Pulled Pork problems, diagnosed

If pork shoulder is still firm and resists shredding, the first question is whether it has had enough effective low-and-slow cooking for connective tissue to soften. Pork shoulder can be safely cooked before it becomes pull-apart tender, so tenderness—not the minimum safety temperature—is the finish cue for pulled pork. If the meat is already dry and stringy rather than firm and resistant, more cooking is the wrong rescue.