Traditionally smoked pulled pork
Pulled pork: The undisputed icon of low & slow barbecue
Although this slow-cooked pork shoulder recipe has its origins in the state of North Carolina, today it has conquered large parts of the world.
Traditionally used is a boston butt: a shoulder cut that still contains the shoulder blade and has nothing to do with the proverbial pig’s behind… if your butcher gives you a weird look, just ask for pork shoulder on the bone, or pork neck. Bear in mind that the latter requires a shorter cooking time.
The ingredients
- 1 pork shoulder (Boston butt) of about 9 lbs, or a pork neck of about 5 1/2 lbs
- 4 tbsp yellow mustard
- 2 oz (50 g) Pig Powder BBQ rub (see recipe)
Smokey’s Pig Spray
- 1/3rd cup (100ml) apple juice
- 1/3rd cup (100ml) apple cider vinegar
- 1.3rd cup (100ml) Whiskey
- ½ cup (125 ml) Smokey’s Finest BBQ sauce (see recipe)
Benodigheden
- Smoking chips (preferably apple)
- BBQ with a lid set up for indirect grilling
- BBQ Guru (optional)
- Internal meat thermometer
How to make
Duration: Preparation 1 hour
Cooking about: 12 hours (6-8 when using pork neck)
Remove any thick or hard pieces of fat with a knife. Then rub the entire shoulder with mustard. Keep apart 3 tablespoons of Pig Powder BBQ rub and evenly divide the rest over the entire shoulder.
Meanwhile, configure the BBQ for indirect grilling and heat it up to about 230-240 ºF (110-115ºC). To keep the BBQ at this temperature you need to carefully adjust the air vents or you can use a BBQ Guru (a digital thermometer attached to a small fan that keeps the temperature at a constant level).
Spray the pork shoulder with Smokey’s Pig Spray every hour, allowing the herb mixture on the surface to caramelize and to prevent the meat from drying out. Keep a close eye on the temperature of the BBQ and refill with charcoal/briquettes if needed.
After about 6 hours (or sooner if the meat already has a handsome, deep mahogany color) wrap the entire shoulder in aluminum foil and return it to the BBQ for another 6 hours of slow cooking. Aluminum foil keeps the meat moist and speeds up the cooking process. After about 12 hours the internal temperature should be 190 ºF (87 ºC). Do not remove the shoulder from the BBQ before it reaches 190 ºF: At a lower temperature it won’t fall apart enough to properly pull it.
Let the pork rest in a warm spot for 15 minutes. Unwrap the aluminum foil, remove the shoulder bone, and pull the meat to shreds using two forks. Afterwards, add another 3 tablespoons of Pig Powder BBQ rub and mix thoroughly.
The pulled pork is ready and you can use it in your favorite dish or start eating right away. Mix the pulled pork with a BBQ sauce of your choice (we hope you choose our Smokey’s Finest BBQ sauce for the most delicious result.
Side note: Leftover pulled pork keeps for three days when refrigerated. Reheating works best if you add a splash of apple juice and use a covered dish in the oven, preheated to 250 ºF (120 ºC).
