For The Hands-Down Best Pulled Pork, Don't Forget The 3-2-1 Formula

In the wide world of home cooking, there are elaborate, handwritten recipes scrawled on weathered old index cards, and then there are simpler formulas more easily committed to memory forever. The latter often amounts to just three little numbers. The 3-2-1 method is great for making ribs on a gas grill, for example. Similar arithmetic applies when you pop that protein in the oven. And, as you've probably calculated by now, making pulled pork can also be as basic as 3-2-1.

The 3-2-1 method references not only the number of hours in your pork shoulder's cook time, but also what you do with them. Just like you might remember from the ribs, you'll smoke your pork for three hours, remove to foil-wrap and return to the heat for another two, and unwrap to finish for the last hour. For the porcine adaptation, smoke the 4-pound portion at 275 degrees Fahrenheit for the first three hours, wrapping in butcher paper or foil for the next two, and unsheathing once more to build a nice bark for the final hour. And it all saves about what could be two additional hours versus other preparations. A meat thermometer will help you ensure that it's surpassed the USDA's recommended 145 degree safety temp and gotten closer to the optimal 200 degrees for shredding.

You want to make sure to give your slab of pork shoulder a great, copious seasoning before the meat hits the grate. You can even use the same spice blend that you'd include in your slow cooker pulled pork. You obviously want the requisite salt, plus a bit of heat via something like chile powder, a sweetener like granulated sugar, and wonderfully warming spices like cumin and cinnamon. You can also obviously incorporate any personal favorites like garlic powder or paprika, provided you check all the taste sensation boxes for a well-rounded flavor finish. You'll just want to be sure to mix at least about a quarter cup of your preferred blend to fully cover the swine.

You can also use pulled pork in plenty more applications than the basic sandwiches they're already known and loved for, piled onto soft buns and maybe even topped with a creamy, crunchy coleslaw. Pulled pork is a pretty classic nacho topping or taco filling, too. It's also a decadently savory grilled cheese upgrade. It makes for a speedily impressive fried rice as well. And for something a little less expected, you can also use any leftover pulled pork in your next spaghetti.