When you just need a delicious pulled pork option, start with a fresh ham (pig leg).
If you brine a fresh ham, it becomes ham. That recipe is here, and it is delicious. But if you like the idea of a pig roast but don’t have the room or patience for it, this is the next best thing.
A fresh ham will typically be about 20-22 pounds. When you get it home from the butcher, there is nothing you need to do to it. Just leave the fat and skin on as-is. Rub it with equal parts of salt, pepper, onion powder and garlic powder.
Place in your smoker at 250F until the internal temp reaches 200F, usually about 8-10 hours. You don’t need to do a damn thing to it while cooking, but if you feel adventurous, spritz the skin with apple cider vinegar ever hour after the third. This can lead to a golden brown, crisp skin you can serve on it’s own.
When done, separate the fat, skin and bones from the meat. Pull the meat hit with some additional rub from above. Simply wonderful!
7.29.2023- 21#, cooked at 250F for 14 hours. Got to 195F. Rested 30 minutes, pulled at 197F. The definition of perfect. Yielded 9# of meat.