Tender Smoked Pulled Pork Recipe
Prep Time:
1 hour, 30 minutes
Cook Time:
6 hours
Servings:
8 servings
Ingredients
  • ⅓ cup paprika
  • ¼ cup brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons seasoned salt
  • 2 tablespoons fresh ground black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon garlic powder
  • 1 tablespoon onion powder
  • 2 teaspoons dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon chipotle powder
  • 1 cup apple juice
  • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • 2 tablespoons kosher salt
  • ½ teaspoon hot sauce
  • 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 tablespoons canola oil
  • 1 bone-in pork butt or pork shoulder roast (4 to 4 ½ pounds)
Directions
  1. Heat the smoker to 225 F. Prepare your wood chips (or whatever your smoker takes). Cherry wood is recommended for this recipe.
  2. While the smoker is coming to temperature, make the rub. Combine the paprika, brown sugar, seasoned salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, dried oregano, and chipotle powder in a bowl. Use your fingers to break up any clumps.
  3. Next, make the injection. Combine the apple juice, apple cider vinegar, granulated sugar, kosher salt, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and 1 tablespoon of the rub that you made in the previous step in a bowl. Whisk until the sugar and salt dissolve.
  4. Trim any excess fat off the pork butt. You want to leave about a ¼-inch fat cap. Score the fat and about ¼ inch into the meat on one side.
  5. Inject the liquid into the pork butt.
  6. Coat the pork butt in the vegetable oil; rub the dry spice mixture all over it.
  7. Place the pork on the smoker and insert a probe thermometer into the middle of the meat, but not too close to the bone. Smoke until the internal temperature reaches 165 F (about 4 to 6 hours).
  8. Wrap the pork with a double layer of aluminum foil. Continue to smoke until the internal temperature reaches 203 F (another 2 to 4 hours).
  9. Place the wrapped pork in a cooler (not with ice -- the intention is to insulate it, so the temperature comes down slowly) and rest for 1 hour.
  10. Unwrap, and pull apart the meat with your hands or forks. Serve with your favorite sauce on a sandwich, or use for nachos, tacos, or enchiladas.