Smoked Pulled Pork Recipe

This Smoked Pulled Pork recipe transforms a bone-in Boston butt into tender, juicy barbecue that’s seasoned with a bold homemade dry rub and slowly smoked over hickory or mesquite wood. Featured on License to Grill, this signature recipe from Rob Rainford delivers authentic barbecue flavor with melt-in-your-mouth pork that’s perfect for sandwiches, family gatherings, and backyard cookouts.

The Inspiration

Pulled pork is one of the defining dishes of classic American barbecue, particularly throughout the Carolinas, where pork shoulder is slowly smoked for hours over hardwood until it becomes so tender it effortlessly pulls apart with a fork. The long cooking process transforms a well-marbled cut of pork into succulent strands packed with smoky flavor.

On License to Grill, Rob Rainford embraces these authentic barbecue traditions while making them approachable for backyard grillers. Rather than relying on complicated equipment, he demonstrates how a standard gas barbecue and homemade wood-chip smoking packets can produce impressive results worthy of any barbecue enthusiast.

The recipe begins with a generous coating of a homemade dry rub featuring brown sugar, paprika, garlic, herbs, kosher salt, and spices that create a flavorful bark as the pork cooks. Hickory or mesquite wood provides layers of smoky aroma throughout the lengthy cooking process, while periodic basting with a tangy Hot Vinegar Based BBQ Sauce keeps the meat moist and enhances its classic Carolina-style flavor.

Ingredients

1 Boston Butt (bone in pork shoulder roast) 5-6 lbs, covered with a layer of fat ½ -1 inch thick
12 Fresh Sandwich buns
6 cups of Hickory or Mesquite (or a combination) wood chips
(if you prefer a lighter smokey flavour use half of the wood chips)

Dry Rub

1 cup of Brown sugar (250ml)
½ cup of Kosher Salt (125ml)
1/3 cup of Paprika (84ml)
¼ cup of Celery Salt (62ml)
2 tablespoons of Hickory Salt (30ml)
2 tablespoons of black Pepper (30ml)
4 teaspoons of Garlic Powder (20ml)
2 teaspoons of Thyme (10ml)
2 teaspoons of Coriander (10ml)
2 teaspoons of Marjoram (10ml)
2 teaspoons of Cayenne (10ml)
2 teaspoons of Dry Mustard (10ml)

Basting liquid

See hot vinegar base BBQ sauce

Method

Place the brown sugar on a baking sheet and spread it around so that there are no clumps. Let the sugar sit at room temperature for several hours. Turn and stir the sugar every 2-3 hours until it is dry.
Sift the now dried out sugar into a bowl. Add all the dry rub ingredients and mix together.
Put on a pair of rubber or plastic gloves to protect your hands from discolouring. Apply the rub to the pork with medium to light pressure. Rub the mixture into the pork and ensure that the entire surface is well spiced.
Place the pork butt into a large plastic bag to rest for 5 -8 hours.
Place 2 cups of the wood chips in water and soak for 1 hour.
Drain half (1 cup) of the wet wood chips and squeeze the excess water out. Spread them evenly on a large piece of tin foil. Place 2 cups of the dry wood chips on top and mix them together. Close the foil around the chips to make a sealed foil package. Use a fork and puncture holes in the top and bottom of the foil package to allow the smoke to flow through and infuse the meat.
When the pork has finished marinating, let it rest for approximately 30 minutes to bring it to room temperature. This will ensure that it cooks evenly.
Remove the grill top and place the wood chip package directly over high heat to the far side of the barbecue. Once smoke is visible, turn the heat down to a medium-low heat (220°C).
Place the pork on the opposite side of the grill from the smoke package. Use indirect heat to smoke the pork by ensuring that there is no direct heat under the meat. The only heat on should be the burner underneath the smoke package.
Close the lid and allow the pork to cook for 1 hour before opening the lid. After 1 hour, if you are using a baste (see hot vinegar base BBQ sauce) lift the lid and baste the meat quickly. Baste every 20-30 minutes.
If you would like a more intense smokey flavour on the pork, after two hours, build another smoke package using the remaining wet and dry wood chips and swap it for the now finished first package. If not, continue to cook over indirect heat for another 2 hours.
Continue to cook for the remaining 2 hours, basting every 20-30 minutes. The meat is done when the pork pulls away easily from the skin.

Serving Suggestions

This Smoked Pulled Pork is the centerpiece of any backyard barbecue and shines when served on soft sandwich buns topped with Cilantro Radish Relish, whose crisp vegetables and fresh herbs provide the perfect contrast to the rich, smoky pork. A drizzle of Hot Vinegar Based BBQ Sauce adds classic Carolina-style tang and keeps every bite juicy and flavorful.

To create a complete License to Grill inspired barbecue feast, pair the pulled pork with Smoky Southwestern Rice, grilled corn salad, tangy buttermilk potato salad, grilled asparagus, baked beans, creamy coleslaw, or grilled rosemary baby potatoes. The variety of textures and flavors creates a well-balanced meal that’s perfect for family gatherings, game-day parties, and summer cookouts.

Leftover pulled pork is equally versatile. Use it to fill tacos, quesadillas, baked potatoes, nachos, pizza, or mac and cheese, or layer it into wraps and grain bowls for easy lunches throughout the week. It also freezes exceptionally well, making it a great make-ahead recipe for entertaining.

Final Thoughts

This Smoked Pulled Pork recipe captures everything that makes authentic barbecue unforgettable—patience, quality ingredients, and layers of smoky flavor developed over hours of slow cooking. Rob Rainford’s recipe from License to Grill demonstrates that incredible barbecue doesn’t require professional equipment—just good technique, a flavorful dry rub, and plenty of time.

Find more recipes from License to Grill here!