Smoked Pork Butt (Pulled Pork) — American BBQ Classic

The American BBQ classic — pork shoulder (here called "pork butt", confusingly — it's NOT the rear end, it's the front shoulder) slow-smoked at 107°C for 6+ hours. Apple wood smoke, a simple sweet + spicy rub, foil-wrap finish for max tenderness. Pulls apart with a fork. The ultimate camp showpiece for serious smokers.

Plan ahead — this is a full-day cook. But the result is genuinely transcendent.

Photo by nobleseed nobleseed on Unsplash

Serves: 8-12 (or makes amazing leftovers) · Prep: 10 minutes · Smoke: 6-6.5 hours total · Wood: apple chips · Equipment: smoker (offset, kettle, or pellet), heavy aluminium foil, meat thermometer

Photo: Ricardo IV Tamayo / Unsplash

• 3kg pork SHOULDER (also sold as "pork butt" — the cut is the upper foreleg, NOT the rear)
• ½ tsp salt
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• 2 tbsp chilli powder
• Apple wood chips (about 2 cups, soaked 30 min)

Optional rub upgrades:

• 1 tbsp ground cumin (smoky depth)
• 1 tbsp paprika (sweet smoky base)
• 1 tbsp garlic powder
• 1 tbsp onion powder
• 1 tsp dry mustard
• 1 tsp cracked black pepper

To serve: brioche buns, coleslaw, BBQ sauce, pickles, hot sauce. Classic pulled pork sandwiches.

1. Mix the rub. Combine salt, brown sugar + chilli powder (plus optional upgrades) in a small bowl.

2. Rub the pork. Pat the pork shoulder dry with paper towel. Rub the seasoning mix all over the meat — get it into every crevice. Some pitmasters add a thin coat of mustard first to help the rub stick (yellow mustard, doesn't taste of mustard once cooked).

3. Pre-heat smoker to 107°C (225°F). Add a handful of soaked apple wood chips.

4. Place pork in smoker. Fat-side UP if there's a fat cap (basts the meat as it cooks). Add fresh wood chips during the FIRST 3 HOURS only — that's enough smoke flavour. Beyond 3 hours = bitter, over-smoked.

5. Cook unwrapped for 5 hours. Maintain 107°C. The "stall" happens around 71°C internal — temperature plateaus for an hour or two as moisture evaporates from the meat. Don't panic; just wait it out.

6. Check internal temperature at 5-hour mark with a meat thermometer in the thickest part. Should be ~65°C.

7. Wrap in heavy foil ("Texas crutch") + return to smoker. Adds another 1-1.5 hours.

8. Cook until internal temp = 70-95°C. Most pulled-pork pitmasters target 92-95°C — the connective tissue completely breaks down + the meat falls apart with a fork. 70°C is the safe-eating minimum (firmer slicing texture).

9. Rest WRAPPED for 30-60 minutes. Critical step — juices redistribute, texture transforms.

10. Pull or slice. Two forks pull the meat apart along the grain. Discard any large pieces of fat. Mix with the juice from the foil + serve.

• Pork BUTT terminology — confusing. "Butt" = pork shoulder upper portion (yes, the front shoulder, not the rear). The actual rear is "ham". American naming weirdness
• Bone-in or boneless? Bone-in cooks slightly slower + the bone adds flavour. Boneless is easier to pull. Both work
• Apple wood is the classic — sweet + mild. Hickory works too (stronger, more savoury). Mesquite = too strong for pork
• Don't over-smoke. Limit smoke wood to first 3 hours. Beyond that = bitter creosote flavour
• The Texas crutch (foil wrap) speeds up the cook + retains moisture. Some pitmasters skip it for harder bark; most embrace it
• Cooking temperature variations: 95°C internal = pull-apart soft (ideal for pulled pork sandwiches); 70-75°C = firmer slicing texture; 65°C = minimum safe
• Brining first (8 hours in salt/sugar water) creates EVEN juicier result — worth doing if you have the time
• The bark (dark crust) is the prized exterior layer — full of flavour. Don't discard, mix it through the pulled meat
• Make pulled pork sandwiches: brioche bun + pulled pork + creamy coleslaw + BBQ sauce + pickles. Universal favourite
• Leftovers: keep 4 days in the fridge; freeze portions for months. Reheat with a splash of stock to keep moist
• Without a smoker: low-and-slow in a Dutch oven on the BBQ at 110°C; or a covered Weber kettle with charcoal pushed to one side + the meat opposite (indirect cooking)

The bucket-list smoker recipe. Pork shoulder is the most forgiving large cut for low-and-slow cooking — the fat + connective tissue make it nearly impossible to overcook (within reason). Once you've nailed pulled pork, you've nailed smoked meat.

Best result: feed the camp at lunch on day 2 of a long trip — start the cook at breakfast on day 1, eat the famous pulled pork sandwich the next day. Serves 8+, leftovers feed everyone for another meal. The most generous + crowd-pleasing camp dinner you can make.