2 Videos | Photo: Pulled Pork Recipe
Ingredients
Brine:
- 8 ounces or 3/4 cup molasses
- 12 ounces pickling salt
- 2 quarts bottled water
- 6 to 8 pound Boston butt
Rub:
- 1 teaspoon whole cumin seed
- 1 teaspoon whole fennel seed
- 1 teaspoon whole coriander
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 1 tablespoon paprika
Directions
Video: Watch Alton make this recipe
Combine molasses, pickling salt, and water in 6 quart Lexan. Add Boston butt making sure it is completely submerged in brine, cover, and let sit in refrigerator for a minimum of 8 hours. 12 hours is ideal.
Place cumin seed, fennel seed, and coriander in food grinder and grind fine. Transfer to a small mixing bowl and stir in chili powder, onion powder, and paprika.
Remove Boston butt from brine and pat dry. Sift the rub evenly over the shoulder and then pat onto the meat making sure as much of the rub as possible adheres. More rub will adhere to the meat if you are wearing latex gloves during the application.
Preheat smoker to 210 degrees F. Place butt in smoker and cook for 10 to12 hours, maintaining a temperature of 210 degrees F. Begin checking meat for doneness after 10 hours of cooking time. Use fork to check for doneness. Meat is done when it falls apart easily when pulling with a fork. Once done, remove from pot and set aside to rest for at least 1 hour. Pull meat apart with 2 forks and serve as sandwich with coleslaw and dressing as desired.
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By RosiesMother
Seattle, WA
on April 22, 2013
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Unbelievable beyond words! Followed to a tee; didn't have enough sweet paprika but added Hungarian paprika. Brined in bulk pickling spice from Central Market; rubbed spice mixture into pork and wrapped in Saran Wrap overnight. Cooked 3+lb shoulder at 250 for 5 hrs 15 mins in cast iron skillet (no oil, uncovered. Took out of oven and had coat on/keys in hand to get buns for sandwich...then just kept cutting pork at the counter and scarfing it down- ate unadorned-never made it to grocery for that sandwich bun. Made extra rub for chicken breasts on the BBQ (will brine, wrap and slow cook as it is soooo worth the effort.
By Smelucci
Leominster, MA
on November 18, 2012
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Wow. Ten hours is a long time to leave anything to chance, glad I followed much of the advice given here. Used my Brinkman cabinet and smoked two Boston Butts - one 5.5 and one 3.5. Used the longer brine - same molasses and pickling salt but 3 quarts of water. Brined 12 hours. Rinsed, dry, then only the amount of rub noted in recipe. Into smoker for 6 hours at low heat. Then I followed suggestions here and wrapped the two pieces for the remaining 4 hours. I didn't wrap it tightly for one piece - definitely should have. But I'll tell you- came out so great. Will likely need to make this again for upcoming poker game!
By lnmaurer
Madison, WI
on November 05, 2012
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This is the first time I've made pulled pork, and while by socks are still on, it's some tasty BBQ. I used AB's patented terra cotta pot method, and it was a lot of fun, although I need to modify it for better temperature control.
WRT salt, there are a lot of variables at work, so it might be useful to provide some more info. I had a 9.2lbs butt, used 12oz in 2qt water, and brined it for 13 hours. The outside meat was definitely on the salty side, but wasn't an issue when mixed with the inner meat.
It might be useful to check out the Good Eats BBQ special ("Right on Q" which has an updated pulled pork recipe. IIRC, it recommends 12oz salt in 3qt water (instead of 2qt, 225F in the smoker, finishing it in the oven, and applying a little hot sauce for service. IMHO, some Crystal hot sauce is perfect, a little heat with some nice tang.
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