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This pulled pork recipe will have you wanting more! As with all BBQ recipes, that are low and slow, it’s not about the time it takes to cook it’s about enjoying the process and putting out the best possible tasting food that you can at the end of the cook. Getting your family and friends to ohhh and ahhh over the flavors that you’ve created with time, the right ingredients and a little bit of patience is second to none!
The flavors that are in this pork are absolutely unbelievable. The savory taste of the pork paired with the sweetness of the marinade is the perfect balance and flavor to compliment each other. Combine that with the Queen Bee rub that goes on the pork and you’ve really got something special.
Let’s Prep:
Grab the seasoning I used for this – it’s a perfect compliment to the meat
Prepping this pulled pork recipe is super easy. Once you’ve gathered all of your ingredients , score the fat cap side of your pork butt to about 1/2 – 3/4 of an inch deep. This will let the marinade go deeper into the meat, as well as the BBQ Rub when you’re cooking. Simply said, more flavor. Soak the pork in Cherry Dr. Pepper overnight. There are many, different ways to make a pulled pork recipe, but this is one of my favorites. If you want to try a different variation of this pulled pork recipe , soaking the meat overnight in Root Beer is also a fantastic way to vary your flavors.
The next day when you’re ready to get cooking your pulled pork recipe , take the meat out of the marinade and pat it dry to get the surface liquid off of it. Don’t worry, by this time there’s plenty of flavor on the inside. Apply a light coat of binder – I use olive oil, but you could use yellow mustard if you want. There’s no difference as you won’t taste the flavors, it’s just about what you happen to have handy.
Apply the binder and your BBQ Rub let the rub sit until it’s had the time to have moisture pull it into the meat. You’ll recognize this as the BBQ Rub will darken and look damp/wet. This is the time to put it on!
![pulled pork recipe](https://cookingintheyard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/IMG_1801-768x1024.jpeg)
Let’s Cook:
Time to smoke this pulled pork recipe
Once your pulled pork is seasoned and ready to go, it’s time to put it on the smoker. For this cook I used a pellet smoker using a mixture of hickory and apple pellets. The flavor preference is up to you. Allow the pork to smoke until it hits about 165F internal. I smoked this at 250F – you could do more or less temperature – that will obviously impact the time. However at this temp you can expect about 1 – 1.5 hours per pound of meat.
Remember – we’re cooking to temperature, not time. Time can and will likely vary.
When the meat hits 165F internal place it in an aluminum pan and cover tightly with foil. Place back into your smoker and cook until you get to an internal temperature of 203F. Allow meat to rest at 165F until the temperature drops to between 140-145F, now it’s time to shred your meat and have some delicious pulled pork!
![pulled pork recipe](https://cookingintheyard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/IMG_1802-1024x589.jpg)
Let’s Eat:
This pulled pork recipe is nearly complete! You’ve got your buns out, pork shredded and toppings in sight. Build your sandwich with a hearty scoop of pulled pork (measure this with both your eyes and belly!) Then top as you see fit. My perfect sandwich is topped with BBQ Sauce and Coleslaw.
Take a look at my coleslaw recipe – the perfect compliment to this pulled pork recipe!
![pulled pork recipe](https://cookingintheyard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/IMG_1799-775x1024.jpeg)
Grab the seasoning I used for this – it’s a perfect compliment to the meat
![pulled pork recipe](https://cookingintheyard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/IMG_1803-scaled.jpg)
The Best Pulled Pork Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 Bone In Pork Butt 8-10 pounds
- 1 2L Cherry Dr. Pepper
- 1/2 C BBQ Rub
- 2 TBSP Olive oil for binder
Instructions
- Score the fat cap on your pork butt and soak overnight in Cherry Dr. Pepper
- Remove meat and pat dry
- Preheat your smoker to 250F
- Apply thin layer of oil binder and season your meat liberally on all sides
- Place pork on the smoker and spritz every 45-60 minutes with water
- When pork reaches 165F place in aluminum pan and cover tightly with foil
- Cook unopened until internal temperature hits 203F internal
- Remove from heat and allow to rest at 165-170F in your oven or smoker until meat hits 140F
- Shred and build your sandwich or enjoy on it's own!
2 Comments
How would one fix this using the oven instead of a smoker?
This could be made in the oven, using the same time and temperature. Honestly though – it would be a completely different flavor profile, and without the smoke flavor, and I can’t speak to how it’d come out.