Memphis Style Pulled Pork Recipe

Trim and dry-brine

Trim excess silver skin from the pork shoulder, leaving a thin fat cap (about 1/4 inch) to render while cooking. Pat the pork dry with paper towels. Combine 2 tbs kosher salt and 2 tbs brown sugar and rub evenly over the entire roast. Place the pork on a tray, cover loosely, and refrigerate uncovered for 4–12 hours to dry-brine (overnight preferred) to improve seasoning penetration and bark formation.

Make the rub

In a bowl, thoroughly mix the packed dark brown sugar, 1 cup sweet paprika, 2 tbs black pepper, 1 tbs kosher salt, garlic powder, onion powder, dry mustard, cayenne, ground cumin, and smoked paprika until even. Break up any brown sugar lumps with a fork.

Apply the rub

Remove the pork from the refrigerator and blot any surface moisture. Generously apply the dry rub all over the pork, pressing it into the surface to form an even coat. Let the rubbed pork sit at room temperature for 30–60 minutes while you prepare the smoker so the rub adheres and the meat starts to warm slightly.

Prepare smoker for low-and-slow cooking

Set up your offset smoker, kamado, or charcoal grill for indirect smoking. Light 6–8 cups of lump charcoal and bank coals to one side leaving an indirect zone. Once coals are hot and covered with gray ash, add 2 pecan and 2 black cherry wood chunks on top of the coals to begin producing smoke. Stabilize the smoker to maintain a cooking temperature of 225°F (107°C) ± 10°F.

Set up mop

Combine 2 cups apple juice, 1 cup apple cider vinegar, 2 tbs Worcestershire sauce and 1 cup water in a spray bottle or small pot. Keep this mop/spray handy to spritz the pork every 45–60 minutes during the first 4–6 hours (or when the surface looks dry) to maintain moisture and add subtle flavor without washing away the rub.

Smoke the pork

Place the rubbed pork on the indirect side of the smoker fat side up, with a drip pan beneath if desired. Insert a probe thermometer into the thickest part of the shoulder, avoiding bone. Close the lid and smoke at 225°F. For a 6 lb shoulder expect roughly 1.25–1.5 hours per pound; plan for 8–9 hours but monitor by internal temperature. Every 45–60 minutes spritz lightly with the mop mixture to keep the surface from drying and to build bark. Add more wood chunks as needed to maintain a steady thin blue smoke.

Wrap (optional) — the Texas crutch variation

When the pork reaches an internal temperature of 155–165°F and the stall begins (the temperature stalls and the bark development is set), remove it briefly and wrap tightly in two layers of heavy-duty aluminum foil or butcher paper with 1–2 tbs butter and a small splash (2–3 tbs) of the mop mixture inside to help push through the stall and retain moisture. Return to the smoker and continue cooking.

Finish to tenderness

Continue cooking until the internal temperature reaches 200–205°F and the meat feels very tender when probed (probe should slide in like warm butter with little resistance). This is typically the point where collagen has broken down and the pork can be pulled easily.

Rest and pull

Carefully remove the pork from the smoker. If wrapped, let it rest wrapped for 30–60 minutes to allow juices to redistribute. Unwrap, reserve any juices, and transfer the pork to a large cutting board. Using two forks or meat claws, shred the pork into large and small pieces, mixing in reserved juices and optionally 2 tbs butter and 2 tsp apple cider vinegar to add gloss and balance sweetness.

Adjust seasoning and sauce

Taste and adjust — add a little additional kosher salt, vinegar, or the optional Memphis vinegar-pepper sauce as desired. Keep warm until service (in a low oven ~200°F or in an insulated pan).

Serve

Pile pulled pork onto buns, top with pickles if desired, and serve with extra sauce on the side. Leftovers keep well refrigerated for 3–4 days or frozen up to 3 months.