Tired of the same sweet pulled pork recipe? Then you have to try this Beer Injected Pulled Pork recipe. With a homemade beer BBQ sauce, this needs to be a summer staple. What’s better than BBQ and beer? Yeah I thought so! It’s juicy, tender and savory. Everything you want in a BBQ sandwich.
For more deliciously juicy pork recipes check out a fan favorite the Dr. Pepper Pulled Pork recipe or my favorite fatty, tender and flavorful maple bourbon pork belly burnt ends.
What is Classic Pulled Pork?
A classic pulled pork recipe consists of any pork meat smoked low and slow until the meat is tender enough to easily shred. Usually mixed with BBQ sauce, this recipe is an American BBQ classic. When done right, the tender and flavorful meat just melts in your mouth.
Traditionally pulled pork is made from the pork shoulder or pork butt. Both are the same cut of meat. The word “butt” comes from the colonial era when butchers would pack less desirable cuts of pork, like the shoulder, into large barrels called “butts” for storage.
A bone-in pork shoulder is the ideal cut of pork to make pulled pork because of it’s shape. An even cube, that cooks evenly on the grill for hours. Stay away from the boneless ones.
The pork shoulder is a very large cut of meat ranging anywhere from 7-10 lbs. It is also a cheaper cut because of all the fattiness making it very economical since 1 shoulder can feed 10+ people and makes meals for days.
Ingredient List for Beer Injected Pulled Pork
- Pork Shoulder: depending on how many people you are cooking for, try to stay under 10 lbs. Make sure to get a bone-in pork shoulder.
- Beer: a classic lite beer is the ideal savory combo to a pulled pork recipe.
- Seasoning: I used an all purpose rub that compliments the natural porks flavors as well as the savoriness of beer.
How to properly prepare a pork shoulder.
To get started, remove the large pork shoulder from its packaging and pat it dry. Do NOT wash it. Take a few paper towels and make sure to pat the sides. Patting it dry will make it easier to handle and work with.
Next, take a look at the fat cap. It should be no more than a 1/4 inch thick. Slowly trim off any extra layers of fat. Take your time and remove a little bit a time. This fat will not render down making for one unpleasant fatty bite.
When the fat is trimmed, we can now score the fat cap in a checkered pattern. Do not go too deep, just enough to cut through the fat. Scoring allows the seasoning and smoke to penetrate deeper into the meat locking in those amazing BBQ flavors.
Inject the pork shoulder with beer
This is the fun step that requires injecting the pork shoulder with beer. This infuses the meat with the savory notes and also helps keep the meat extra juicy and tender.
With a large syringe, inject the pork with about half a can of beer. Make sure to inject in multiple areas of the meat. Once you see the pork plump up, move to the next area.
For the seasoning, I use Dad’s All Purpose rub. It has the perfect balance of classic savory BBQ flavors that compliment the natural flavor of pork. DON’T BY SHY with the seasoning. This is a very large piece of meat. You don’t want bland pulled pork, coat heavily. Make sure to season all sides of the pork shoulder.
Pat the seasoning down vs. rubbing to avoid any of the spice from falling off.
Set aside the seasoned pork shoulder in room temperature for about 30 minutes and allow it to sweat which opens up the meat to absorb all those wonderful spices.
Dad’s Seasonings
Must have grillin seasonings!
2 Step Method for Making the BEST Classic Pulled Pork
In order to make the best classic pulled pork, the cooking process requires most of the day to achieve tender, juicy and flavorful meat. The first step will give us that delicious smokey flavor and the next will get it fall apart tender.
The pork shoulder has a lot of fat and connective tissue that needs to render down. This takes time. Patience is key here.
Step 1 - Smoke low and slow
Preheat your grill or smoker to 250 degrees Fahrenheit and set it for indirect heat. I used my Weber Searwood Pellet Grill for this cook.
Place the seasoned pork shoulder directly on the grates and let if smoke away.
