Low & Slow BBQ Pulled Pork
A whole pork shoulder dry-rubbed and smoked for 12 hours until it surrenders into a pile of tender, smoky, bark-capped pulled pork. The weekend project that pays off.
🛒 Ingredients
- 2.5kg bone-in pork shoulder (Boston butt)
- 3 tbsp brown sugar
- 2 tbsp smoked paprika
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp onion powder
- 1 tbsp cumin
- 1 tbsp black pepper
- 2 tsp cayenne pepper
- 2 tbsp coarse salt
- apple cider vinegar for spritzing
- burger buns and coleslaw to serve
- your favorite BBQ sauce to serve
👨🍳 Method
- 1
Mix all rub ingredients. Apply aggressively all over pork. Refrigerate overnight.
- 2
Remove from fridge 2 hours before cooking.
- 3
Set smoker/oven to 110°C with hickory or apple wood.
- 4
Smoke fat-side up for 8 hours, spritzing with apple cider vinegar every 2 hours.
- 5
Once internal temp hits 74°C, wrap tightly in foil.
- 6
Continue cooking until internal temp reaches 96-98°C (the 'stall' will happen around 74°C — keep going).
- 7
Rest in a cooler wrapped in towels for at least 1 hour.
- 8
Pull apart with forks, mixing the bark throughout the meat.
💡 Chef's Tips
- →The stall (where temp stays around 74°C for hours) is normal — do not raise the heat.
- →Resting the meat is as important as cooking it — never skip it.
- →Chop some of the dark bark into the pulled meat — it adds the most flavor.
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