Pulled Pork 101 – Smoked to Perfection
A beginner-friendly pulled pork recipe that’s perfect for sandwiches. This recipe uses a combination of three signature rubs to create a juicy, flavorful pork butt smoked low and slow. Serve piled high on buns with a creamy Southern Coleslaw for the ultimate BBQ experience.
Servings: 8
Ingredients
- 1 pork butt Boston Butt or pork shoulder
- Yellow mustard for binder
- AB’s B Rub
- AB’s BBQ Rub
- AB’s Special Blend Rub
- Optional: BBQ sauce for serving
- Buns brioche or potato rolls recommended
- AB’s Southern Coleslaw for topping
Instructions
- Trim the pork butt’s fat cap, removing enough fat so rubs can penetrate but leaving some fat for flavor.
- Preheat pellet grill or smoker to 250°F.
- Coat pork butt with yellow mustard to help rubs stick.
- Layer rubs evenly over the pork: first AB’s B Rub, then AB’s BBQ Rub, followed by AB’s Special Blend Rub, covering all sides.
- Place pork butt fat side up on the grill grates. Smoke undisturbed for 4-5 hours.
- At about 4.5 hours, spritz with a 50/50 mix of apple juice and water or vinegar if bark looks dry.
- When internal temp reaches 165–170°F, wrap pork tightly in foil, butcher paper, or place in foil pan.
- Continue smoking until internal temperature reaches 203°F or until thermometer slides in easily.
- Rest wrapped pork for at least 1 hour.
- Shred pork using forks or meat claws, mixing in any juices from the foil.
- Serve pulled pork piled on buns with Southern Coleslaw and BBQ sauce if desired.