Start by prepping the pork. Remove it from the packaging and pat it dry.
Then whisk the spices together for the spice rub and mix the ingredients for the injection and the mop to have everything ready.
At this point, go prep your Traeger or pellet grill for smoking. Take the extra time to line the area below the grates with foil for easy clean-up later and make sure the drip bucket or pan is in place.
If you are going to inject the pork, do that before by filling a food-safe syringe and injecting the pork in a variety of places with the liquid.
Next, rub the pork with a thick layer of the dry rub, making sure to coat all sides and edges.
Make sure the grill is holding 225 degrees F, that the hopper is full of pellets and everything is ready to go before placing the shoulder on the grill.
We have been testing and loving the new charcoal pellets from Cowboy, made with all-natural charcoal and hickory wood for a deeper char-grilled flavor from the pellet smoker.
Let the butt smoke for 4 hours, checking the temperature on the pellet smoker from time to time to make sure it is holding 225F. Check the temperature of the pork butt with a meat thermometer and if it has reached 150, decide if you want to wrap the pork or continue to cook without a wrap.
If wrapping, wrap the pork with a little of the mop liquid and return to the grill.
At around hours 6 to 8, when the pork has reached 170 F, spray or brush the pork with the mop every half hour. Cook until the meat is tender and the internal temperature reaches 195 to 205F.
Remove the pork, tent with aluminum foil (or leave it in the wrap), and let it cool 20 to 30 minutes before pulling the meat.
Remove the pork, tent with aluminum foil (or leave it in the wrap), and let it cool 20 to 30 minutes before pulling the meat. Or until cool enough to safely handle.
For a little fun, start by pulling out the bone first. If it pulls out easily with no resistance or torn meat, you can pretty much guarantee you nailed this pulled pork recipe! (If you aren’t sure that trick will work, don’t have friends watch for unneeded heckling). This smoked pork butt will have a beautiful smoke ring around the outer edge and succulent flavor!
Shred the meat with two forks, bbq claws, or gloved hands.
Make sure you have jars of homemade mustard-based bbq sauce and Alabama white sauce for when people dive in too!
How to store leftovers
You can store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Alternatively, if you have a lot of leftover pulled pork, you can freeze it in a vacuum-sealed bag or resealable bag for up to 3 months. Make sure you squeeze any air out of the ziplock bag to avoid freezer burn.
Label the bag with a permanent marker, you’ll thank yourself later.
What goes with smoked pork butt?
My favorite answer to this comes from Martin’s BBQ out of Nashville, where they dish up whole hog sandwiches right from their huge pits all day every day. And it’s as simple as serving the meat on top of a bun with slaw and a drizzle of bbq sauce, as he says, ‘the way God intended.’
But, if you want great sides for pulled pork sandwiches, some great side dishes are creamy mac and cheese, smoked pork and beans, cornbread, and jalapeno poppers or jalapeno popper fries.
How to reheat
To keep the meat moist when you reheat it, reheat only what you need in a microwave-safe container with just a dash of the mop added in for moisture. Microwave in 30-second bursts, stirring between each for even reheating.
Alternatively, if reheating a lot for a crowd, you can reheat in a slow cooker with a bit of the mop liquid. Or reheat in the oven by adding pulled pork to a foil pan and tossing it with a little leftover mop liquid and covering it with foil before reheating it at 325 for about 30 minutes.
If you are out of the mop, make another quick batch, or simply add apple cider vinegar, more bbq sauce, or a little beer to the pan for added moisture.
How to use leftovers
When it comes to how to use up pulled pork leftovers, the ideas are endless. But some of my favorite pulled pork recipes are piling shredded pork on a hot dog, taco filling, in smoked pork and beans, enchilada fillings, folding it into mac and cheese, making bbq stuffed peppers, grilling bbq pork topped pizzas, or go sweet and savory for an epic brunch by piling it over top of French toast.
Also, it’s always great folded into an omelet or scrambled eggs. Oh, or get super fancy with bbq eggs benedict.
