Mesquite BBQ Shares Their Popular Pulled Pork Recipe

Texas holds the best reputation for barbecue. From the wood-burned meat to the savory sauce and spicy dry rubs, Texans take barbecue seriously, especially in Mesquite. Few things top the experience of going out to one of Mesquite’s many barbecue restaurants for slow-smoked brisket or pulled pork. However, as we all are spending more time cooking at home, the owners of Mesquite BBQ want to help bring the experience to your dinner table with the recipe for their popular pulled pork.

Mesquite BBQ is family owned and operated, and has been since 1959, making it the oldest restaurant in Mesquite. It is also the home of the original Oyler Barbecue pit, a revolutionary invention for barbecue across the globe. Dustin and Melanie Palmer are third-generation owners and use the same 60-year-old methods to cook all their meats, but do not worry; follow the steps below to create excellent tasting barbecue in your home.

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.