Smoked Pulled Pork (Low & Slow BBQ Recipe)
🛒 Ingredients
Meat:
- Pork shoulder (Boston butt) — 3–5 kg
Binder (optional):
- Yellow mustard or olive oil
Dry rub:
- Brown sugar (1/2 cup)
- Paprika (1/4 cup)
- Salt (2 tbsp)
- Black pepper (2 tbsp)
- Garlic powder (1 tbsp)
- Onion powder (1 tbsp)
- Chili powder (1 tbsp)
- Cayenne pepper (1 tsp, optional)
Spritz:
- Apple juice (1 cup)
- Apple cider vinegar (1/2 cup)
Optional finishing:
- BBQ sauce (for mixing after shredding)
🔥 Step 1: Prep the Pork
- Trim excess hard fat (leave some fat for moisture).
- Lightly coat with mustard or oil (helps rub stick).
- Apply dry rub generously on all sides.
- Rest in fridge for 8–12 hours (overnight best).
🔥 Step 2: Smoking Setup
🌡 Temperature:
- 225°F (107°C)
🪵 Wood:
- Hickory, Applewood, or Oak (best for pulled pork)
⏳ Step 3: Smoking Process
🔥 Smoke Phase (0–6 hours)
- Place pork shoulder in smoker
- Fat side up
- Spritz every 60–90 minutes
- Build strong bark (dark crust)
📉 The Stall (important)
- Around 150°F–170°F, temperature will stop rising
- This is normal (don’t panic)
👉 Optional:
- Wrap in foil or butcher paper (Texas Crutch)
🧈 Wrapped Phase (6–10 hours approx)
- Add a little apple juice inside wrap
- Continue cooking until tender
🎯 Step 4: Final Temperature
- Cook until internal temp is 200°F–205°F (93°C–96°C)
- Most important: meat should feel very soft when probed
⏲ Step 5: Resting
- Rest wrapped for 1–2 hours
- This keeps juices locked in
🔪 Step 6: Pulling (Shredding)
- Use forks or meat claws
- Shred pork completely
- Remove any excess fat or bone
🍖 Step 7: Finishing Touch
- Mix with BBQ sauce or reserved juices
- Adjust seasoning if needed
🍔 Result
- Juicy, tender shredded pork
- Smoky bark pieces mixed inside
- Perfect for sandwiches, sliders, tacos 🔥
💡 Pro Tip (Competition Style)
- Add a little apple cider vinegar sauce after shredding for extra juiciness
- Mix bark pieces evenly for better texture score