Pulled pork is a great, easy meal, without intimidation

By Bob Kowalski

Mansfield Record

As summer drifts away -- despite the temperatures -- it's a great time to get outside the kitchen and prepare a meal low and slow on the smoker. And one of the easiest meals to cook that way is pulled pork.

Cooking on a smoker can appear intimidating, but you can easily succeed from your first effort. A pork shoulder or pork butt can provide enough for an end-of-summer party, or a great family-size meals with enough for leftover sandwiches later in the week. It also can be served in a variety of ways: straight on a plate, on sandwiches, tortillas or on nachos. I've even seen pulled pork mixed in queso.

‍

There are no mathematics involved in smoking (or grilling, or barbecuing). It's an artform that stirs as much debate as religion or politics. Get a group together to talk about it, and you're not liable to find many, if any, on the same page.

All backyard chefs have their own methods, but I'll share mine that's repeatedly turned out delicious and highly praised pulled pork.

I use my 26-inch Weber kettle grill because it's always accessible on our patio, it's easy to set up and clean, and it's versatile enough for burgers and brats for a quick meal, or a longer cook like a pork butt. You'll also need a meat thermometer, which can be bought for as little as $10 or high-tech enough to cost hundreds of dollars.

First, I prepare the seven-pound pork with a rub to create a flavorful bark. This can be done as early as 24 hours before your planned cook (keep the pork covered in the refrigerator if you're doing this), or while the coals are heating up. My rub is a mix of coarse salt, ground pepper, garlic salt and brown sugar. Paprika, cumin, chili powder or any of your other favorite spices work, too. Some use a binder like mustard or olive oil, or even mayonnaise, to hold the rub, but I usually pat dry with paper towels and apply the rub directly.

My coals are set in a 2-by-1 snake around the edge of the grill. That is, two briquets on the bottom row, topped by one, with a few small pieces of oak placed randomly on the first half of the snake. I usually run the snake about 90 percent around the grill, knowing that if my cook ends before the charcoal, I can simply pull the unlit briquets. I light about five or six briquets in a chimney to start the snake.

In a drip pan that will sit below the pork, I add water and apple juice. That ensures moisture inside the grill and makes cleanup far easier.

I let the coals heat to about 250 degrees; I'll keep the cook between 250-275. Once they're at temp, I'll open the lid and place the pork on the center of the grill, and close the lid again. From there, I'll use the vents to maintain the temp. It usually doesn't require much oversight, which can depend on outside temp, the size of your pork butt, the size of your grill and the quality of your charcoal. A good rule of thumb is an hour to  1 1/2 hours per pound.

After about six hours, I'll check the meat's internal temperature. If it's near 160 degrees, I'll wrap it in foil (I don't keep butcher paper in the house, but that's probably a preferred choice). That will keep the meat cooking without drying out and get it past what's called "the stall," when smoking meat slows down despite a consistent cook.

If you're planning on sliced pork, you're almost there. Any time the internal temp passes 150 degrees, you're good. If you're aiming for pork that's easy to shred, let it go for another hour at least. It will be ready to pull apart at about 180 degrees, and easier at any temp up to about 205. The last time I smoked pork, I moved it from smoker to a crockpot on low with apple juice for about an hour. That softens and flavors it even more.

From there, serving the meal is up to you. And feel free to let your guests think that you spent half the day laboring over the main course.

‍