A complete guide to making the best pulled pork recipe using Smoked Pork Butt (Pork Shoulder). Learn the tips and steps for tender pulled pork on your smoker. Plus a full video tutorial on How to Smoke Pork Shoulder.
We have smoked A LOT of pork butts, which are also called pork shoulders. Hundreds of them for ourselves and for our catering business, Ember and Vine. And we are here to share all we have learned through experimentation, awards, and questions from our community. Follow this guide for the perfect smoked pulled pork flavor and texture.
Spritzing or spraying pulled pork with flavorful liquids during smoking helps keep the meat moist, tender and packed with taste. With so many options to choose from, it can be tricky deciding what to spray on your pork butt.
Below are 15 sensational spritzes that will take your pulled pork to the next level:
1. Apple Juice
Sweet and slightly tart, 100% apple juice makes an excellent base for pork spritzes. The natural sugars help caramelize the meat’s exterior while keeping the inside succulent For added flavor, mix in a splash of bourbon, apple cider vinegar or your favorite barbecue sauce.
2. Apple Cider Vinegar
Tangy apple cider vinegar is a pork smoking staple. The acetic acid tenderizes the meat while promoting bark formation through its sticky texture. Dilute with water or apple juice to balance the acidity.
3. Beer
Beer’s subtle bitterness and effervescence make it a unique spritz for pork. Lagers, amber ales, wheat beers and IPAs all work well. The carbonation helps the smoke penetrate the meat. For bolder flavor, use a dark stout or porter.
4. Fruit Juices
Beyond apple, try tropical fruit juices like pineapple, mango or orange to lend pulled pork a touch of sweetness The natural enzymes also help break down the meat’s tough connective tissues Mix with vinegar for balance.
5. Brine or Marinade
Upcycle leftover brine or marinade from prepping the pork into a flavor-packed spray. This technique amplifies any seasonings used to cure the meat beforehand.
6. Broth or Stock
Chicken, beef or vegetable broth make excellent savory spritzes Swap water for broth when diluting sauces or juices to add an extra layer of umami flavor
7. Booze
Alcohol like bourbon, tequila, rum or wine add sweetness and complexity. For safety, dilute with water or juice. The sugars and acids boost browning and tenderization.
8. Coffee
A spritz of coffee concentrate or cold brew adds earthy, roasty notes to pulled pork. Brew coffee strong, then mix with apple juice and spices like chili powder, cumin or cinnamon.
9. Cola
The sugars, citric and phosphoric acids in cola make it an excellent tenderizing spritz. Mix with apple juice or cider vinegar. Sprinkle on dry rub after spraying to help it adhere.
10. Dr. Pepper
Similar to cola, Dr. Pepper blends sweet, tangy and spicy flavors for a one-of-a-kind spritz. Reduce with apple juice or vinegar first to prevent overwhelming your pork.
11. Fruit Preserves
Jams, jellies, chutneys and marmalades make deliciously sticky, sweet spritzes. They promote delicious bark formation through their high sugar content.
12. Honey
Sweet honey keeps pork tender and encourages browning. Dilute with apple juice or vinegar first. Try flavored honeys like orange blossom or wildflower for extra kick.
13. Maple Syrup
Maple syrup gives pulled pork a touch of woodsy sweetness. Mix with mustard or hot sauce to balance the sweet profile.
14. Vinegars
Beyond ACV, vinegars like balsamic, red wine, rice wine and sherry add tangy complexity to pork spritzes.
15. Sauces and Condiments
BBQ sauce, hot sauce, mustard, ketchup, salad dressing and other condiments all make unique spritzes when diluted. Get creative with your favorite flavors.
The possibilities for tasty pork spritzes are endless. Avoid spritzing too early to allow the rub to set. Then, spritz every 30-45 minutes once bark has formed until wrapping the pork. A few sprays per session are sufficient. With so many options, you can give your pulled pork next-level flavor.
Pork Butt Dry Rub Ingredients:
- Brown Sugar (you can use dark or light)
- Kosher Salt
- Coarse Black Pepper
- Cumin
- Paprika
- Dry Mustard
- Cayenne
Just mix all ingredients in a large bowl. You can season the day of, or the day before. If you have time, do it the day before. That way, you can put the shoulder in the fridge until you’re ready to smoke it.
