Troubleshooting Your Smoked Pulled Pork
| The Problem | The Likely Cause | The Quick Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Temperature won’t rise (160°F–165°F) | The Stall: Moisture is evaporating and cooling the meat. | Wrap the pork tightly in heavy-duty foil or butcher paper to “crutch” it through. |
| Meat is tough/rubbery | Unrendered Collagen: The connective tissue hasn’t broken down yet. | Keep cooking! Pull the pork only when it reaches an internal temp of 203°F–205°F. |
| Meat is dry/flavorless | Overcooking or No Rest: The juices haven’t had time to redistribute. | Rest the meat (wrapped) in a cooler for 1 hour. Add a splash of apple cider or BBQ sauce when shredding. |
| Bark is soggy/soft | Steaming: The foil wrap trapped too much moisture. | Unwrap the pork for the last 30 minutes of the cook to let the bark firm back up. |
| Bone won’t come out | Underdone: The meat is still gripping the bone. | Use a probe to check for “butter-like” resistance. If it’s not effortless, it needs more time. |
1. The Dreaded “Stall”
If your pork butt has been sitting at 155°F–165°F for two hours and won’t budge, don’t panic—you’ve hit “the stall.” This happens when moisture evaporating from the surface of the meat cools it down as fast as the smoker heats it up.
The Fix: This is exactly why we use the Texas Crutch (the foil wrap method mentioned here). Wrapping the meat traps that moisture, stops the evaporative cooling, and pushes the internal temp through to the finish line.
2. The Meat is Tough (Not “Pullable”)
If you try to shred the pork and it’s fighting back, it simply hasn’t cooked long enough. Connective tissue (collagen) doesn’t start breaking down into delicious, melty gelatin until the internal temperature crosses the 190°F mark.
The Fix: Be patient. Smoked pulled pork is done when it hits an internal temperature of 203°F–205°F. At this point, the probe should slide into the meat like it’s hitting room-temperature butter.
3. The Meat is Dry
Pulled pork is generally very forgiving because of its high fat content, but it can still dry out if it’s overcooked or not rested properly.
The Fix: Never skip the rest period. Once you pull it off the smoker, let it sit (still wrapped) in an empty cooler or a room-temperature oven for at least 60 minutes. This allows the juices to redistribute throughout the meat instead of spilling out onto your cutting board.
4. The Bark is Too Soft
While wrapping in foil is great for speed and moisture, it can sometimes turn your beautiful, crunchy bark a bit mushy.
The Fix: If you want a firmer bark, try using butcher paper instead of foil. It’s more breathable, allowing some steam to escape while still keeping the meat juicy. Alternatively, you can unwrap the pork for the last 30 minutes of the cook to “set” the bark.
Pro-Tip:
Always keep a spray bottle of apple juice or cider vinegar handy. If you notice certain spots on the pork looking a bit dark or dry before you wrap it, give them a quick spritz to keep the surface cool and hydrated.
