Applewood Smoked Pulled Pork
This applewood smoked pulled pork shoulder cooks for 12 hours until the collagen fully breaks down into silky, shreddable strands of pork. It is the perfect filling for sandwiches, tacos, or loaded fries and feeds a hungry crowd effortlessly.
Tender applewood smoked pork shoulder slow cooked for 12 hours and easily pulled into juicy strands.
Nutrition per serving
Ingredients
Main
Rub
Smoke
Mop
Instructions
Season the Pork Shoulder
Score the fat cap on the pork shoulder with shallow crosshatch cuts. Combine brown sugar, kosher salt, and chili powder and press the rub firmly into every surface of the meat including the scored fat cap. Wrap loosely and refrigerate overnight for maximum flavor penetration.
Start the Smoker
Preheat your smoker to 225 degrees Fahrenheit and add applewood chunks to the fire. Wait until the smoker produces steady thin blue smoke rather than thick white smoke before adding the pork. Place the pork shoulder fat side up on the center of the grate.
Smoke and Spritz
Smoke the pork shoulder at 225 degrees Fahrenheit for approximately 12 hours. Spritz with apple juice every 90 minutes after the first 3 hours to keep the surface moist and help build a beautiful bark. Wrap in butcher paper when the internal temperature hits 165 degrees and continue until it reaches 203 degrees Fahrenheit.
Rest and Pull
Place the wrapped pork in a cooler lined with towels and let it rest for at least 90 minutes. Open the butcher paper and use two large forks or meat claws to pull the pork into shreds, discarding the bone. Mix the pulled pork with any accumulated juices from the butcher paper wrap.
Substitutions
Common mistakes
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