Tender Pulled Pork. The term "fork-tender" was invented for slow-roasted pork shoulder. Sure it takes half a day, but the building anticipation makes that first bite into the sticky, succulent pulled pork meat even better. Moist, tender, and full flavored pulled pork that is perfect for sandwiches, BBQ nachos, loaded fries, baked potatoes, and so much more!
Perfectly Tender Pulled Pork ; Perfectly Tender Pulled Pork Recipe.
Pork butt has more marbling than pork shoulder, and so it is more tender when you cook it than the pork shoulder.
Because of its versatility, pulled pork can be served with coleslaw, cornbread, nachos, corn on the cob, and many other sides.
You can cook Tender Pulled Pork using 14 ingredients and 11 steps. Here is how you achieve it.
Ingredients of Tender Pulled Pork
- You need 8 lb of Pork Butt (Bone-in).
- You need 1 tbsp of Olive Oil.
- It's of Dry Rub.
- You need 1/4 cup of Kosher Salt.
- It's 1 cup of Lemon Pepper.
- You need 2 tbsp of Sugar.
- It's 2 tbsp of Turmeric Powder.
- Prepare 1 tbsp of Paprika.
- You need 1 tsp of Garlic Powder.
- Prepare 1 tsp of Celery Salt.
- Prepare 1 tsp of Garam Masala.
- You need 1 tsp of Fennel Powder.
- You need 1/4 tsp of Cayenne Powder.
- Prepare 1 dash of White Pepper Powder.
Pulled pork is best paired with foods that counter the savory flavor of pork with a slightly sweet flavor (such as cornbread), or provide a texture contrast to the tender meat (such as crunchy tortilla chips or shells). Texas-style pulled pork simmers in a tangy chili-seasoned barbecue sauce with plenty of onion, then pulled into tender shreds to serve on a buttered, toasted bun. This tender and juicy pulled pork starts with a surprising choice: pork tenderloin. By simmering large pieces of pork tenderloin in a tangy sauce and then shredding it with two forks the result is.
Tender Pulled Pork step by step
- Set up your grill for an indirect heat method. An insulated cooker such as The Akorn works well for this. Simply create a small pile of charcoal (roughly pyramid or cone shaped) interspersed with large chunks of hard wood. Place a fire starter under the top few pieces of charcoal and light. Close the lid and fully open all the vents. Give the charcoal 20 to 30 minutes to light. Throttle the top and bottom vents to barely open and allow the temperature to settle into the desired cooking range. This should take another 20 to 30 minutes. For this cook, get the grill around 300 to 325 Fahrenheit. This will reduce your cook time and give you a nice crust on the meat. However, you will not get as much smoke flavor on the meat..
- Note: The Akorn has a smoke stone accessory that works great at creating a barrier between the meat and the heat, plus you can put an aluminum pan on it to catch the meat drippings to make clean up easy..
- Thoroughly combine all the dry ingredients. Note: Old plastic take out containers with lids work great for mixing and storing dry rubs. Simply add the ingredients to the container, cap, and shake..
- Trim excess fat from the pork butt leaving about a quarter inch layer. Note: Sam's Club sells trimmed pork butts in a 2 pack for a reasonable price. They are trimmed and ready for seasoning straight out of the package. Freeze the second butt for use later..
- Rinse the butt with cold water and then pat dry with a paper towel. The surface of the meat needs to be as dry as possible..
- Coat the meat with a very light coating of olive oil to help the the dry rub stick to the meat. Note: Just about any oil will work for this or you can use yellow mustard if you prefer..
- Sprinkle the meat with the dry rub and spread the rub with your hands. The meat should be completely coated with a thin layer of rub..
- Put the meat on the grill. Cook for 5 to 6 hours. Resist the urge to open the grill to look at the meat. Monitor the grill temperature. Throttle the bottom vent as necessary to maintain between 300 to 325 Fahrenheit..
- After about 5 hours check the meat. The best method for telling if the meat is done or not is to poke the meat with a skewer. If the skewer slides into the meat without any resistance (like cutting warm butter) the meat is done. Be sure to check several locations on the butt as different parts cook at different rates. Continuing cooking until done. Note: The number one rule when it comes to BBQ is it's done when it's done. Meaning be patient..
- When done, remove the meat from the grill. Set aside and lightly cover with foil and let rest for at least 30 minutes, preferably 1 hour. Note: Do not tightly wrap in foil as this will steam the outside and you will lose the some the crispy crust on the meat. Placing the meat in a disposable aluminum pan and covering with foil allows enough air space to prevent the steaming effect..
- After the meat has rested, remove the bone. It should practically fall out on it's own. Pull the meat into long strands. Try not to eat all the crispy bits before you serve your family and guests. For a little extra zing, sprinkle a small amount of the dry rub onto the pulled meat and mix. A little bit goes a long way. Serve and enjoy. CAUTION: The meat will still be extremely hot at this point..
This pulled pork is tender and has a fabulous spice rub on it. It's my sweetie's favorite meal, and I love that it is so easy. We love a classic pulled pork sandwich. But every once in a while, we want to pull our pork in a slightly different direction. Here are seven ways to go!