Memphis Pulled Pork Recipe | Sweet & Smoky Dry Rub BBQ

Memphis pulled pork is a BBQ classic: sweet, smoky and covered in a deep bark formed over hours on the grate. Memphis BBQ Rub, with smoked paprika, brown sugar and black pepper, adds a seasoned crust to pork cooked until tender enough to pull.

What do you need?

  • 1.5–2 kg pork shoulder, such as Boston butt.
  • 50–65 g Memphis BBQ Rub.
  • BBQ or oven.
  • Butcher paper or aluminium foil.
  • Meat thermometer.

Preparation

Pat the shoulder dry with kitchen paper. Apply Memphis BBQ Rub generously to the top, bottom and sides. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours to overnight. A seasoned bark forms on the surface during cooking.

Want to order Memphis BBQ Rub? It is blended after your order, rather than taken from ready-mixed stock.

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3-Evening Pack: choose 3 rubs

Cooking on the BBQ: low and slow

  1. Set up the BBQ for indirect heat at 110–120°C.
  2. Place the shoulder on the grate, away from direct heat.
  3. Add a modest amount of cherry wood or hickory to taste. Keep the BBQ temperature stable.
  4. Let the bark develop. If cooking slows during the stall, you can wrap the meat in suitable butcher paper or foil once the crust is firm enough. Wrapping is optional; 70°C is not a mandatory threshold.
  5. Continue cooking and begin checking tenderness at about 90°C. The meat is often ready around 90–95°C, but a skewer or thermometer should slide into several places with almost no resistance.
  6. Rest for about 30–45 minutes before pulling. Total cooking time can vary considerably: allow plenty of time and judge by tenderness, not a fixed number of hours.

Cooking in the oven

  1. Preheat the fan oven to 120°C.
  2. Place the shoulder on a rack above a baking tray with a little water.
  3. Leave uncovered initially to form a crust. Then cover with foil if needed to limit further drying.
  4. Begin checking tenderness at about 90°C. The meat is often ready at 90–95°C, but the probe test is decisive. Allow several hours and leave flexibility in your schedule.
  5. Want a firmer crust? Remove the foil near the end and briefly increase the oven temperature if needed. Keep checking: the rub's sugar can burn.
  6. Rest for about 30–45 minutes, then pull with two forks.

The oven produces a seasoned crust, but without wood smoke it will not have the same smoky flavour as BBQ cooking.

Tips for pulled pork

  • The stall is normal. Its temperature and duration vary with the meat and cooking method.
  • Save the collected cooking juices and mix some into the pulled meat to taste.
  • Use two forks or heat-resistant tools to pull the hot meat.
  • Start with a little smoking wood: more smoke is not automatically better, particularly with strong hickory.

Serving

Serve in a brioche bun with coleslaw, or as a main course with grilled corn and baked beans. A light BBQ sauce on the side suits the sweet, smoky Memphis rub, but it also tastes good without sauce.

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Try the Memphis ribs recipe
Memphis BBQ Rub: flavour profile and tips
Explore more flavours with the Starter Pack

Learn more about BBQ techniques

Measuring internal temperature: a complete guide
Bark and smoke ring: what they are and how they form
The BBQ stall: causes, duration and options
Choosing smoking wood: hickory, apple, cherry and mesquite