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. 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 too “springy”, it's not tender yet! There should be a slight indentation in the meat when it is cooked just right. 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. When cooked and pulled, a bone in pork butt well lose about 30 to 40 percent of its weight. Estimate about 1/3 to 1/2 pounds of meat per person when selecting your pork butt. HOW TO MAKE PULLED PORK
FAT SIDE UP OR FAT SIDE DOWN?
HOW MANY POUNDS OF PULLED PORK PER PERSON
Try serving pulled pork in warm corn tortillas and top with your favorite coleslaw and a dap of barbecue sauce. Delicious!