We love big bbq parties. Great friends, great conversation, cold drinks and the best smoked pulled pork ever. The secret? My husband. He's been slowly tweaking his recipe and method for... well, years. And his pulled pork has become legendary with our friends. Today I asked him to spill the secrets!
Pulled pork is not a quick meal. At all. To get the pork soft and fall off the bone tender- while giving it a deep, rich smoky flavor, you have to cook it for a long time at a low heat.
We use an indirect smoker like this:
We like to start the smoker off by heating up wood chips or charcoal in a chimney, and then adding them to the side.
You'll want to get the grills temperature up to 210, where you will try to keep it for around 14 hours. Don't worry about that huge number- you will only be working on the pork for about 30 minutes, including prep time. The rest of the time you will just be waiting!
Some of my hubby's best tips to ensure a delicious pork shoulder:
-Always let the shoulder rest for about 10 minutes after taking out of package to help it dry. Pat dry with paper towels before adding rub.
-Let your pork shoulder sit in the fridge, with rub, for 12+ hours (we like to go for 24 hours).
-Add basting mix every couple hours. You can also mix your own- we've tried beer, dr. pepper, coke, apple juice, and more. We tend to use apple cider vinegar because we like the taste- but you can use whatever drink and spices you like.
- To easily get your pork to shred without burning your hands, pop it in a mix master with the paddle attachment. A couple minutes on medium and you will have a perfect consistency! Sometimes we like thicker chunks (as pictured) For meatier sandwiches. Just use to forks to pull the meat apart for a thicker style.
Stay tuned- because Luke is going to share his homemade Carolina Vinegar and Mustard sauces that are perfect for pulled pork soon!
The Best Smoked Pulled Pork
Ingredients
- Pork shoulder/Boston butt, 6+lbs
- Cumin
- parika
- onion powder
- garlic salt
- celery salt
- brown sugar
- chili powder
- For the basting:
- -1 cup apple cider vinegar or beer
- -1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- -2 tablespoon garlic powder
Instructions
- Combine all rub ingredients and coat pork shoulder.
- Let meat sit for at least 24 hours, wrapped in cling wrap or foil, in the refrigerator.
- Start wood chips in a chimney, add to smoker.
- Smoke meat for at least 10 hours with fruit wood keeping the temperature around 210 degrees- we tend to like apple wood more but any fruit wood chips work.
- Baste pork every 2 hours, while you check smoker temperature and add additional chips, if needed.
- My husband likes to smoke his pork shoulder closer to 14 hours- you want to keep smoking the pork shoulder until it easily falls off the bone.
Nutrition Information
Yield
8Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 117Total Fat 6gSaturated Fat 2gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 3gCholesterol 24mgSodium 237mgCarbohydrates 5gNet Carbohydrates 0gFiber 1gSugar 1gSugar Alcohols 0gProtein 7g
Nutrition is automatically calculated by Nutritionix - please verify all nutrition information independently and consult with a doctor or nutritionist for any and all medical and diet advice.
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