Pork Butt Smoked Like a Whole Hog
Learn how to make whole hog-style pulled pork on a pellet grill with a salt-seasoned pork butt smoked low and slow until the bark turns dark.
Pork Butt Smoked Like a Whole Hog
This recipe comes from Matt Pittman, CEO of Meat Church BBQ, YouTube personality, and friend of Montana Knife Company.
12
15 minutes
12 hours
450
American BBQ
Dinner
Whole hog pulled pork is the gold standard of American BBQ, but you don’t need a 200-pound pig or a cinder block pit to get there. This whole hog-style pulled pork recipe takes a bone-in pork butt, seasons it with nothing but salt, and smokes it low and slow on a pellet grill for 12 hours until the bark turns dark and the meat falls apart.
Once the pork butt comes off the smoker, you toss the Carolina pulled pork in a tangy vinegar sauce and mix in crushed pork rinds (chicharrones) that mimic the crispy skin from a whole hog cook.
Ingredients
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1 bone-in pork butt (8–10 lbs.)
Iodized salt
Pecan and cherry wood pellets
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1 cup apple cider vinegar
- 3/4 cup your favorite hot sauce (I use Texas Pete’s)
2 tsp. red pepper flakes
- 1 Tbsp. your favorite steak seasoning (I use Meat Church Blanco)
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Crushed pork rinds (chicharrones)
Hamburger buns
Directions
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- Score the fat side of the pork butt in a one-inch diamond pattern using a clean, sharp knife. Cut deep enough to penetrate the fat cap, but don’t slice into the meat itself. Take your time with the crosshatch pattern; a steady hand and a sharp edge make all the difference.
Season all sides of the pork butt liberally with iodized salt. Let the salt adhere for 15 minutes before placing the butt on the smoker.
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Set your pellet grill to 250°F and load it with pecan and cherry wood pellets. Place the scored, salted pork butt directly on the grate, fat side up.
- Smoke the pork butt for 12 hours. Don’t spritz, don’t wrap, and don’t open the lid more than you have to. This whole hog-style pulled pork builds its bark and flavor from salt and smoke alone, and the hands-off approach is what makes the pulled pork taste like authentic whole hog BBQ.
The pork butt is done when a probe slides into the thickest part with zero resistance, right around 203°F internal temperature.
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Whisk together the apple cider vinegar, hot sauce, red pepper flakes, and steak seasoning in a medium bowl. This Carolina vinegar pulled pork sauce brings the sharp, tangy heat that defines whole hog BBQ in the Carolinas. Taste the sauce and adjust the pepper flakes up or down to match your heat preference.
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- Let the pork butt rest for 15–20 minutes after pulling it off the smoker. Pull the meat into small pieces by hand or with two forks. As you pull, discard the bone and trim away large pockets of fat or connective tissue with a freshly sharpened knife.
Fold three-quarters of the Carolina vinegar sauce into the pulled pork. Toss in a few handfuls of crushed pork rinds and mix them through the meat. The pork rinds add that crunchy, crispy texture that imitates the skin from a real whole hog cook.
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Pile a generous handful of the sauced whole hog pulled pork onto a hamburger bun. Drizzle a little extra vinegar sauce on top and finish with a few more crushed pork rinds for crunch.
