Pulled pork is the ultimate low-and-slow payoff. A big, cheap, tough pork shoulder cooks for hours until it falls apart into juicy shreds. You can do it in the oven with results almost no one will be able to tell from a smoker, minus the smoke ring.
Pick the right cut
You want pork shoulder, sometimes labeled Boston butt or picnic. It is marbled with fat and connective tissue, which is exactly what you need for a long cook. A leaner cut would dry out. Bone-in adds flavor and helps you tell when it is done, since the bone wiggles free.
Rub and roast low
- Coat the shoulder generously with a dry rub of salt, brown sugar, paprika, and spices.
- Set it on a rack in a roasting pan and cook at 275 degrees.
- Plan on roughly an hour and a half per pound. This is not a weeknight project.
Cook to tender, not to a clock
The pork is done when it reaches around 200 degrees inside and a fork twists with no resistance. Do not pull it early. The magic happens in the last stretch when the collagen finally melts. Let it rest a good half hour, then shred it with two forks, discarding big lumps of fat. Mix the shreds with the juices from the pan and a little sauce, and pile it on soft buns with slaw.