Pulled Pork on a Charcoal Grill

Pulled Pork on a Charcoal Grill

If you are just getting started with smoking I highly recommend making a smoke dpork shoulder on your charcoal grill one of the first recipes you try.

Course Main Course

Cuisine BBQ

Keyword Pulled Pork

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 7

Resting Time 1

Servings

Calories 294kcal

Equipment

Charcoal grill
9x13 pan
Aluminum foil

Ingredients

8 lb Pork Shoulder
2 tbsp Yellow Mustard
1/4 cup Dry Rub

Mop Ingredients

1 cup Apple Juice
1/4 cup Apple Cider Vinegar
2 tbsp Worchestershire
2 tbsp Soy Sauce
1 tbsp Fish Sauce Optional

Instructions

Place the pork shoulder on a clean surface fat cap down, score the top of the meat in a crisis cross pattern about 1/2 inch deep.
Coat the entire pork butt with mustard on all sides then season generously with dry rub making sure to get the seasoning into all the grooves you cut.
Build your fire using a dual-zone cooking method so that all of your coals are on one side preferably in baskets to keep the coals in place. Your target temperature should be between 275-300 degrees F.
You can place a pan below the grill grates and fill it halfway up with water. this will catch drippings from the pork keeping your grill clean as well as adding moisture to the pit.
once the grill has reached temperature place the pork butt fat side down opposite the fire source. Cook for about 90 minutes before you begin brushing with your mop solution. Continue to brush the pork butt once an hour until the pork reaches an internal temperature of 165-170 degrees F.
At this point Its time to place the pork into a 9x13 pan and cover with foil. Place the pork back on the grill and continue cooking until the pork reaches an internal temperature of 205 degrees F. The true test for doneness is to probe the meat with a thermometer. it should go into the meat with almost no resistance.
Once the pork is fully cooked vent the pan and let it rest for 1 hour before shredding. You can hold the pork for up to 4 hours by placing the pork into a dry cooler and covering it with a towel.

Notes

Serving size about 8oz.

I highly recommend picking up a wireless meat thermometer. I know they can be a little pricy but they are a life saver when it comes to monitoring the temp of the pork without having to open the lid every 30 minute. There are cheaper wired meat probes that work great as well. I just hate the annoying wires.

Until you really get the temperature of your weber kettle dialed in I suggest checking the grill temp once an hour. Try to avoid opening the lid as much as possible. The longer the lid is off the more oxygen the fire gets and your temps can spike.

Pro Tip: I like to do is wrap a few bricks with foil and place them in the center on top of the grill grates to act as a heat deflector which will help the pork butt cook more evenly and not get to dark to soon.

Don't be in a rush. The longer you let the pork rest the more tender it will be, You can store the pork in a dry cooler with an old towel for 6-8 hours and it will still be hot. You can keep the meat thermometer in the pork to monitor the temp. you need to refrigerate the pork once it reaches 145 degrees F but it will take a long time to cool down that much

Nutrition