If you’re unfamiliar with making pulled pork, the best cut of meat is the Boston Butt, which is actually located in the shoulder. This recipe is a good opportunity to make friends with the butcher at your local grocery store so you can ultimately ask, “Do you have any good butts on sale for me today?” This recipe, like the silly humor with the grocery store employees, is as simple as it gets. A 5-7 pound pork butt will feed 8-10 hungry people. Factor in a few hours for the pork to marinate in its dry rub, then 5-6 hours in the oven. You can use your favorite barbecue sauce, homemade or bottled, and have plenty of pulled pork for sandwiches, loaded mac and cheese, nachos, you name it.

Delectable Oven-Roasted Pulled Pork

0.0 from 0 votes

Cook Mode

Keep the screen of your device on

Servings

10-12

servings

Ingredients

5-7 lb. bone-in pork boston butt
1 tablespoon sea salt
1 tablespoon garlic sea salt (or garlic powder with a little added salt)
4 Ingredient
1 tablespoon mustard powder
1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
3 tablespoons sweet smoky paprika
Barbecue sauce as needed

Directions

If your pork has a thick fat cap or silver skin, use a boning knife to trim it the best you can, leaving ¼” of fat cap.
Combine all the seasonings together and rub it entirely over the pork. Wrap with plastic wrap and let it sit in the fridge for a minimum of 1 hour, but preferably three. I find it best to keep the plastic tray that comes with the pork, it's like a disposable plate.
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F and place the pork in a roasting pan. Roast for 5 hours. After 5 hours, or when the pork reaches 170 degrees F, baste with barbecue sauce. Continue to roast for one more hour.
After six hours, remove from the oven and test to see if it’s done. The pork should shred off the bone easily and register between 190 and 200 degrees F. Allow to rest for 15 minutes, then shred it carefully. Toss with more barbecue sauce as desired.

Notes

Note: cuts labeled “pork shoulder” contain both the Boston Butt and Picnic Shoulder, and require more trimming and cook-time, therefore Boston Butt is the preferred cut of meat for pulled pork.