Smoked Boston Butt Recipe The Best Pulled Pork Techniques (2024)

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How to make a Smoked Boston Butt Recipe tender, juicy, and tasty so that you have perfect barbecued pulled pork isn't difficultif you know what you're doing. We're going to show you how to smoke theBoston Butt. How long to smoke the pork. What temperature the smoked Boston Butt is done. And we're going to show you thetechniques and recipeswe use to give you the best pulled pork you've ever had! Guarantee!!
For this recipe, you will need: Boston Butt, apple juice, sugar, salt, water, apple vinegar, ketchup, dark brown sugar, yellow mustard, molasses, salt, red pepper flakes, hickory chunks, charcoal, and a grill with lid.

Smoked Boston Butt Recipe The Best Pulled Pork Techniques (1)
Jump to:
  • How long does it take to make the Smoked Boston Butt Recipe?
  • Getting the Pork Butt Ready
  • Smoking the Boston Butt
  • Finishing up The Boston Butt Recipe
  • How to serve Smoked Pulled Pork
  • Smoked Boston Butt Recipe Marinade and BBQ Sauce
  • 📖 Recipe
  • 💬 Comments

How long does it take to make the Smoked Boston Butt Recipe?

Our smoked pork shoulder technique takes two days. On average a pork butt will weigh between 6 to 10 pounds. Our Boston butt weighed 7 pounds.

What to expect with the pork:

  • 30% loss in the form of shrinkage, bone, and fat.
  • If it's the only meat we serve, we plan on ½ pound per person. (Believe me, some adults will go back for seconds ????)

Getting the Pork Butt Ready

Day One: Prepare the pork butt by trimming the excess fat and seasoning it.

  1. Slather mustard all over the butt.
  2. Inject the marinade in the Boston butt.
  3. Generously sprinkle the magical All Our Way ruball over the pork.
  4. Then Put the pork butt in a zip lock bag to rest overnight in the fridge.

Day Two:Take the pork out of the fridge and let it start to come to room temperature.

In the meantime, put hickory wood chunks in water. You don't want them dry -- they'll burn instead of smoke.

If you prefer, use your favorite wood chunks that are appropriate for smoking meats.

Best wood for smoking meat

  • oak
  • maple
  • pecan
  • alder
  • mesquite
  • apple
  • cherry
  • hickory

Experiment and try different ones and see which one you like the best.

Smoked Boston Butt Recipe The Best Pulled Pork Techniques (2)

Smoking the Boston Butt

Prepare the Grill for Indirect Heat.

  1. Use two pans -- one is a steam pan and one is a drip pan. Line the drip pan with aluminum foil.
  2. The drip pan is on the lower rack and the steam pan is on the upper rack over the coals. Naturally, the steam pan will have water in it and this will help regulate the heat.
  3. Fold a strip of aluminum foilandput it in between the grate. The foil acts as a curtain between the drip pan and the coals. It's a barrier to prevent direct heat from touching the meat.
  4. Douse vegetable oil on 3 or 4 sheets of paper towels and put them on the bottom of the chimney and follow the natural starter technique we posted on starting the grill.This works much better than the wadded up newspaper.
Smoked Boston Butt Recipe The Best Pulled Pork Techniques (3)

Smoking Pork Butt on Grill Technique

Start cooking the Smoked Boston Butt Recipe.

  1. The grill temp should be at 250 F and we make sure it doesn't get above 275 F.
  2. Put the charcoal below the steam pan and fill the steam pan halfway with water.
  3. Position the pork above the drip pan. The bottom air vents are half open.
  4. Immediately place the lid on the grill.
  5. Make sure that the top vent is half open andover the meat. This smoked pulled pork technique draws the smoke up and over the meat and it also controls the temperature.
  6. Maintain a constant temperature of 225 F to 250F and keep water in the steam pan.
  7. Add wet hickory chunks (or your wet wood chunks) as needed for the first two hours of cooking. It's important not to over smoke. Our hickory measures 2x2 inch chunks and we use 2 at a time.
  8. How long does it take to make a pork butt? Plan on smoking the meat for 10 to 11 hours with a constant temperature of 225 F to 250 F.

It is a long slow process but one well worth the time to get a perfect smoked Boston Butt recipe.

