Oven Pulled Pork – Easy Recipes

For the Dry Rub: Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix well. After blending the spices together, massage them into the meat, shake off any excess. Place the pork butt on a roasting rack inside a roasting pan with the fat cap side up.

To Cook the Meat: Preheat the oven to 225 degrees F. Insert a remote digital thermometer into the fattest part of the roast but away from the bone. Roast uncovered so the outer crust will form a bark. Covering the roast causes the spices to become caked.

After about half of your cooking time is complete, start basting the meat. I use a vinegar based sauce and I do that about once an hour until the meat is fully cooked.

Some Guidelines: In order to be pulled, a pork butt must be cooked to an internal temperature of 195-205°F to break down the collagen in the meat.

FOR PULLED PORK: cook to 195-205°F

If you prefer sliced pork sandwiches as in some restaurants, you may cook the pork butt to a lower internal temperature. This endpoint can be used if you are running short on time or prefer sliced pork.

FOR SLICED PORK: cook to 180-185°F

How long will it take to cook a pork butt? As a rough estimate, figure 1-1/2 to 2 hours per pound based on the trimmed weight of an individual roast. For example, when cooking a roast weighing 8 pounds after trimming, the total cooking will be around 12-16 hours.

Remember, this is only an estimate—it may take more or less time, depending on the temperature of the butt at the start (fresh from the refrigerator or brought to room temperature), thickness of the pork butt, the amount of connective tissue that needs to be converted to gelatin, the temperature of the oven, and the number of times you open the oven for checking and basting (which lets the heat out.

When the meat finishes cooking, remove it from the oven and tent with foil for 15-20 minutes to allow it to rest and the juices redistribute before slicing or pulling the pork butt.