Memphis-Style Pulled Pork

By
Derrick Riches
Derrick Riches
Derrick Riches
Derrick Riches is a grilling and barbecue expert. He has written two cookbooks.
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Updated on 11/27/19
Memphis-style pulled pork sandwich
Richard/Flickr
Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 8 hrs
Total: 8 hrs 20 mins
Servings: 6 to 8 servings
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
971 Calories
51g Fat
35g Carbs
91g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6 to 8
Amount per serving
Calories 971
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 51g 65%
Saturated Fat 18g 92%
Cholesterol 323mg 108%
Sodium 1856mg 81%
Total Carbohydrate 35g 13%
Dietary Fiber 2g 9%
Protein 91g
Calcium 148mg 11%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Memphis-style barbecue combines sweet, heat and savory. This recipe has both a rub and finishing sauce, perfect for a pulled pork sandwich.

Ingredients

  • 1 boneless pork butt (about 5 to 6 pounds/2.3 to 2.7 kilograms)
  • For Memphis Rub:
  • 2 tablespoons/30 milliliters paprika
  • 1 tablespoon/15 milliliters salt
  • 1 tablespoon/15 milliliters onion powder
  • 2 teaspoons/10 milliliters black pepper (fresh ground)
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons/7.5 milliliters cayenne
  • For Finishing Sauce:
  • 2 cups/475 milliliters ketchup
  • 2 cups/475 milliliters onion (chopped)
  • 1 cup/240 milliliters red wine vinegar
  • 2 cloves garlic (minced)
  • 1/4 cup/60 milliliters yellow mustard
  • 1/4 cup/60 milliliters brown sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon/2.5 milliliters Louisiana hot sauce

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. In a medium mixing bowl, combine rub ingredients into a paste. Coat pork shoulder with rub, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 1 hour.

  3. Preheat smoker and prepare for an 8-hour smoke. Make sure wood chips are soaked and drained before using them. Add charcoal and wood chips as necessary to keep the temperature low, or between 200 and 225 F/95 to 110 C. Smoke pork shoulder for about 8 hours or until internal temperatures reach 185 F/85 C.

  4. Once the pork is cooked, remove from the smoker. Wrap tightly in foil and allow to sit for an hour. While pork is resting, prepare finishing sauce. Blend together everything except the ketchup.

  5. Pour into a saucepan and add the ketchup. Simmer over low heat for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

  6. Unwrap pork butt and shred. Combine pork with 1/3 of the table sauce. Keep warm and serve on white bread buns with remaining sauce on the side. Top with coleslaw.

  7. Enjoy!