Smoked Boston Butt Recipe The Best Pulled Pork Techniques (4)

The Pork is ready to become Pulled Pork

Finishing up The Boston Butt Recipe

The Smoked Boston Butt is ready to become Pulled Pork.

  • The pork develops a nice bark. The bark is the seasoned crust which is the goal for all pit-masters. In fact, the crunchy crust is the first thing that competition judges reach for.
  • At what temperature does the pork come off of the grill? When it reaches an internal temperature of195 F.take it off the grill and wrap it in aluminum foil. Then let it rest for 30 minutes. This technique is the recipe for success.
  • Now remove the blade bone. It should come out easily without any meat sticking to it. This is a sign that the pork was done just right.
  • Use two forks to shred the meat. When we pull the pork, we make sure that the flavorful crusty bits are distributed throughout the pulled pork.
  • We splash a little bit of beef broth on top of the shredded pork. This will keep the meat moist.
Smoked Boston Butt Recipe The Best Pulled Pork Techniques (5)

How to serve Smoked Pulled Pork

There are many wonderful ways to serve the smoked Boston Butt Recipe. At times we like it unadorned or with just a splash of All Our Way BBQ Sauce for Pulled Pork on a hamburger bun. A crunchy coleslaw on top of the pork is also delicious. We like the simple additions because we don't want to mask the yummy smokey taste of the meat. Here are some more ideas for the smoked pulled pork:

  • Pork Quesadillas -- pork, roasted red peppers, caramelized onions seasoned with cumin and chili powder.
  • Pizza - make it a barbecued pulled pork pizza.
  • Pork Ragout over pasta.
  • Enchiladas -- oh!yum!
  • Tacos -- delicious with a smoky flavor
  • Shepherds or Cottage pie.

There is no limit to the dishes you can make with Smoked Boston Butt Recipe. And if you keep a close eye on your store ads you can get some real bargains for Boston Butt.

We've included the recipe for the marinade that we used to inject the pork and the BBQ Sauce for the smoked meat.

Smoked Boston Butt Recipe The Best Pulled Pork Techniques (6)

If you have any questions about the pulled pork technique and recipes, we'll be happy to answer them.

Tutti a tavola è pronto!

Un caro saluto e alla prossima.

Smoked Boston Butt Recipe The Best Pulled Pork Techniques (7)

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Smoked Boston Butt Recipe Marinade and BBQ Sauce

The pork butt marinade is just right for injecting into the meat before smoking. This guarantees the pork is nice and juicy. The zingy barbecue sauce compliments the pulled pork rather than taking away from the delicious smokey flavor. This Smoked Boston Butt will yield the tastiest smoked pulled pork.

For a change, serve your pulled pork like they do in the Southeast, with Carolina BBQ Sauce. The mustardy sauce is tangy with just a bit of sweetness. It's perfect on pork and chicken.

And if you're searching for a delicious go-along with your pork sandwich, be sure to check out our Broccoli Slaw With Ramen Noodles recipe. It's a winner!

If you like this recipe, please consider giving it a five-star rating.

📖 Recipe

Smoked Boston Butt Recipe The Best Pulled Pork Techniques (8)

Smoked Boston Butt Recipe Marinade and BBQ Sauce

This marinade and BBQ sauce will compliment your delicious pulled pork without masking or beoverwhelming to the flavor of the meat.A step by step approach making it easy to make get outstanding results.

5 from 19 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 12 hours hours 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 11 hours hours

resting time: 30 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 day day

Servings: 18 people

Calories: 652kcal

Author: Marisa Franca @ All Our Way

As An Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Ingredients

Meat

  • 10 pound Boston Butt roast pork shoulder
  • ½ cup yellow mustard
  • 2 tablespoons Rub and Seasoning

MARINADE FOR PORK PUTT

  • ¾ CUP apple juice
  • ½ cup water
  • ½ cup sugar
  • ¼ cup salt

BBQ PULLED PORK SAUCE

  • 1 cup apple vinegar
  • 1 cup ketchup
  • 3 Tbs dark brown sugar
  • 1 Tbs yellow mustard
  • 1 Tbs molasses
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 10 pound Boston Butt shoulder roast
  • ½ cup yellow mustard
  • 2 Tablespoons Rub and Seasoning

All Our Way Rub and Seasoning

  • 4 tablespoons chili powder
  • 4 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 4 tablespoons paprika
  • 2 teaspoons black pepper
  • 2 teaspoons ground coriander
  • 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
  • 2 tablespoons garlic powder
  • 2 teaspoons crushed red pepper
  • 2 tablespoons salt
  • 2 tablespoons dried oregano

Wood for Smoking

  • 5 pounds wet wood for smoking soak in water before placing on charcoal.

