Boston Butt, smoked for Pulled Pork...

[CapnKidd_on_Cape_Cod]

I have a lot of favorite meats to put on the smoker, but there is something about a Boston Butt that I love and makes the best pulled pork! One must be patient with this though as it can take 12-14 hours for a whole butt to cooked enough to shred. 

I was excited to see this 1/2 butt in the store last weekend and immediately changed Sunday dinner plans :). 

I start with a mustard powder binder and top off with my favorite smokey/sweet pork rub. i

If you have not heard the term before, Low and Slow is the only way to smoke these. Set smoker on 225 degrees  very early in the morning, they go on about your day as these require very little monitoring. 

I did spritz with cranberry juice every now and then as I knew a sweet sauce would come later and I wanted that tartness for an all-around flavor profile. 

As the temperature on the meat slowly rises, a nice "Bark" forms on the outside. A good Bark is the benchmark of pulled pork and increases the flavor of the meat. 

Once the Bark is set, usually internal temperature of the meat will be 165-175. This may take 10-12 hours. At this point you want wrap the roast to contain the heat. I use a foil pan and cover with foil. Let it ride now until internal temperate reaches 203-205 degrees and is probe tender. 

Now let it rest for 30 minutes or so and shred it up. 

Now to finish it a little sauce. Careful not to over-sauce, you want the flavor of the meat to shine through, not the sauce. This sauce I picked up on Vermont and a little goes a long ways. 

Now your meat is ready for sandwiches, over potatoes, or over mac-n-cheese, or just by itself. 

Enjoy - and let me know how it goes.