Smoked Pork Shoulder (Pulled Pork)

Pork + Rub Ingredients:

I usually buy the Costco pack of boneless pork shoulder butts—total pack is about 14–18 lbs, with each butt around 7–9 lbs.

1. 2 boneless pork shoulder butts (7–9 lb each)

   Trim is optional. I mostly just tie up any loose flaps so they cook evenly.

2. Kinder's Woodfired Garlic Seasoning (equal parts)

3. Kinder's The BBQ Blend (equal parts)

Equipment:

1. Kamado-style smoker set up for indirect heat

2. Lump charcoal

3. Apple wood chunks

4. Heat deflector / platesetter

5. Drip pan

6. Temperature probes (one per butt)

7. Pink butcher paper

8. Aluminum foil

9. Butcher’s twine

10. Towels

11. Cooler or insulated bag

12. Shredding claws or heat-safe gloves

Smoker setup (indirect heat) and fuel/wood prep:

1. Fill the smoker with a generous amount of lump charcoal (you want enough for an overnight burn).

2. Light the charcoal and let it get going strong.

3. Bring the smoker up to a higher temp first (around 400°F) to make sure the fire is well established.

4. Add large chunks of apple wood, then top off with a bit more lump charcoal.

5. Set up for indirect cooking with the heat deflector and place a drip pan on top.

6. Preheat and stabilize the smoker to 225–250°F indirect.

   In my setup, the dome gauge often reads higher than probe ambient. Even if the dome shows ~300°F, an indirect ambient of 225–250°F is the goal.

Prep, rub, and start the smoke:

1. While the smoker is preheating, prep the pork butts.

2. If there are loose flaps, tie each butt with butcher’s twine to keep a compact shape.

   Before tying tight, I make sure the rub gets between the folds so flavor isn’t only on the outside.

3. Mix the rub using equal parts Kinder’s Woodfired Garlic Seasoning and Kinder’s The BBQ Blend.

4. Apply the rub generously to all sides of each butt.

5. Insert a temperature probe into the thickest part of each butt.

   I face the probe leads outward so I can tell which butt is which later.

6. Place the butts on the grate, side-by-side, over the drip pan.

   If adding a third butt, use an upper rack if available.

7. Close the lid and monitor closely for the first hour while temperatures stabilize.

Long smoke, stall, and wrap:

1. Maintain 225–250°F indirect and let the pork smoke for several hours.

2. Watch for the stall, usually around 155°F (sometimes closer to 175°F).

3. Once the pork is at least ~155°F and clearly stalled, wrap each butt in pink butcher paper.

   I use two layers wrapped in opposite directions and leave the probe in place.

4. Continue cooking until the internal temperature reaches 200–205°F.

   Optional: at this point, the wrapped pork can be finished in the oven, but I usually leave it on the smoker.

Rest, shred, and serve:

1. Remove the pork from the smoker once it reaches 200–205°F.

2. Keep it wrapped in butcher paper, then wrap tightly in several layers of foil.

3. Wrap in towels and place into a cooler or insulated bag to rest.

   Rest at least 30 minutes; 1 hour is ideal. It can safely hold hot for 3–4 hours.

4. When ready to serve, place one butt at a time into a large drip pan.

5. Open the foil and butcher paper along the top, being careful of hot juices.

6. Cut and remove the butcher’s twine.

7. Shred the pork and mix it back into the juices.

   I use bear claws carefully or heat-safe gloved hands to pull it apart.

8. Serve immediately or keep warm until ready.