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Classic Smoked Pulled Pork

Bone-in pork shoulder, rubbed and smoked low and slow until it shreds with a fork — no fancy equipment required, just time and patience.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 8 hours
Resting Time 30 minutes
Total Time 9 hours
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Calories: 320
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Pork
  • 8 lb bone-in pork shoulder also called pork butt
  • 2 tbsp yellow mustard as a binder
Dry Rub
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 2 tbsp paprika
  • 1 tbsp kosher salt
  • 1 tbsp black pepper
  • 1 tbsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp cayenne pepper optional, for heat

Equipment

  • Smoker
  • Instant-read meat thermometer
  • Butcher paper or heavy-duty foil

Method
 

  1. Trim the pork shoulder of excess hard fat, leaving a thin layer for flavor and moisture.
  2. Coat the pork all over with 2 tbsp yellow mustard as a binder.
  3. Mix the dry rub ingredients together and coat the pork generously on all sides, patting it in.
  4. Preheat your smoker to 225°F (107°C) using a mild wood like apple, cherry, or hickory.
  5. Place the pork shoulder fat-side up and smoke until the internal temperature reaches 165°F (74°C), about 5-6 hours. This is when the "stall" happens — be patient.
  6. Wrap the pork tightly in butcher paper or foil and return it to the smoker until it reaches an internal temperature of 195-203°F (91-95°C), another 2-3 hours.
    7. Tip: The pork is done when a probe slides in with almost no resistance, like inserting it into softened butter.
  7. Rest the wrapped pork for at least 30 minutes before unwrapping.
  8. Shred the pork with two forks or clawed meat shredders, discarding any large pieces of fat.

Notes

Wrap in butcher paper (not foil) if you want to keep more bark texture. Leftover pulled pork keeps well in the fridge for 4 days or frozen for up to 3 months.