Instructions

Meat Preparation

  • Slather mustard all over the butt.

    Smoked Boston Butt Recipe The Best Pulled Pork Techniques (9)

  • Inject the marinade in the Boston Butt.

  • Generously sprinkle All Our Way Rub all over the pork.

  • Put in a plastic zip lock bag and refrigerate overnight.

  • Take the bag out in the morning and let the pork start to warm up.

All Our Way Rub and Seasoning

  • Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and mix well with a whisk. Place in a large shaker container and store at room temperature.

MARINADE

  • Mix thoroughly so that the sugar and salt are dissolved. Use to inject the pork shoulder.

BBQ PULLED PORK SAUCE

  • Place all the ingredients in a bowl and mix thoroughly.

  • The sauce will not be thick -- for pulled pork, the sauce should be on the thinner side.

Smoking the Boston Butt

  • Prepare the Grill for indirect heat using two pans. One is a drip pan and one is the steam pan.

    Smoked Boston Butt Recipe The Best Pulled Pork Techniques (10)

  • Start the charcoal grill by dousing vegetable oil on 3-4 sheets of paper towels and putting them on the bottom of a chimney starter and light the towels. Follow the technique on our starting the grill post.

    Smoked Boston Butt Recipe The Best Pulled Pork Techniques (11)

  • The grill temperature should be 250F. and not exceed 275F.

  • Position pork above the drip pan. The bottom air vents are half open.

    Smoked Boston Butt Recipe The Best Pulled Pork Techniques (12)

  • Immediately place the lid on the grill

  • The top vent is half open and OVER the meat.

  • Maintain constant temperature of 225-250 F. and keep water in the steam pan.

  • Add wet hickory chunks as needed for the first two hours of cooking.

  • Plan on smoking the meat for 10 to 11 hours.

  • When the meat reaches an internal temperature of 195 ℉ remove from grill and wrap in aluminum foil.

    Smoked Boston Butt Recipe The Best Pulled Pork Techniques (13)

  • Let rest for 30 minutes.

  • Remove the blade bone. Using two forks shred the meat.

    Smoked Boston Butt Recipe The Best Pulled Pork Techniques (14)

  • Splash a little bit of beef broth on top of the shredded pork. This will keep the meat moist.

  • Use the meat for pulled pork sandwiches or for the many other suggestions we give in the Smoked Boston Butt Post.

Notes

Follow the step by step directionsin the post.

Nutrition

Calories: 652kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 79g | Fat: 27g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 254mg | Sodium: 3090mg | Potassium: 1609mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 1655IU | Vitamin C: 2.7mg | Calcium: 135mg | Iron: 7.7mg

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First Published: March 15 21,2016... Last Updated: May 14, 2019

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Smoked Boston Butt Recipe The Best Pulled Pork Techniques (2024)

FAQs

What is the secret to pulled pork? ›

Pulled pork is made with pork shoulder, also called pork butt for whatever reason, and has lots of collagen which when cooked low and slow melts into gelatin which makes for tons of flavor and moist meat. Best to cook at about 200–225°F and get the internal temperature up to 190°F.

How long to smoke a Boston butt at 225? ›

Most pork butts are 7-8 lbs but they can definitely weight a little more or little less. 5 pork butt (also called Boston butt, picnic, pork shoulder, etc.) will require about 14 hours of total cook time if you run your smoker low and slow at about 225°F (107°C).

How long to cook a 10lb Boston butt on grill? ›

It will take 12-14 hours for a 8-10lb pork butt to fully cook at low temps. About 8 hours in ramp the temp up to 220 and continue cooking until the internal temperature reaches 190°F. At this point the butt is fully rendered and a thermometer probe will slide in with little to no resistance.

Should you brine a pork shoulder before smoking? ›

If you want it to taste like a ham brine it otherwise no. To each his/her own I say but a shoulder that isn't over cooked or under cooked will come out moist and tender without injections, brines, spritz or mops. Brine is meant to keep lean meats (chicken breast, pork loin, etc) moist.