For the first 4 hours, leave the pork should on the grill. Do NOT peek. Let the grill do its magic. After that, you should start to check the bark and see if is not drying out. If so, pour about 1/2 a can of beer into a spray bottle and spritz the pork every hour. This helps keep the meat moist and helps prevent the bark from burning. This will help build a deliciously savory crust.
Depending on the size of the shoulder, you should estimate 1.5 hours/lb. Total cooking process will last 7-9 hours. By this time, the internal temperature on the pork will read around 170-175 degrees.
Step 2 - Wrapping classic pulled pork.
The next step in our cooking process will get the meat so tender, that it falls off the bone. In order to keep the moisture and prevent the protein from drying out, you need to wrap it for the final cook.
Here is where I did things a little different than my traditional sweet honey and brown sugar route.
Once the smoked pork shoulder reaches 170 degrees, transfer it from the grill into an aluminum pan or on a large foil sheet. Pour half a can of beer into the pan, seal the entire pan with a large sheet of foil and wrap it tightly.
The wrap will help keep all the moisture inside the pan and allow the savoriness of the beer to penetrate through the meat and keep the meat extra tender and flavorful.
Increase the grill temperature to 275 degrees and place the pork back on the smoker for another 2-3 hours or until the internal temperature reaches around 200 degrees Fahrenheit.
Recipe Tip
At this stage of the cook, no more smoke will penetrate the meat. It’s OK to finish the cook in the oven.
Open the wrap and test the tenderness of the meat. Insert your thermometer or fork in the meat and if it goes in the pork easily, like a hot knife through butter, than it’s done. If not, wrap it back up and continue cooking. Check again in 30 minutes. Continue this process until the meat is fork tender. Tenderness is key. This will help make the pork shreddable.
The final temperature on a classic pulled pork can range anywhere from 200 to 205 degrees, so be patient. This is where a lot of the mistakes are made. Pork is removed too soon and the meat ends up tough.
Remember to rest classic pulled pork when done.
When the pork is fork tender, it’s time for the rest. Move the wrapped pork into an insulated cooler or a turned off oven and leave it to rest for 1 hour. Remember, this is a very large piece of meat that has been on the grill for 7-9 hours. It needs time to allow all the juices to redistribute throughout the meat.
When it’s ready, start by removing the bone. If perfectly cooked, the bone should come out clean and without any resistance.
Keep the smoked classic pulled pork in the aluminum pan and using heat resistant gloves, start shredding the meat. I like using glove liners under my nitrile gloves for heat protection. Mix the pork with the rendered juices adding flavor to the dish.
Make the BEST homemade Beer BBQ sauce
Homemade BBQ sauce is the way to go. You can always adapt the tanginess, spiciness or sweetness to your liking.
This Beer Injected pulled pork sauce further enhanced the savory flavor of this recipe. It might be my new favorite BBQ sauce. You can definitely taste the hoppy notes from the beer but it’s not overpowering for those that are not fans of the drink and safe for kids. It’s the perfect flavor compliment to the savory pork. Ingredients are simple and sauce is easy to make.
In a saucepan add ketchup, yellow mustard, brown sugar, honey, molasses, Dad’s All Purpose rub, Worcestershire sauce, apple cider vinegar and half a can of beer.
Simmer on the store top over low heat until the sauce starts to thicken. Be sure to whisk it every few minutes to ensure nothing burns to the bottom. You want to make sure that all the ingredients are well incorporated together.
The alcohol will evaporate during the cooking process making it safe to eat for kids.
Assemble the Beer Infused Pulled Pork Sandwich
Now that the pork shoulder has rested, was shredded and the sauce is made it’s time to make the BEST Beer Infused Pulled Pork Sandwich!
Keep it simple, no need to anything other than buns, meat and sauce.
For the breading I like using potato rolls. They are the perfect size and softness. Add a generous heaping pile of the shredded pork, pour some of that beer BBQ sauce over the top and go straight for the first bite.
You’ll get the tenderness of the pork, the savoriness of the spices and beer and sweet and savory creamy finish of the sauce. It’s the perfect bite every time. Enjoy!
