Photo of BBQ Smoked Pulled Pork
Main · Off the grill

BBQ Smoked Pulled Pork

Pork butt with a no-sugar smoked paprika rub, smoked low at 250°F until the bark sets, then wrapped with butter, brown sugar and honey and taken to 203°F.

  • Main
  • Off the grill
  • Serves about 25 (9 to 10 lb of meat)
  • 250°F
  • About 8 hr plus resting
Gus' Family Recipe

Ingredients

For the pork

  • 2 pork butts, bone-in or boneless, about 9 lb each
  • Yellow mustard, for the binder

For the rub (no sugar)

  • 1/2 cup smoked paprika
  • 1/4 cup garlic powder
  • 1/4 cup onion powder
  • 1/4 cup kosher salt

For spritzing

  • Water or I Can't Believe It's Not Butter spray

For the wrap (per butt)

  • 3 to 4 tbsp butter
  • 3 tbsp brown sugar
  • 3 tbsp honey
  • Heavy-duty foil

Steps

  1. Mix the rub: stir together the paprika, garlic powder, onion powder and salt.

  2. Bind and season: coat each butt in a thin layer of mustard, then season it all over with the rub.

  3. Smoke: set the Searwood to 250°F with whatever pellets you like. Put the butts on.

  4. Spritz: about once an hour, spray the meat with water or the butter spray so the bark doesn't dry out.

  5. Check the bark: at around 5 hours, wipe the surface with your finger. When the rub no longer comes off, the bark is set and it's time to wrap.

  6. Wrap: set each butt on heavy foil. Top with the butter, sprinkle on the brown sugar and drizzle the honey over it. Wrap tightly in several layers of heavy foil.

  7. Finish: put the wrapped butts back on the smoker and cook until the internal temperature reads 203°F, about 3 more hours.

  8. Rest: take them off and rest them, still wrapped in the foil, for at least 30 minutes to an hour.

  9. Pull: the meat is still very hot, so wear heat-resistant gloves. Break it all apart, throwing out the big chunks of fat and most of the liquid.

  10. Store: freeze whatever you won't eat right away in portion-sized bags.

Cook's Notes

  • Ways to use it: this is a base recipe, so use it however you like. Pile it on sliders, fold it into tacos or burritos, load up nachos, stir it into chili, or fry it up crisp and serve it over rice and beans.
  • I buy pork butts at the US Foods Chef'Store in Southcenter. Bone-in or boneless both work.
  • Any pellets work here. Use what you like.
  • The rub is a starting point. Lean on the paprika and adjust to taste.
  • Save a bag for the Turkey and Pulled Pork Chili.