Why add apple cider vinegar to pulled pork? ›

Why add apple cider vinegar to pulled pork? Pulled pork relies on both the vinegar's acidity and the low-and-slow cooking process to tenderize the meat, breaking down the protein to give the dish its signature moist, fall-apart texture. Cider vinegar also provides a tangy counterpoint to the fatty pork.

What is the best liquid to cook pulled pork in? ›

Transfer everything to a large slow cooker and add a splash of liquid — water is great, but so is broth, apple juice, or beer if you have them handy. Cover and cook on low until the meat is tender and pulls apart easily.

Is it better to smoke a pork shoulder at 225 or 250? ›

If you have the time, 225°F is an excellent sweet spot for low-and-slow cooked pork butt.

What temperature is pulled pork stalled at? ›

It's common for the internal temperature of a pork shoulder to plateau, or stop climbing for a while, between 165°F and 170°F. Don't worry — this is a completely normal part of the process, and can last as long as a few hours. For pulled or shredded pork, cook until the pork reaches an internal temperature 205°F.

When should I wrap my pork butt? ›

Temperature-wise, wrap your pork butt when it reaches between 150 and 170°F (65 to 76°C). The easiest way to check the temperature is to use a leave-in thermometer. You'll want to stick it into the thickest part of the pork away from the bone (if applicable), as this heats up faster.

How often should I spritz my pork shoulder? ›

Monitor the temperature of the meat throughout the cooking process. When the internal temperature reaches around 160°F (71°C), combine apple juice and apple cider vinegar in a spray bottle, and spritz the pork shoulder to keep it moist. Continue to spritz every hour.

What temp is Boston butt done? ›

The USDA recommends that pork is cooked to an internal temperature of 145°F (62.8°C) for food safety. But every griller worth their salt knows that cuts rich in collagen, like pork butt, need to be brought to much higher temperatures (195-205°F [91-96°C]) to properly break down the connective tissues.

Should you wrap a pork butt? ›

Wrapping pork butt will get you through the stall faster, and it won't prevent you from getting deep, smoky flavor or quality bark. Setting your meat probes' high-temp alarms for 160°F (71°C) will get you to an optimal place between bark-creation and stall-beating.

How do you keep pork moist when smoking? ›

Water Pan – Use a water pan in your smoker to maintain a humid environment so the meat doesn't cook with hot, dry air. Water works well, but you can also fill the water pan with beer, apple juice and cider vinegar for flavorful twists.

Is it better to brine or inject pork shoulder? ›

Personally, I think that pork benefits best from both marinating and brining. Think of it as two separate techniques; the injection moistens and flavors the deep muscle tissue, while the marinade adds flavor to the exterior of the meat, and to the skin.

Do you need to spritz pork when smoking? ›

The best time to spritz your meat while smoking is just after the bark has formed. The bark on meat generally forms about 1:30 to 2 hours into your cook. It is important to spritz the meat every half hour to 45 minutes to prevent it from drying out.

How do I get more flavor in my pulled pork? ›

We use brown sugar, onion powder, garlic powder, cumin, smoked paprika, a good amount of salt & pepper, and a pinch of cayenne! Make sure you use all of the seasoning! Also, really rub it into the pulled pork, get all of the nooks and crannies!

What liquid keeps pulled pork moist? ›

Additionally, spray chicken broth or apple juice on the meat to prevent it from losing more moisture in the crockpot. To add a strong flavor during the process, white wine can also be sprayed. You can shred the pork during smoking or in the crockpot.

Why is pulled pork not shredding? ›

The kind of meat you're smoking will influence the texture of your shreds. Pork shoulder and butt contain tons of fat that keeps the meat juicy and soft when cooking. Your meat could not shred properly if you attempted to smoke a leaner cut, such as tenderloin. The issue of the meat bark is another issue.

Why add soda to pulled pork? ›

The soda helps to tenderize the meat and mellows out the spiciness of the chipotle peppers. It is the opportunity to use your favorite dark soda pop in a savory recipe. Try using Dr Pepper, root beer, cola or cherry cola. Spicy soda pulled pork is the perfect balance of spicy, sweet, and savory.

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