Pulled Pork on a Traeger Grill
Pulled pork is most commonly prepared by smoking a pork shoulder, also referred to as a Boston butt or a picnic roast. Traeger pulled pork is the best way to go about cooking this pork cut from the upper shoulder portion of the pig or hog.
Servings: 4
Calories: 168kcal
Equipment
- A sharp chef’s knife
- Paper towels
- Large, disposable foil roasting pan or a large baking dish
- 2 small bowls
- Plastic wrap
- Traeger pellet grill
- Fruit or hickory wood pellets
- Probe meat thermometer
- A spray bottle
- Clean cutting board
- Aluminum foil
- 2 large forks for shredding or meat claws
Ingredients
- 8 pound bone-in pork shoulder roast
- 5 TBS wet yellow mustard
- 2 TBS blackstrap molasses
- 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 3 TBS coarse sea salt
- 2 TBS smoked paprika
- 1 TBS onion powder
- 1 TBS garlic powder
- 1 TBS freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 tsp ground cayenne pepper
- Unfiltered apple cider vinegar (ACV) in a spray bottle
Instructions
- Place the roast on a clean cutting board.
- If your butcher has not trimmed the fat cap, use your sharp knife to trim most of the fat off, leaving a 1/4 inch thick layer.
- Rinse the trimmed roast under cold running water and pat completely dry with plenty of paper towels.
- Place the roast inside a disposable roasting pan or large baking dish.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the mustard and molasses.
- In another bowl, combine all of the dried spices.
- Using your hands, rub the entire roast well with the mustard and molasses to coat.
- Generously apply the dry rub, pressing it into the mustard and molasses, to completely cover the shoulder.
- Cover the pan tightly with plastic wrap.
- Place the pan in the refrigerator for 8 to 12 hours, or overnight.
- 45 to 60 minutes before you preheat the grill, remove the roast from the refrigerator so that it can come to room temperature.
- After it has rested for an hour, remove the wrap and discard all of the accumulated liquid in the bottom of the pan.
- Thoroughly wash or discard the pan after the roast goes on the grill.
- Fill the hopper with wood pellets.
- Line the drip tray with aluminum foil for easier cleanup.
- Turn the smoker on with the top open until a flame is established, approximately 5 minutes.
- Close the grill top and set the temperature to 225˚F.
- Allow the grill to heat up for 10 to 15 minutes.
- Be mindful that you may have to put more pellets in the hopper throughout the day, so check for smoke approximately every 2 hours.
- Place the roast on the largest rack of the smoker.
- It is possible that you will have to remove the upper rack so it will fit.
- Insert the attached probe thermometer in the thickest portion of the shoulder.
- Close the top and smoke for approximately 8 hours.
- Every 2 hours, spray some ACV on the roast to moisten it.
- It is okay to rotate the roast to get at all sides.
- At 8 hours, check the internal temperature of the meat with the thermometer.
- You also want a caramelized exterior shell, fondly referred to as the bark.
- While the pork is smoking, make a barbecue sauce and cole slaw.
- Or, use your favorite jarred barbecue sauce.
- Remove the cooked roast to a clean cutting board and cover with foil until it is cool enough to handle.
- This may take up to an hour. You want to be able to remove the bone without burning yourself.
- Once the pork has cooled enough to touch, remove the bone and shred the meat into thin strands using meat shredding claws or forks to pull the meat apart.
- Place the pulled pork on a large serving platter with some tongs for everyone to help themselves.
- Serve with sliced Kaiser rolls, slaw, pickles, and sauce for sandwiches.
Nutrition
Serving: 100g | Calories: 168kcal