entree, sandwich

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Calories: 430kcal

Author: Chef Ryan Littley

Equipment

Ingredients

7 lbs pork butt skin and outer layer of fat removed
2 tablespoon kosher salt more or less to taste
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
2 teaspoon cumin
2 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon black pepper
2 teaspoon brown sugar -optional

Instructions

Preheat the smoker to 250 degrees F.
Load the smoker tube with your favorite wood chunks or wood chips. I used applewood to smoke the pork butt. Hickory, pecan, maple, oak, and peach are also good choices.
Place the pork butt on a secure cutting board and using a sharp boning knife of chefs knife, trim any excess fat and skin off of pork butt.
Place the pork butt in a disposable aluminum pan and rub it down with extra virgin olive oil.
Rub the pork seasoning blend on all sides of pork roast. Let the roast sit for 30 minutes to give the pork dry rub time to penetrate the meat and marinate the pork shoulder. This also gives the roast time to come to room temperature before placing it in the smoker.
Place the seasoned pork butt on a smoker rack with a drip pan underneath.
Check the smoker and add more wood chips to smoker tube as needed, you should repeat this step at least twice before the pork reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees. The wood smoke is what helps to form a great bark.
When the roast has reached an internal temperature of 165 degrees F. remove it from smoker.
Increase the smoker temperature to 275 degrees F. Place the smoked pulled pork butt into a foil pan and wrap with aluminum foil and return it to the smoker.
*An important thing to remember is you are cooking to internal temperature of the meat not a certain amount of time. A large piece of meat can stall at one temperature at times just trust the process and let it keep cooking.
Place the pork butt into a foil pan and wrap with foil and return to smoker.
When the pork shoulder reaches an internal temperature of 200-205 degrees remove it from smoker and let rest for 30 -45 minutes in the pan with the juices.
Once cooled you can remove the bone and push the pork allowing it to separate into large pulled pork pieces which you can pull into small pieces and shreds with your hands or forks.
Plate and serve with my semi-homemade bbq sauce and rolls of your choice.
For a true Southern experience, add coleslaw and pickle chips to the. sandwich.

Notes

Can I use other spices in my dry rub?

Yes, you can. The key to making delicious smoked ribs that you and your family will love is to use seasonings that you enjoy eating. Changing up the spices in this simple dry rub is easy and definitely something you can do each time you prepare smoked ribs, beef, or chicken.

Other seasonings you could add to your spice rub are chili powder, dry oregano, ground ginger, turmeric, and coriander. For a little sweetness add brown sugar and if you like heat, add a little cayenne pepper. You can also use your favorite seasoning blend. Cajun seasoning, jerk seasoning, barbecue seasoning, and Old Bay seasoning can be used instead of making your own dry rub.

Is it better to smoke the pork at 225 or 250?

The best temperature to smoke a pork roast is 250°F. Cooking at this temperature will help ensure that the pork is fully cooked while retaining its moisture and flavor. Cooking at a lower temperature, such as 225°F, will take longer and could result in drier, tough meat.

What is the best wood for smoking pork butt?

Fruit woods like apple or cherry are popular, but oak, hickory, pecan, maple, and mesquite are also commonly used. The choice of wood will affect the flavor profile.

Nutrition