How to Make Smoked Pulled Pork Using a Boneless Pork Shoulder

pork shoulder

🥗Healthier: turkey breast

💰Cheaper: pork butt

Turkey breast is leaner, while pork butt is often more affordable.

bbq sauce

🥗Healthier: homemade barbecue sauce

💰Cheaper: ketchup

Homemade sauce can be healthier with less sugar, while ketchup is budget-friendly.

Set up the drum smoker by removing the cooking grate and heat deflector.

Fill the charcoal basket and bury a fire lighter in it, then light it up.

Trim the boneless pork shoulder by removing the rind and excess fat, leaving some fat on top.

Season the pork shoulder with a base coat of honey soy slammer and top it off with steak shooter.

Once the smoker is ready, bring it up to a temperature of 275°F (135°C).

Prepare smoking wood by using a chunk of pecan and a chunk of nectarine.

Once the smoker reaches temperature, add the smoking wood, cooking grate, and pork shoulder, then close the lid.

Let the pork smoke for the first two to three hours without touching it, maintaining a steady fire.

After about three hours, check the pork and wrap it in foil with a few tablespoons of butter and around a cup of pineapple juice.

Wrap the pork tightly in foil and return it to the smoker until it reaches an internal temperature of 205°F (96°C).

While the pork cooks, prepare a salsa with one finely diced tomato, one finely diced green jalapeno, half a finely diced white onion, half a finely diced small red chili, juice of half a lime, salt, and black pepper; mix and refrigerate.

After about five hours of cooking, check the internal temperature of the pork and let it rest for about five minutes before removing it from the foil.

Let the pork rest for about 45 minutes, then pull it apart using forks, adding wrap juices to taste.

Mix in jalapeno and whiskey barbecue sauce with the pulled pork.

Serve the pulled pork on corn chips, topped with sour cream, guacamole, pork crackling, and salsa.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Dietary