Best Pellet Smoked Pulled Pork Kansas City Style Recipes

EASY SMOKY BBQ PULLED PORK

Steps:

• Preheat your smoker. You want your smoker running at 275 degrees for this recipe. You can use your favorite hardwood for flavor, but I recommend apple, cherry, or maple.
• Trim your pork shoulder. Use a sharp knife to remove some of the fat cap on top of the pork shoulder. You want about 1/8th inch of fat left on top of the shoulder. I don't generally remove the fat cap, but with this higher heat cooking process and the foil wrap (read on for that step), I wanted to remove excess fat now.
• Season your pork shoulder. Use your favorite BBQ seasoning and shake on all sides of the pork shoulder. I am using my Signature Sweet Rub (you can find the recipe HERE or purchase your own bottle HERE).
• Smoke the pork. Place your seasoned pork shoulder on the grates of your smoker, close the lid, and smoke at 275 degrees F until the pork reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F. This process typically takes about 4.5-5 hours for an 8-pound shoulder.
• Wrap your pork shoulder. Using Reynolds Wrap® Heavy Duty Foil, wrap your pork shoulder tightly with a healthy drizzle of 3/4 cup of your favorite BBQ Sauce. The thick layer of Heavy Duty Foil will keep all of the moisture and the heat in the pork shoulder during the last phase of the cooking process.
• Finish cooking the pork. Place the tightly wrapped pork shoulder back on the smoker at 275 degrees F and cook until an internal thermometer reads at least 200 degrees F in the thickest part of the shoulder. You want the thermometer to slide into the meat easily with very little resistance. Every pork shoulder is different and yours might not be super tender until 203 or even 205 degrees F. This wrapped cooking phase typically takes 90 minutes, to 2 hours.
• Rest the finished pork. When your pork shoulder is nice and tender, turn off the smoker and transfer the foil-wrapped pork shoulder to a baking pan or dish. Allow the roast to rest at room temperature in the foil for at least 30 minutes, or up to an hour.
• Shred your BBQ Pulled Pork. Unwrap the pork shoulder and allow all of the extra moisture in the foil to drip into the baking dish. Use forks or meat shredder claws to shred apart the pork and discard any gristle or chunks of remaining fat. Toss the pulled pork with the juices in the pan.

KANSAS CITY PULLED PORK

Steps:

• Trim most of the visible fat from the outside of the pork butt leaving about 1/8- to 1/4-inch layer of fat on top. Place pork on baking pan. Rub all over with Sweet and Smoky Rub. Cover with plastic wrap. Let stand at room temperature 1 hour.
• Prepare grill for indirect medium-low heat (250°F to 325°F). Preheat grill by turning all burners to high. Turn burner on 1 side to medium-high. Turn off burner(s) on other side. Carefully place foil pan under grates on unlit side of grill to catch drippings. Place pork, fat-side up, on unlit side of grill. Close grill.
• Grill about 6 hours until internal temperature of thickest part of pork butt is 165°F. Carefully remove pork from grill and wrap in foil.
• Return pork to grill, placing it back on unlit side. Grill 1 to 2 hours longer or until internal temperature is 195°F to 200°F or until meat is tender and bone twists easily.
• Remove pork from grill. Let stand 15 to 20 minutes. Slice or shred with 2 forks. Serve with warm pan juices or your favorite barbecue sauce, if desired.
• Smoking Tip: Soak 1 cup hickory wood chips in enough water to cover for 1 hour. Drain. Fill smoker box with wet wood chips. (If your grill does not have a smoker box, place wood chips on a large sheet of heavy duty foil. Fold up sides to form a pouch. Poke several holes in foil.) Place smoker box under grill grates on one side of grill. Close lid. Continue as directed on Step 2. The side of the grill with the smoker box should be the lit side. Refill the smoker box with fresh wet wood chips every 1 1/2 to 2 hours.