How to Cook Pulled Pork

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cooked pulled pork sandwich

Pulled pork is one of the best dishes to feed large families or groups. It’s easy to make in large batches, isn’t complicated for beginners, and can be relatively budget-friendly—not to mention it’s completely delicious. Whether you want warm pulled park on a cold winter’s night or you’re preparing for an outdoor summer barbecue, pulled pork can fit into any meal plan.

Learn different ways to cook pulled pork, like with a smoker or using your stove top.

What’s the Difference Between Shredded Pork and Pulled Pork?

Shredded pork and pulled pork are often confused for one another, but they aren’t the same thing. Shredded pork usually refers to plain pork that you shred after cooking using forks. This is different from slicing the pork. You can shred pork easily after it’s been cooked long enough, allowing it to pull apart with the gentle tug of a fork. The shredding process breaks up fibers in the pork, making it delectably tender to eat.

Pulled pork is a type of shredded pork. Usually, it’s smoked or made in the slow cooker over several hours to help it achieve that level of tenderness needed for easy shredding. Then, pulled pork traditionally gets slathered in barbecue sauce to eat by itself or on a sandwich. 

To sum up: Shredded pork is what you get when you shred pork, and pulled pork is a doctored-up version of shredded pork.

The Best Cut of Pork for Pulled Pork

Pulled pork works best with pork cuts that have a decent amount of fat content. When that fat breaks down during the cooking process, the meat becomes tender enough for shredding after cooking. Pork shoulder fits the bill exceptionally. Pork shoulder can be anywhere from 8 to 16 pounds, an ideal size for feeding a large group. It has lots of meat and a good balance of fat that renders down well when cooking.

pork shoulder

With that said, many whole cuts of pork can work for pulled pork if you plan to use a low and slow cooking method like the slow cooker or smoker. These methods require several hours of cooking, which is plenty of time for the meat to tenderize. However, if you want a quicker cook on the stove top or in the oven, opt for pork shoulder for the best results.

Tips for Successful Pulled Pork

These tips will help you cook the pulled pork you’ve been craving:

  • Be careful with how much fat you trim: Some pork shoulders have more fat covering the outsides than others. It can be tempting to hack away at all the fat, but be careful about removing all of it. Taking off large chunks is fine, but you ideally want to leave some of that fat intact to flavor and tenderize the meat when cooking. 
  • Low temperatures are key: Pulled pork should be given plenty of time to cook. Leave this meal for a day when you have several hours to spare, as cooking at low temperatures is best for rendering fat and tenderizing the meat.
  • Use a heat-safe thermometer: Consider using a heat-safe thermometer when cooking pulled pork. You can keep it in the thickest part of the meat as it cooks in the oven, on the stove, or in the smoker—it’s not usually needed for a slow cooker—to monitor the internal temperature.
  • Give it time to rest: After cooking pulled pork, let it rest for 15-20 minutes before shredding it. During this time, the juices redistribute through the meat for added flavor and moisture. However, don’t allow too much resting time. You want the pork to stay at a food-safe temperature, and it’s easier to shred pork when it’s still warm.

How to Shred Pulled Pork

If you cook pulled pork long enough, you’ll have an easy time shredding it. 

After the meat cooks, place it on a large cutting board. Then, hold a fork in each hand. Starting on the outer edge of the pork, shred the meat with the forks by sticking the forks in the pork and pulling them away from each other. You should feel barely any resistance as you shred the meat. 

Keep moving down the rest of the meat to shred it using the same technique. Then, check through the meat for any chunks you may have missed and shred them with the forks. 

Rubs, Seasonings, Sauces, and Flavor Suggestions

Barbecue sauce is a go-to addition for pulled pork. If you want to use barbecue sauce, you can make your own or use your favorite bottled brand to add to the pork after shredding it. Be careful about overdoing it, though. Pulled pork should be just covered in sauce rather than dripping in sauce.

Before cooking your pork, use seasonings or a dry rub to flavor the meat. This is especially important when cooking pulled pork in the oven or in the smoker, as the seasonings allow the outside to crisp up. The crispiness acts as a barrier for the inner meat, locking in juices and moisture.

