How to Find the Best Meat for Perfect Pulled Pork

Whether oven roasted, slow cooked, or pressure cooked, pulled pork is a crowd-pleasing favorite that brings both comfort and nostalgia to the table. Some cooks may shy away from making it at home and feel intimidated by the reputation it has gained as an essential American barbecue dish.

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People travel far and wide in the South for the best pulled pork sandwiches or work years to perfect their award-winning recipe. As daunting as pulled pork might seem, however, it's actually one of the easiest barbecue recipes to master.

Pulled pork is a great intro to barbecue for a few different reasons. Pork shoulders and related cuts are relatively inexpensive and the meat itself can be very forgiving. Undercook it (within the limits of safety) and it might be tough, but it will still taste good. Overcook it and you can still serve it with a smile. Pork allows you to practice your barbecue skills and still be able to eat your mistakes (brisket and ribs are not as forgiving), but you need to start with the right cut of meat.

When It Comes to Pulled Pork, Shoulder Is King

The most common cut for making pulled pork is the shoulder. You'll usually find this divided into two cuts: the Boston butt (also known as the Boston roast) and the picnic roast. A full pork shoulder should weigh between 12 and 16 pounds. It will have a bone and joint, plus a good helping of fat and collagen.

Because of the intense fat marbling, pork shoulder doesn't dry as quickly as other pieces of meat. When shopping at the supermarket, look for a piece that has a good balance of fat (that means flavor!) to meat.

What's the Difference Between Boston Butt and Picnic Roast?

If you can't find a whole pork shoulder at your local store, you can get either a Boston butt or picnic roast; both will weigh between 6 to 8 pounds individually. The Boston butt has less bone than the picnic, which can come with or without the bone. Although the picnic is more like an unprepared ham, it works just as well for pulled pork. Just make sure to choose one with the bone for the best flavor.

The butt is the preferred cut for competition cooks and what most people are cooking in their backyards these days. It has a consistent, rectangular shape and is easy to handle. But most importantly, it has nice marbling throughout, making it ideal for low and slow cooking.

Preparing the Meat for the Smoker

No matter which cut you choose, the meat should have a good quantity of fat to make preparing it for smoking really easy. You can apply a rub to add flavor if you like, or you can simply put it in the smoker right out of the wrapping—just check it first for loose pieces of fat or skin and trim them off.

Large, thick sections of fat should be trimmed down to 1/4 to 1/2 inch in thickness. This will help to reduce the cooking time and let the smoke get to the meat better.

Adding a Rub to the Meat

If you use a rub, do so liberally—remember that you are trying to flavor a large piece of meat (or two smaller pieces). First, pat the trimmed pork dry with paper towels. Then sprinkle the rub over the surface of the meat, massaging it in a bit.

Make sure that every part is evenly covered—pork shoulders can have a very uneven surface so add the rub from every angle. The general rule is, what sticks is what stays.

For the best flavor, place the seasoned meat, uncovered on a rack set inside a baking sheet, in the refrigerator overnight. Make sure to remove the pork from the fridge early enough so it will come to room temperature before you place it in the smoker—cold meat will burn on the outside.