Pulled Pork
Ingredients
- 7 pounds pork shoulder, bone-in – trim excess surface fat to 0.25 inch (~10 n/a pork shoulders)
- 2 tbsp yellow mustard
- 2 tbsp kosher salt
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 2 tbsp paprika
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 tsp ground mustard
- 1 cup apple juice
- 1/2 cup water
- 4 chunks hardwood chunks (hickory, oak, or apple)
- 3/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp black pepper – freshly ground
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes
- hamburger buns – for serving
- coleslaw – for serving
Instructions
1. Mix the dry rub: In a bowl, combine kosher salt, brown sugar, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper, and ground mustard until uniform.
2. Prep the pork: Pat the pork shoulder dry, trim excess surface fat to about 0.25 inch, and coat all over with yellow mustard. Sprinkle the rub generously and press to adhere on all sides. Let stand at room temperature while the smoker heats, 20–30 minutes.
3. Heat the smoker to 250°F with clean-burning hardwood. Add 4 hardwood chunks to establish steady thin blue smoke and set up for indirect heat.
4. Make a spritz: Combine apple juice and water in a spray bottle or bowl; set aside.
5. Smoke the pork: Place the shoulder in the smoker, fat cap up, and insert a probe thermometer into the center, avoiding bone. Smoke at 250°F, spritzing lightly with the apple juice mixture every 60–90 minutes after the first 2 hours, until the internal temperature reaches 160–170°F, about 5–7 hours; the bark should be set and not rub off when touched.
6. Wrap and finish: Wrap the shoulder tightly in unwaxed butcher paper or heavy-duty foil (add a small splash of the spritz if using foil). Return to the smoker, seam-side up, and continue cooking at 250°F until 195–203°F and probe tender with little resistance, 3–5 hours more.
7. Rest: Transfer the wrapped pork to a cooler or warm spot and rest 45–60 minutes to relax the fibers and retain juices.
8. Make the finishing sauce while it rests: In a small bowl, stir together apple cider vinegar, black pepper, and red pepper flakes.
9. Pull: Unwrap the pork, reserving juices. Remove and discard the bone and large pockets of fat. Shred the meat with gloved hands or forks, then moisten with reserved juices and toss with some of the vinegar sauce to taste.
10. Serve: Pile the pulled pork onto hamburger buns and top with coleslaw (for serving). Offer remaining vinegar sauce on the side.
Pulled Pork is a slow-cooked barbecue classic built on richly marbled pork shoulder that transforms over hours of gentle heat into strands of tender, juicy meat. The flavor is deep and smoky, with a mahogany bark formed by a balanced rub of salt, paprika, and a touch of sugar and chile. The finished pork is succulent and savory, often brightened with a tangy vinegar splash and served heaped on soft buns with a cool, crunchy slaw.
Rooted in the American South, pulled pork traces to whole-hog and shoulder cookery traditions practiced across the Carolinas, Tennessee, and beyond. Regional styles vary: some prefer a sharp vinegar-and-pepper finish, others lean sweeter or add tomato in sauces, and cookers range from pit and wood-fired brick to modern smokers. Despite local differences, the hallmark remains low-and-slow cooking over hardwood until the meat shreds easily—a communal food central to gatherings, church picnics, and backyard barbecues.