Pulled Pork Barbecue Recipes

Pulled Pork Barbecue Recipes

BBQ pulled pork recipe low and slow on the grill is a classic southern dish. The name pulled pork is not a particular cut, it’s simply a recipe using a pork roast, a dry rub, wood chips, barbecuing at a long low temperature until the meat falls apart. Topped with bbq sauce, coleslaw, dill pickles on a bun or on bread.

The best cut to use for pulled pork recipes is the shoulder blade roast (Boston butt). It has just the right amount of fat to keep the meat moist and succulent during long cooking without losing its great flavor.

Although the picnic from the lower part of the shoulder and the pork leg (fresh ham) will produce good results, are second in choice for this recipe. Both the picnic and pork leg are leaner than the shoulder blade and therefore not as moist and juicy. The picnic and leg are covered with a layer of skin that should be removed if using for pulled pork barbecue recipes. The shoulder blade doesn’t have the layer of skin.

To give this recipe for pulled pork a real southern smoky flavor wood chips are used if using a gas grill and wood chips or wood chunks are used if using a charcoal grill.

Enhanced or seasoned pork is becoming more and more popular in grocery stores in the United States and Canada. If the pork you have purchased is enhanced do not use a brine solution or add any salt to the recipe. Read this article to learn more about enhanced or seasoned pork.

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS
Pulled Pork Barbecue Recipes
(Gas Grill)

1. Sprinkle and massage a BBQ dry rub into and all around the entire roast. Place meat into a large food bag or plastic wrap, refrigerate 3-4 hours or for a stronger flavor overnight. If using picnic shoulder or pork leg roast remove the layer of skin before applying the rub.

2. At least 60-90 minutes before cooking the roast remove from the refrigerator, unwrap to bring it to room temperature. Soak 3-4 cups wood chips covered in cold water about 15 minutes, drain and place in a metal wood chip box which can be found where most grills are sold.

You can also use rectangular disposable foil tray for the wood chips or you can make your own out of aluminum foil. Take a piece of aluminum foil 15-20 inches long, fold both longs sides up about 1 inch and repeat on both short ends creating a tray to hold the wood chips.

3. Place tray with wood chips on the grill and turn on all burners to high. Close lid and preheat 15-20 minutes until the wood chips are heavily smoking.

4. Turn the burners down to medium on half the grill. Turn the burners off on the other half of the grill. Place the woods chips over the heated half of the grill and set the roast in a disposable pan over the cool part of the grill and close the lid. Try to keep the temperature about 275 degrees, adjust the heated burner as necessary. Cook about 7 hours with lid down.

5. Remove pork roast from grill, wrap with tinfoil and place in a brown bag with the top folded shut for 1 hour. The sealed paper bag creates a steaming effect resulting in a very succulent roast.

6. Transfer roast to cutting board and unwrap. When cool enough to handle pull and tear the meat apart into shreds. Put shredded meat in a bowl, toss with BBQ sauce and serve on a bun or bread with coleslaw and a dill pickle.

Charcoal Grill
Pulled Pork Barbecue Recipes

1. Sprinkle and massage a BBQ dry rub into and all around the entire roast. Place meat into a large food bag or plastic wrap, refrigerate 3-4 hours or for a stronger flavor overnight. If using picnic shoulder or pork leg roast remove the layer of skin before applying the rub.

2. At least 60-90 minutes before cooking the roast remove from the refrigerator, unwrap to bring it to room temperature. Soak wood chunks covered in cold water for 1 hour and drain or soak wood chips 15 minutes and drain and place in an aluminum or tinfoil container. Cover container tightly with foil and use a fork to make about 5-6 holes to allow the smoke to escape.

3. Meanwhile, light a fire using about 30 charcoal briquettes and allow to burn until covered with a thin layer of gray ash. Move coals to one side of the grill, piling 2-3 briquettes high. Open bottom vents completely and place wood chunks or the containers with wood chips on top of the charcoal.

4. Set the roast in a disposable pan and place it on the grill opposite the fire. Open grill lid vents ¾ of the way and cover, turning the lid so that the vents are opposite the wood chunks or chips to draw smoke through the grill. Add about 6-7 briquettes every half-hour to maintain and average temperature of 275 degrees for 7 hours.

5. Remove pork roast from grill, wrap with tinfoil and place in a brown bag with the top folded shut for 1 hour. The sealed paper bag creates a steaming effect resulting in a very succulent roast.

6. Transfer roast to cutting board and unwrap. When cool enough to handle pull and tear the meat apart into shreds. Put shredded meat in a bowl, toss with BBQ sauce and a dill pickle.

Cut Cooking Time By 2 Hours

Pulled Pork Barbecue Recipes

Cooking a pork roast for 7 hours creates a delicious roast; however this is far too long for many people. This next method will produce about the same results of 7 hours on the grill but with 2 less hours. The results are the same for gas and charcoal grills.

Follow the instructions through to step 3 for gas and charcoal methods, but in step 4 only cook the roast for 3 hours. The only difference would be for the charcoal method, start with about 40 briquettes adding 7-8 each hour.

Remove the roast from the grill after 3 hours and wrap the pan holding the roast with heavy duty foil to completely cover it. Meanwhile heat the oven to 325 and adjust the rack to the middle position. Place the pan in the oven and bake until the meat is fork tender about 2 hours.

Continue with step 5 for the above pulled pork barbecue recipes and enjoy.

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US To Metric System Chart

Oven Temperatures

Fahrenheit (°F) Celsius (°C)

125° 52°

150° 66°

175° 80°

200° 93°

225° 107°

250° 121°

275° 135°

300° 149°

325° 163°

350° 177°

375° 190°

400° 205°

425° 218°

450° 232°

475° 246°

500° 260°