Start with your Boston pork butt. (You can make smoked pulled pork from similar cuts of meat like a whole pork shoulder or picnic shoulder, too. All are part of the same area on the pig. A Boston butt, however, will give you the most consistently delicious results with the least effort.) You want to find one that has good marbling and that is symmetrical. Go with a boneless cut for maximum ease.

Take the meat out of the package and rinse it off in the sink. Pat it dry with paper towels, set it on a cutting board and then flip it fat side up. Take a knife and score a diamond pattern into the fat cap. You want your cuts to be just through the fat cap and barely into the meat below.

Next, take your salt and rub it all over the meat on all sides. The meat should be well-coated with salt. Now, repeat with the pepper. If you’re in a hurry and want to reduce prep time, mix the salt and pepper together and rub it on. Let your meat sit at room temperature while your Silverbac wood pellet grill preheats to 225 degrees.

If you are in a hurry, go ahead and set the pit for 275 degrees. This will cut a couple of hours off the total time by cooking hotter and faster. You won’t have as much smoke penetration, but it still makes a tasty sandwich. Place your meat on the wood pellet grill grates with the fat cap up. Cook for at least 4 hours before you even crack the door on the pit.

If you are cooking at 275, it will be close to time to wrap at 4 to 5 hours. If you want more color while cooking at 225, go ahead and let your meat go for another 1 to 2 hours of cook time and then wrap. 

When wrapping, it is imperative that you create a solid seal. Pull 2 sheets of aluminum foil long enough to fully envelop your meat. Lay the butt in the center of the aluminum foil and wrap with the first sheet, crimp closed, and then repeat with the second sheet. You want a tight seal so you do not lose any of the rendered fat. Try not to move this foil pack around very much because the aluminum foil will split and make a huge mess on your grill.

Cook the butt another 2 hours and then start checking the internal temperature. Use a sharp, high quality meat thermometer like the Grilla Grills meat thermometer. You want an internal temperature of at least 195 degrees in all parts of the butt.

Once you reach the target internal temperature, very carefully remove the foil package from the Silverbac. You will want to use insulated gloves for this as the contents are scalding hot. If you are not in a hurry, place the foil packet in a pan and rest the meat in the oven with it off for a couple of hours. This will provide even more time for the meat to break down.

When you are ready to pull the meat, open up the packet and remove the meat. At this point, the meat should be more than fall-apart tender. You should be able to use insulated rubber gloves to mush the meat into small chunks and then take more time to properly pull. Once you have the meat pulled, place it all in a large bowl and then dump the AP Rub on the pile of meat. Then, add about 2 cups of the saved rendered fat.

Toss the meat well and serve with your favorite coleslaw or topped with a great vinegar BBQ sauce.