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Texas-Style Pulled Pork Recipe: Tips for Making Pulled Pork

Written by MasterClass

Last updated: Jun 19, 2023 • 3 min read

Fork-tender Texas pulled pork will take your average pulled pork sandwiches to the next level. This recipe requires little more than some pork shoulder and a spice rub for a sweet, savory, and protein-packed result.

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What Is Texas-Style Pulled Pork?

Texas-style pulled pork is a popular American barbecue dish consisting of shredded pork shoulder slow-cooked in a pellet smoker until it’s fork-tender and easily shreddable. Unlike some regional pulled pork varieties, this Texas-style preparation doesn’t involve tossing it in barbecue sauce before serving it. In addition to smoking, home cooks can make this extra-tender pulled pork in a Dutch oven, slow cooker, or pressure cooker.

Pitmasters typically serve this tender meat as the central element of a BBQ platter, or place the juicy meat between two toasted buns and top it with coleslaw for a pulled pork sandwich.

4 Tips for Making Texas-Style Pulled Pork

Whether you’re an experienced griller or cookout novice, you’ll be able to successfully craft a tasty batch of Texas-style pulled pork with ease. Follow these tips to make the best pulled pork possible:

  1. 1. Pick the right cut of meat. Fresh pork shoulder roast or Boston butt (with bright red color and lots of marbling) are the best cuts of pork for this dish. Steer clear of tough cuts that appear dull or grey, which will not come out as tender as other cuts.
  2. 2. Incorporate different seasonings and sauces. Adjust any recipe’s BBQ spice blend to include your favorite seasonings and herbs. Incorporate spicier additions like red pepper flakes, chili powder, Worcestershire sauce, and ground peppers into your pork shoulder dry rub for an added kick. Add light brown sugar to the rub for contrasting sweetness. Using a spray bottle, spritz the pork intermittently during cooking with bourbon, apple juice, or apple cider vinegar to add moisture. Alternatively, brush the meat with your favorite BBQ sauce or vinegar towards the end of cooking for some tanginess.
  3. 3. Keep the temperature consistent. Monitor the grill or smoker’s temperature throughout the cooking process. Significant dips in temperature could result in unevenly cooked meat with a dry or burnt surface and an undercooked center.
  4. 4. Use a meat thermometer. The amount of time required to cook your pulled pork depends on the size of your pork roast and the grill. Use a high-quality meat thermometer inserted into the pork as your guide, rather than the clock. Pork shoulder will typically take about two hours per pound to cook to an internal temperature of around 200 degrees Fahrenheit.

How to Serve Texas-Style Pulled Pork

For a barbecue classic, serve pulled pork on hamburger buns with barbecue sauce, coleslaw, thinly sliced onions, and pickles to make a flavorful sandwich. Alternatively, serve Texas-style pulled pork on a platter with classic barbecue side dishes like baked beans, coleslaw, grilled corn, potato salad, macaroni and cheese, and cornbread. Fresh or leftover pulled pork also makes a great protein for tacos, burritos, and nachos.

Texas-Style Pulled Pork Recipe

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3 Ratings | Rate Now

makes

prep time

15 min

total time

10 hr 15 min

cook time

10 hr

Ingredients

Note: The total time does not include 1 hour of inactive time.

  1. 1

    Preheat the smoker to 270 degrees Fahrenheit.

  2. 2

    Trim the excess fat off the pork shoulder and pat it down with a paper towel.

  3. 3

    Using a pastry brush or your fingers, coat the entire surface of the pork with a thin layer of yellow mustard.

  4. 4

    In a mixing bowl, whisk up your dry rub. Combine the brown sugar, salt, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, cumin, mustard powder, and cayenne pepper (if using) and whisk together until incorporated.

  5. 5

    Sprinkle the BBQ rub over the pork shoulder and use your fingers to massage it into the meat.

  6. 6

    Once your smoker has reached a consistent temperature of 270 degrees Fahrenheit, place the pork shoulder on the smoker grates and close the lid.

  7. 7

    Smoke the pork for 2 hours. Using a spray bottle, thoroughly spritz the meat with the apple cider vinegar.

  8. 8

    Continue cooking the pork for an additional 5 hours, checking its temperature with the meat thermometer, and spritzing the pork once per hour.

  9. 9

    Approximately 8 hours into the cooking time, wrap the pork shoulder in aluminum foil.

  10. 10

    Return the pork to the smoker and cook for 1 hour at 270 degrees Fahrenheit. Then, raise the smoker temperature to 295 degrees Fahrenheit and cook for 1 final hour.

  11. 11

    After 10 hours in the smoker, your pork should register an internal temperature of just over 200 degrees Fahrenheit. Once it gets there, remove the pork shoulder from the smoker and allow it to rest at room temperature—with the aluminum foil still on—for an hour.

  12. 12

    Unwrap the pork shoulder and, using 2 forks, shred it and serve immediately.

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