Frequently Asked Questions:
Do I need to use a bone-in pork shoulder? No, just depends what your grocery store or butcher have. Bone-in will take slightly longer to cook vs. boneless but will provide more flavor. Bone-in also cooks more evenly. Boneless may have some well done parts since it’s not evenly shaped due to the bone being removed.
Is it better wrap the pork shoulder in butcher paper or foil? I prefer to use foil over butcher paper because it helps retain all the moisture which keeps the pork nice and tender. I use a foil pan to fold the shoulder, then wrap the top with a foil sheet.
Print
Beer Injected Pulled Pork
This Beer Injected Pulled Pork recipe needs to be a summer staple. What's better than BBQ and beer? It's juicy, tender and savory.
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Keyword beer infused pulled pork, smoked pork shoulder, bbq food, bbq sandwich, beer bbq sauce, homemade bbq sauce, pulled pork sandwich, miller lite, smoking meat, american bbq., grillin with dad recipes, grilling with dad recipes, summer bbq.
Prep Time 10 minutes minutes
Cook Time 12 hours hours
Servings 10 People
Calories 622kcal
Pulled Pork Ingredients
- 8 lbs Bone in pork shoulder
- 1.5 can Beer
- 3 tbsp All purpose seasoning
BBQ sauce ingredients
- 1.5 cups Ketchup
- 1.5 cups Brown sugar
- 1/2 cup Honey
- 1/4 cup Apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 cup Molasses
- 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tbsp Yellow mustard
- 1 tbsp All purpose seasoning
- 1/2 can Beer
Remove the pork shoulder from its packaging and pat if dry.
Trim the fat cap if it's too thick, leaving 1/4". Score it in a checkered pattern.
Inject the pork shoulder in multiple areas with 1/2 can of beer.
Coat the entire pork shoulder with an all purpose rub.
Set up the grill for indirect heat at 250 degrees. Place the injected and seasoned pork directly on the grates.
After the first 4 hours on the grill, spritz the pork every hour with beer.
Continue cooking until the internal temperature of the pork reaches 170-175 degrees.
Transfer the pork shoulder from the grill and place it in an aluminum pan or on a large foil sheet. Add 1/2 can of beer.
Wrap the pan tightly with aluminum foil and place it back on the grill. Increase the grill temperature to 275 degrees Fahrenheit.
Continue to cook until the internal temp of the pork shoulder reaches around 200 degrees.
Check for probe tenderness. If it doesn't go in smoothly, place it back on the grill and continue cooking.
Remove the wrapped pork from the grill and let it rest for 1 hour in an oven or insulated cooler.
Remove the bone and shred the meat, mixing it in with all the rendered juices.
In a saucepan add ketchup, yellow mustard, brown sugar, honey, molasses, Dad’s All Purpose rub, Worcestershire sauce, apple cider vinegar and half a can of beer. Simmer on the store top over low heat until the sauce starts to thicken. Be sure to whisk it every few minutes to ensure nothing burns to the bottom. You want to make sure that all the ingredients are well incorporated together.
Make a sandwich with the pulled pork and beer BBQ sauce and enjoy!
- Try to purchase a bone-in pork shoulder. Helps cook more evenly.
- For the first 4 hours, leave the pork should on the grill. Do NOT peek inside. Let the grill do its magic. After that, you should start to check the bark and see it is not drying out.
- At this stage of the cook, no more smoke will penetrate the meat. It’s OK to finish the cook in the oven.
- Tenderness is key. This will help make the pork shreddable. The final temperature on a classic pulled pork can range anywhere from 200 to 205 degrees, so be patient. If the probe is not going into the meat smoothly, it’s not done. Keep cooking. This is where a lot of the mistakes are made. Pork is removed too soon and the meat ends up dry and tough.
Calories: 622kcal | Carbohydrates: 70g | Protein: 45g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 148mg | Sodium: 635mg | Potassium: 1155mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 61g | Vitamin A: 361IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 153mg | Iron: 6mg
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