Smoked BBQ Pulled Pork

This slow-smoked pulled pork recipe is calibrated for a Traeger Pellet Smoker. Plan for about 10 hours from start to finish before the pulled pork is ready to serve.

Smoked BBQ Pulled Pork

Equipment

Pre-heat Smoker to 250°F

Ingredients

Pork Shoulder

  • 14 lbs Large Pork Shoulder (10-16 lbs Ideal)
  • 6 tbsp Dijon Mustard

Rub Spices Mixture

  • 3 tbsp Garlic Powder
  • 2 tbsp Onion Powder
  • 2 tbsp Paprika
  • 2 tbsp Black Pepper
  • 3 tbsp Salt

Spritz

  • 1 cup Apple Cider Vinegar
  • 2 tbsp White sugar

Procedure

Preparation

  1. Start the smoker pre-heating to 250°F and place a tin with water inside to help provide moisture and moderate temperature
  2. Remove the Pork Shoulder from the fridge, pat dry with paper towels and allow it to come to room temperature
  3. Prepare the rub mix by combining all of the dry spices
  4. Rub the Pork Shoulder with Dijon Mustard, then sprinkle on the rub mix and pat into the meat
  5. Prepare the Spritz mixture by heating the apple cider, dissolving in the white vinegar and then placing the liquid in a spray bottle

Phase One: Smoking (6-7 Hours)

  1. Place the Pork Shoulder on the smoker grill and allow it to smoke at first for 3 hours
  2. After the first three hours of smoking, spritz the entire shoulder with the apple cider mixture every 1 hour
  3. Continue spritzing the meat every hour until the internal temperature of the Pork Shoulder reaches 170-175°F

Phase Two: Cooking (1-2 Hours)

  1. Remove the Pork Shoulder from the grill, spritz it one more time and carefully wrap in aluminum foil
  2. Return the wrapped Pork Shoulder to the grill and increase the smoker temperature to 275°F
  3. Allow the internal temperature to rise to 200-205°F (approximately 1-2 hours)

Phase Three: Resting (45 minutes)

  1. Remove the wrapped Pork Shoulder from the grill and allow it to rest for at least 45 minutes before unwrapping
  2. Shred the cooked pork with tongs or forks and serve hot