Picture this for Game Day: tender, smoky goodness so irresistible it practically melts in your mouth. Now, imagine taking smoked pork butt and transforming it into mouthwatering pulled pork on the Traeger grill. With our expert guidance, you'll master the art of achieving that perfect balance of smoky flavor and succulent tenderness with every batch you make.

How to Buy Pork Butt for Pulled Pork

A full pork butt can weigh between 8 and 20 pounds and has two halves: the pork butt and the picnic roast.

Pork butt (also sometimes called "Boston butt") is a well-marbled cut that comes from the top portion of a pig's front leg. It is sold with the bone-in (averaging 6-9 lbs.) or without the bone (averaging 5-8 lbs.).

A picnic roast (also sometimes called "picnic shoulder") comes from the lower part of the shoulder. A picnic roast usually has a thick layer of fat, which is good for making pork cracklings.

Which cut should you use for pulled pork? Our preferred cut is the pork butt (Boston Butt).

What about boneless vs. bone-in? When it comes to pulled pork, there's not much difference between bone-in and boneless smoked pork butt, though some say the bone adds more flavor. Having a bone in the meat helps retain moisture and flavor.

How Much Pork Do You Need?

Smoked pork butt goes a long way, but make sure to plan accordingly for large gatherings. Plan on about one-half pound per person for boneless. Be aware that there is significant shrinkage and waste and fat you discard when pulling the pork if you're doing bone-in. Count on approximately 30% loss.

1) Keep It Simple

Skip any marinades, injections, or brines for your smoked pork butt. The purpose of marinades and brines is to tenderize, moisturize, and flavor the meat, and slow-cooked pork shoulder is so tender, it's unnecessary. This cut of pork is moist enough that a good rub (you can't find a better rub pairing for smoking pork butt than our Traeger Perfect Pork rub) and the kiss of smoke, combined with the moisture provided by the internal fat and collagen, will make it taste wonderful.

2) Trim the Fat

Trim off most of the fat from the exterior of the meat but not all of it. Fat helps carry flavor and a little cooks up into a nice crisped bark.

3) Take the Time to Season Right

Cover the meat thoroughly with your favorite seasoning. We suggest our Perfect Pork Rub or Pork & Poultry Rub. Allow the seasoned meat to sit for at least a half hour to allow the salt and spices to penetrate; for deeper flavor, season it a day ahead and keep it refrigerated.

4) Enhance Flavor With Wood Pellets

The wood pellets you use for smoking the pork also enhance the flavor quite a bit. It’s hard to go wrong with using your favorite, but if you’re just getting into pellet grilling, a Signature Blend and Hickory will give your meat a full-bodied flavor. Check out our Wood Pellet Flavor Guide and learn what other flavors pair well with pork.

5) Use a Meat Thermometer

Pulled pork's best friend is a good meat thermometer. A leave-in thermometer, such as a MEATER wireless meat thermometer, keeps track of the meat's temperature in real-time, and you can check on it from your phone, this is the best option when your cook is hours long.

6) Keep It Low and Slow

Cooking temperature when smoking pork butt all depends on how much time you have to really work some love and smoke into that pork. If you have the time, 225°F is an excellent sweet spot for low-and-slow cooked pork butt. At this temperature, you can also use Super Smoke if your Traeger has that capability. You can cook it at 225°F for the entire time, or raise the smoked pork butt after a few hours of speed cooking along.

7) Plan for the Stall

The temperature of the pork rises steadily to 150°F and then hovers there for what feels like forever while the moisture moves to the surface and evaporates. Then, during what's known as the stall, the pork may hold between 150°F and 160°F for hours. At this point, you may want to wrap the pork in butcher paper or foil to help speed up the cooking a bit. You can also raise the temperature of the grill because if wrapped, the meat is no longer absorbing smoke.

8) Test for Doneness — Every Pork Butt Is Different

When is smoked pork butt ready? Depends on the size, your grill, and the weather. What you are looking for is fork-tender meat and an internal temperature between 195°F and 204°F. This can take up to 6-12 hours, so be sure to give yourself plenty of time.

While temperature is a good gauge, it can vary depending on where the thermometer was inserted. Try these tests to check for doneness:

If you are cooking a bone-in pork butt, use a glove or paper towel to protect your fingers and wiggle the bone. When the meat is cooked to tender, it should easily turn and come. This means she is done.

If you are smoking a boneless butt, insert a fork in the meat and try to rotate it. If it turns with only a little torque, your meat is done.

The color of your pork butt could be misleading. The exterior should look dark brown in color.

If the pork butt hasn't reached the desired internal temperature or isn't tender, close the lid and let it cook for another 30 minutes before you check again.

If it is still not tender enough, you may have a tough butt. Try wrapping it in aluminum foil and let it go for another hour. However, do not take it above 205°F or the muscle fibers will start giving up moisture and toughen.

9) Let It Rest (This Is Key)

When cooking large hunks of meat, a good rest is as important as a good cook. When you're smoking a pork butt, it's no different.

Let it rest at room temperature for at least 45 minutes and up to a couple of hours before shredding it. If. you're more than a few hours from mealtime, you can leave the meat on the Traeger with the heat off, or put it in the indoor oven and hold it there by dialing the temp down to about 170°F.

Make a faux Cambro using a tight plastic beer cooler. Leave the probe in the meat and wrap the hunk tightly in foil. Then wrap the foil with more towels, and put the whole thing in the cooler. Fill up the cooler with more towels, blankets, or newspaper to keep the meat insulated. Hang the thermometer cord over the lid of the cooler, and close it tightly. Make sure it never drops below 145°F (this technique will soften the bark and change the texture of the meat very slightly).

11) Don't Oversauce

It's easy to get carried away with one of our delicious barbecue sauces, but don't add so much that you can't taste the meat! Lastly, don't forget to ENJOY it. Part of the fun and the love is the slow process. So, grab a drink and enjoy the smoke.