Step 1. Use a pork shoulder or butt. Bone in meat takes longer to cook but also has a richer flavor. Ours was about 3 pounds.
Step 2. Use whatever type of rub or marinade you like. We used a spicy mustard paired with a smoky dry rub. Our rub consisted of salt, pepper, garlic, smoked paprika, sweet paprika, thyme and sugar. Rub it all over the meat.
Step 3. For the oven method, place a layer of onion chunks and garlic cloves at the bottom of a dutch oven. Place your meat on top and add about a cup of water or broth. If you are using a bbq sauce, add about half of it now all over the pork. If you’re not using a bbq sauce, add a little apple cider vinegar.
Step 4. Set your Thermopro thermometer to 195-200 degrees Fahrenheit and place the probe in the thickest part of the meat.
Step 5. Cover the pot and place it in a 300 degree oven for about 3-3.5 hours, or until the internal temperature reaches the goal temperature you set on your Thermopro thermometer.
Step 6. Carefully remove the pot from the oven and remove the lid and the temperature probe. Your meat should be tender enough to shred apart with two forks. If it’s not, you can set the temperature to between 200-205 and place it back in the oven to keep cooking.
Step 7. After you shred the meat, coat it in your favorite bbq sauce or season with salt and pepper and enjoy it as is. If you’d like, you can also place the pot back into the oven uncovered and increase the oven temperature to 375 degrees for 10-15 minutes or so. This will help the pork absorb some of the remaining liquid and fat still in the pot.
Step 8. Serve your pulled pork along with your favorite sides. Eat it on a bun, serve with coleslaw, or in lettuce wraps.
Food Thermometers
