Nothing beats fall-off-the-bone tender smoked pork. This easy recipe smokes pork shoulder with a dry rub for hours. The meat becomes tender enough to shred. This moist pulled pork recipe takes a while to cook. But mainly it can be left alone to simmer while other foods are being prepared.
Table of Contents
How to Make Smoked Pulled Pork Recipe
It is slow-cooked. The meat is tender. It almost falls from the bone.
Ingredients
- 4-6 pound pork shoulder
- 2 tablespoons yellow mustard
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons black pepper
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 cup apple juice
- Barbecue sauce (optional)
Instructions
Preparing it
- Preheat the smoker to 225° F.
- Remove most of the fat. Leave small fat strips to prevent it from drying out.
- Spread a little yellow mustard on the meat. The dry rub will stick to it.
- Mix the paprika, brown sugar, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder and cumin together.
- Sprinkle the dry rub seasoning all over it. Pat it into the meat.
The Pulled Pork is cooked over an open fire and is smoked
- Cook the seasoned pork shoulder on the fat side in the smoker.
- When the temp of the pork shoulder hits 160-165° internally, cook until the outer surface temp reaches 145° or higher.
- Spritz the pork with some of the apple juice, lightly, every hour or two to keep the surface of the pork moist.
- Once the pork shoulder’s internal temperature is 165 degrees F, wrap it in butcher paper or tin foil.
- Place the wrapped pork back in the smoker and cook until it is 195-205 degrees on the internal meat temperature and is easily pulled off the bones.
- Take the cooked pork out of the smoker and allow to rest, wrapped, for another 30-60 minutes.
- Shred the pork shoulder into smaller bite sized pieces with two forks.
- Add some barbecue sauce to the pulled pork (if using) and serve warm.
Tips
- Cook Slow and Low – Low temperature and slow cooking will breakdown the collagen in the pork shoulder which results in tender, shredded meat.
- Use Pork Shoulder – This cut of pork has enough fat to help it from drying out during the slow smoking process.
- Don’t be in a hurry to get the stall – Your smoker may hit a point in the meat where the internal temperature will stall between 150-170 degrees F, this is normal smoking.
- Use a Meat Thermometer – A meat thermometer will give a more accurate indication of when the meat is ready to feed, than a clock.
- Let It Rest – After the pulled pork is removed from the smoker, it should rest so the juices can re-distribute throughout the meat.
- Use the bottom juices from the smoker – These can be used with the pulled pork for added moisture.
The Best Wood for It
The wood you use will have an impact on the flavor.
- The pork is flavored with hickory wood for the traditional bacon like barbecue taste.
- Apple wood adds a lighter smoke taste, and is especially complimentary to pork.
- Cherry wood can add a sweet flavor to the meat, and can provide a nice color to the surface of the pork.
- Oak wood imparts a robust, sustained smoky flavor to food, making it a great choice for fatty foods such as pork shoulder.
Wood chips may be burned alone or mixed wood can be burned together, to create a more complex set of flavors.
What are the best sides to have with smoked pulled pork?
Pulled pork can be smoked, processed and served in various ways.
- Pulled Pork Sandwich – Layer shredded meat, barbecue sauce on a bun.
- Coleslaw – Tart crispness of coleslaw contrasts with the richness of the smoked meat.
- Mac and Cheese – Macaroni and cheese is a creamy, comfort food served with barbecue.
- Baked Beans – Another Southern staple, baked beans are a classic to barbequed dishes.
- Cornbread – A slight hint of sweetness, and cornbread is a perfect counterpoint to the smokiness flavor of pulled pork.
- Tacos – Onion, cilantro and your favorite taco toppings are a good accompaniment for pulled pork in warm tortillas.
- Potato Salad – A cold one is a good variation to it.
Ingredient Substitutions
Pork Shoulder Substitute
Pork butt or Boston butt can be substituted for pork shoulder. The cooking time may change. It will depend on how big or small the cut of meat is.
Yellow Mustard Substitute
If you don’t have any yellow mustard. Then you can use olive oil. It will help the dry rub stick to the skin of the pork shoulder.
Brown Sugar Substitute
Honey, maple sugar or regular white sugar may be used instead of the brown sugar.
Apple Juice Substitute
Apple cider, pineapple juice or a mix of water with apple cider vinegar can be used as a substitute for apple juice when spritzing the pork.
How to Store It
Wait until the finished pork shoulder is cool before storing it. Put the meat in an airtight container with some of the juices from the bottom of the smoker to keep the meat moist. Refrigerate the pulled pork for a couple days or portion it out and freeze it for later. Reheat the meat with some of the meat juice or broth, so that the meat is not dried out.
It is made by slowly smoking a spiced pork shoulder for hours. It becomes tender enough to shred after cooking. Learning how to make it takes some time. But the process is mainly hands-off while it cooks. This easy recipe uses a dry rub seasoning on pork shoulder. It is slow-cooked in a smoker. Try serving it in sandwiches, tacos or with your favorite side dishes.
