I grew up in North Alabama, where I believe traditional pulled pork barbecue is at its very best. A special night out at a restaurant didn't mean going to a fine steak house or even to a nice seafood place. It meant going to Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q in Decatur, where the sweet aroma of hickory smoke was in the air.

After leaving home to go to college in Nashville, I quickly became homesick for the barbecue that I grew up eating. Eventually, my frustrations produced a determination to learn how to prepare delicious smoked meat at home. There had to be a way, but there was just so much I didn't know. What cut of meat did they use? How should it cook? At what temperature? After much research, some long Saturdays by the smoker, and many mistakes, I got it right. Now I enjoy succulent pulled pork on a regular basis, and with these easy instructions, you can too.

Low-and-Slow Pulled Pork
Start with the right cut of meat. Most barbecue restaurants use whole pork shoulders, but they're rarely available in grocery stores. If you find a whole shoulder, use it. Otherwise, we recommend a Boston butt, which is half of the shoulder, the other half being the picnic shoulder. If needed, trim the fat back to about 1/8 inch thick. Sprinkle meat generously with rub, massaging it into the meat. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap, and chill overnight in the refrigerator.