I know I have written in the past about pulled pork sandwiches. But I wanted to publish one column that has the recipes and techniques for the entire spread. And while I will be focusing on my pellet smoker in the preparation of the meat, I want to stress that you can create a really good sandwich using a kettle grill, a gas grill and an oven.
First, go find a Boston butt or a pork shoulder. Rub it down on all sides with normal table mustard and then liberally apply rub. This is what makes the all-important “bark.” Give the rub recipe below a try or buy your favorite pork rub.
If you are using a gas grill, set to indirect heat and get the temperature of the grill to around 275 degrees. Use a smoke box to provide the smoky flavor. Place the pork on the opposite side of the flame and close the lid. I used a pellet smoker with hickory pellets and set it at 230 degrees. If you have a kettle grill, set it up using indirect heat with 20 to 25 hot coals on one side. Place a chunk of hickory on the coals, open the vents to 50 percent, put the pork on the opposite side and put the lid on. If you have a pellet smoker, just let it cook for 12 hours or so. For the gas grill and the kettle grill, allow to cook for 3-4 hours and then move to a large baking plan.
Lightly tent with foil and allow to cook all night at 225 degrees. Bottom line is that “low and slow” is what you need regardless of your cooking process. When it’s done properly, the bone should pull out by hand and the temperature of the meat should be 200 degrees. Once it’s cooled off enough to handle by hand, shred with a couple of forks and be ready to serve with slaw and white Alabama sauce.