What is Pork Shoulder (Pork Butt)
Pork Butt is a dense muscle from the shoulder of the pig (not the actual butt). The characteristics of the shoulder include pockets of intramuscular fat that are elongated and stringy. There is another important muscle inside the shoulder. It is called the pork collar, or “money muscle” in battle barbecue.
When cut in different ways, the shoulder can be called different names. It can also have bones in it or not. We prefer bone-in pork shoulder for smoking because it gives a more uniform shape.
- Whole pork shoulder: This is usually a 12–14-pound pork shoulder that includes the shoulder itself, just off the spine, and the top part of the leg, or picnic.
- Picture of a picnic: the lower part of the shoulder and the bone in the upper leg This is easy to spot because it has a triangular shape that points down toward the leg. These average 6 – 8 pounds.
- The shoulder that has been split off from the picnic is called Boston Butt or Pork Butt. This cut is typically 6 – 8 pounds. Still, the butt is the shoulder. It’s not the same thing as the ham, which is the back of the pig.
- Cuts in Parts: Sometimes, grocery stores will already cut pork shoulders into 3–4-pound pieces. We do not recommend using these for smoking.
- Boneless – Any of these cuts can be boneless. The butcher only takes out the bone and may use butcher string to tie the pork shoulder together.
Tip from the Butcher: If you see the word “Roast” on pork shoulder, make sure it’s not pork loin. Pork Loin is a separate cooking process. The cuts should be between 3 and 4 pounds. Ask the butcher if they have a whole shoulder or Boston Butt that hasn’t been trimmed. Often they have them and you can trim them yourself.
Smoking pork shoulder low and slow is the best way to cook it because the fat burns slowly.
- Silicone Gloves: These are fantastic when working with hot meat. You can also put them in the dishwasher to make sure they are always clean and safe. There are different kinds of silicone gloves, but we only use these.
- Pork Puller: This pork puller makes it quick and easy to cook a lot of pork butts for a big group. You just put it on your drill like a drill bit and pull it off. So easy and so awesome to make smoked pulled pork!.
- Being able to read the temperature of a large piece of meat like a pork butt is very important. It’s important to have a good thermometer because every change we make is based on a temperature. It has two-zone tracking, and we use a Thermoworks Smoke Unit. At the end of the cooking process, we use a Thermoworks Thermapen One to check the meat for doneness.
- Aluminum Foil or Pink/Peach Butcher Paper for wrapping.
- We use a culinary injector to put the meat through a process and a food-safe spray bottle for a spritz.
How to Smoke Pork Butt / How to Make Pulled Pork Recipe
FAQ
What should I spritz my pulled pork with?
What is the best liquid to keep pulled pork moist?
What is the best thing to put on pulled pork?
What is the best liquid for pork shoulder?
How do you spray a pork butt?
Discover the meat science behind it and get our easy BBQ spray recipe today. Pour both the water and apple juice into a food-safe spray or spritz bottle. Shake well. Once your pork butt has started to develop a bark (usually about 3 hours into the smoke), lightly spritz the pork.
What is a good spritz for pulled pork?
Apple cider vinegar or apple juice are the most common spritz used for pulled pork, but you can use your imagination. Aaron Franklin sometimes uses hot sauce mixed with water. When making a spritz, be careful not to put large herbs and spices into the spritz bottle. Large spices may get caught in the nozzle and block the spray bottle.
How do you Spritz a pork butt?
For the spritz liquid, use apple cider vinegar, or apple juice in a spray bottle. Continue wetting the surface of meat before wrapping in foil. Before closing the wrapping, give the pork one last spritz. During the first few hours, you don’t need to spritz your pork butt.
Can You Spray a pork butt in a smoker?
Don’t spray your pork butt right away. Instead, wait 3 hours into your smoke to allow the pork to get a head start and through the barbecue stall, as well as allowing the pork to absorb smoke flavor and allow the dry rub to adhere to the surface. To start spritzing: Open your smoker and spray the meat enough that it is visibly moist.