Pick a roast that is 4 to 5 lbs. (1. 8 to 2. 3 kg). Roasts this size offer adequate surface areas to create crusty textures and add to the pulled pork. If you have a large crowd, select several similar sized roasts, rather than one 8 pound roast, for example. This ensures that all of the meat will have the right ratio of fat to meat.
Use a sharp knife to trim the fat. It can be slippery, so using a dull knife is dangerous. A kitchen scissors is also handy to use for trimming the meat.
You can make your own pork rub with salt, pepper, garlic and other herbs. Don’t skimp with the rub - this is where a lot of the pork’s great flavor will come from.
Keep the lid closed. Refrain from opening the lid and checking the meat multiple times through the cooking process. Opening the lid allows heat to escape from the grill or smoker, which increases cooking time. Add wood or charcoal to the smoker or grill, if necessary, to maintain the heat level.
Wiggle the bone for bone-in roasts to determine if it’s thoroughly cooked. If the bone wiggles, the meat is done. Insert a fork into the roast to determine if it done cooking. The roast is done when the fork easily rotates 90 degrees.
Don’t cook the roast for too long at this stage; the point is just to brown the roast to bring out the flavor. Use a large pair of tongs to flip the roast carefully, so it doesn’t splatter.
