Pork shoulder, often called Boston butt, is the workhorse of pulled pork. The terms butt and shoulder refer to the same general area — the butt is the upper portion of the shoulder — and a typical Boston butt weighs eight to twelve pounds. It is well-marbled with fat and connective tissue that breaks down beautifully during long smoking. A typical cook runs at 225°F for about one and a half to two hours per pound, until the internal temperature reaches around 200–205°F and the meat probes tender. During the cook, many pitmasters spritz the meat periodically with apple juice, vinegar, or water to keep the surface moist, slow bark formation slightly, and encourage smoke ring development. A thin mop sauce — sometimes called sop sauce in regional dialect — can also be brushed on for moisture and flavor. After resting, the shoulder is "pulled" — shredded with hands, claws, or forks — into the loose, juicy strands that fill sandwiches and plates across the country. The prized "money muscle" is the round, well-defined muscle inside the butt; competition cooks often leave a slice of it intact for presentation.
Ribs come in several varieties, each with its own character. Baby back ribs come from the loin area near the spine and are smaller, leaner, and naturally tender. Spare ribs come from the belly side and are larger, fattier, and meatier. The St. Louis cut is a spare rib trimmed into a neat rectangle with the rib tips removed, giving an even cook and tidy presentation. Country-style ribs are cut from the shoulder end and behave more like steaks than traditional ribs.
Cooks approach ribs differently depending on style. The 3-2-1 method is a popular spare rib routine: three hours of smoking unwrapped, two hours wrapped (often in foil with a bit of liquid to push through the stall and tenderize), and one final hour unwrapped with sauce to set the glaze. Total cook time is usually five to six hours at 225°F. Several tests signal doneness beyond temperature: the bend test (lifting the rack from the middle with tongs and watching the surface crack), the toothpick test (a toothpick sliding cleanly between the bones), and the bone test (meat retracting to expose the bone tips). Internal temperature around 195–203°F is a useful guide, but feel is more reliable. The goal is "bite-through" texture — ribs that release with a gentle bite leaving tooth marks — rather than "fall-off-the-bone," which is generally a sign of overcooking in competition circles.