Pulled Pork

Pulled pork — pork shoulder (Boston butt) smoked low and slow for 8-14 hours until the internal temperature reaches 93-96°C and the meat can be shredded (pulled) by hand into long, tender strands — is the most widely practiced barbecue technique in America and the entry point for most home smokers. Unlike brisket (which demands Texas-level precision), whole hog (which demands a pit and 20 years of experience), or ribs (which have a narrow window between done and overdone), pork shoulder is forgiving: its high fat content and dense collagen network make it nearly impossible to overcook, and its flavour is deep and porky at any stage of doneness past 90°C internal. Pulled pork is served in every BBQ region with that region's sauce: vinegar in Carolina, mustard in SC, sweet tomato in KC, white in Alabama, or no sauce at all.

A bone-in pork shoulder (Boston butt, 3-5kg) rubbed with a spice blend (salt, pepper, paprika, garlic, brown sugar — the proportions vary by pitmaster and region), smoked over hardwood at 110-130°C for 8-14 hours until the bone pulls out freely and the meat shreds into long, moist strands with gentle pressure from two forks or gloved hands. The exterior bark should be dark, peppery, and deeply caramelised. The interior should be moist, tender, and stranded — not mushy, not chunky, but pulled into fibers.

• Mexican *carnitas* (pork shoulder braised/fried until shreddable — different technique, same cut, same shredded result)
• Cuban *lechón asado* (whole roasted pork, shredded)
• Filipino *lechon kawali* (fried pork shoulder)
• Chinese *char siu* (roasted pork shoulder, sliced or pulled)
• The slow-cooked, shredded pork shoulder is a global form; pulled pork is the American BBQ expression

On a bun with slaw. On a plate with beans and cornbread. On nachos. In tacos. In eggs. Pulled pork is the most versatile BBQ product — it goes everywhere.