Getting Your Smoker Ready
As stated previously, Mesquite BBQ cooks all their meats on the original Oyler Barbecue pit, but feel free to use any smoker for cooking your pork. If you are using a wood-burning smoker, try hickory wood for the traditional Mesquite BBQ flavor. Set your temperature on your smoker to 250 degrees to cook your pork. If you are using a wood-burning smoker, it is crucial to keep your temperature up, so remember to add wood periodically to prevent the heat from dropping on your smoker.
Cooking Your Pork
Cooking a full-sized pork butt will take between 8 to 14 hours, depending on the size and smoker you are using. Remove the pork from the smoker when the internal temperature is at least 195 degrees. The preferred temperature is 205 degrees to ensure that the meat pulls right off the bone. Let your pork sit until the internal temperature is 160 degrees.
Pulling Your Pork
Now it is time to pull your pork. Take the bone out and pick off any big chunks of fat or burnt pieces of skin. Pulling pork can be easy with the right technique. Using two forks face down while pulling the meat apart is a tried and true shredding method but can be tedious. Other suggested methods include using bear paw meat claws, a potato masher or a hand mixer.
Adding Flavor
After pulling, chop up the pork to make it easier to mix your ingredients and easier to eat as well. Separate your pork into two different pans with 2 ½ to 3 pounds of pork in each pan. Because pork is bland, add the ingredients below to put on the final Mesquite BBQ touches.
- 1 tablespoon of garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon of salt
- 1 tablespoon of pepper
- 2 cups of barbecue sauce, preferably from Mesquite BBQ (which you can purchase).
- 2 cups of water
Once you have added all your items, stir everything up, cover with a sheet of foil and place in the oven at 275 degrees for 30 minutes. When you take the pan out of the oven, stir your pulled pork and serve any way you like. You can make sandwiches, throw your pork on a potato or make tacos. The options are endless for weeknight dinners.