Here’s a simple dry rub you can use for pulled pork:

  • ½ cup dark brown sugar
  • 3 tbsp smoked paprika
  • 3 tbsp garlic powder
  • 2 tbsp onion powder
  • 1 tbsp chili powder
  • 1 tbsp salt
  • 1 tbsp black pepper
  • 1 tbsp dry mustard
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp celery salt

Mix the ingredients together. Then, spread a thin layer of barbecue sauce or mustard on the pork to help the spice rub adhere. Finally, spread the spice rub on all sides of the pork, using your fingertips to press the mixture into the meat. 

pulled pork dry rub

Methods of Cooking Pulled Pork

Pulled pork is most often cooked in a smoker or slow cooker, but you can also use your oven or stove top to make it. Here’s an overview of each technique.

How to Make Pulled Pork In the Slow Cooker

Season the pork with your choice of seasonings or dry rub. Then, slice an onion and place it at the bottom of the slow cooker. Set the pork on top of the sliced onion and pour 1 cup of root beer on top of the pork. Cook the pork in the slow cooker for 8 hours on low. When it’s ready, it should pull apart evenly with a fork.

Let the pork rest at room temperature for about 15 minutes before shredding. Then, add barbecue sauce if desired. 

How to Make Pulled Pork in the Oven

Oven cooking takes some time, but if you don’t mind heating up your kitchen for a few hours—this recipe is ideal for cold winter nights—oven-cooked pulled pork offers some delicious results.

Start by seasoning the pork as you’d like. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees and heat a skillet with one tablespoon of oil over medium-high heat. Sear the pork in the skillet for about 3-5 minutes on each side. Transfer the pork to an oven-safe dish with the fat side up. Pour barbecue sauce over the meat and cover it with aluminum foil. Place the dish in the oven and cook for 3-4 hours until fork tender.

Rest at room temperature for 15-20 minutes before shredding, and add more barbecue sauce to serve if you’d like. 

How to Make Pulled Pork In a Smoker

Smoking is ideal for pulled pork because it favors low-and-slow cooking and adds mouth-watering flavor to the pork. If you want the most tender and tasty pulled pork, smoking is the way to go.

Season your pork with your favorite dry rub after adding your choice of wood chips and preheating the smoker to 225 degrees. Place the pork fat side up in the smoker. Close the lid and cook until it reaches 190 degrees. Wrap the pork in foil and smoke for another hour or so until it reaches 200 degrees. Spritz with apple cider vinegar every hour while smoking.

Rest the meat in the foil for 15-20 minutes before shredding. Add barbecue sauce and serve.

How to Make Pulled Pork on the Stove Top

The stove offers the quickest way to cook pulled pork, so it’s a good method to turn to when you need dinner on the table faster. 

Start by seasoning the pork on all sides. Preheat a large pot over medium-high heat with one tablespoon of cooking oil. Sear the pork on both sides. Then, transfer the pork to a plate. Slice one onion and mince two cloves of garlic, and add them to the pot. Cook for 3-5 minutes until fragrant. Add the pork back to the pot on top of the onions and garlic. Pour one cup of vegetable stock over the pork and cook on low, covered, for 2-3 hours or until the pork is fork-tender.

Rest the pork at room temperature for 15 minutes before shredding it with two forks. Then, add barbecue sauce if you’d like before serving. 

Storing Leftovers and Freezing Pulled Pork

If you made a big batch of pulled pork and would like to save the leftovers, store the extra in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days. You can also freeze pulled pork for up to six months. Store it in batches in vacuum-sealed bags or quart-sized freezer-safe bags to keep it as fresh as possible. Avoid overfilling the bags. Instead, add just enough pulled pork so you can flatten each bag to lie flat in the freezer. This allows the meat to cool off quickly once stored to prevent bacterial growth.

Conclusion: How to Cook Pulled Pork

Try out a different cooking method each time you want to make pulled pork to decide which one you like best. Or switch between cooking methods depending on how much time you have to cook. Remember: Using the oven or stove doesn’t require as much time as smoking and slow-cooking, but the latter options usually result in the most tender and flavorful pulled pork.

Visit Steak University for more cooking tips and recipes.