Description
Low and slow on a wood-fired pit is the way to go with a big hunk of hog like this. Add in a splash of vinegar hog wash and you’ve got smoky and succulent pulled pork to grub on.
Scale
Ingredients
For the pork
- One 5–7 pound bone-in pork shoulder (aka, pork butt or Boston butt)
- Yellow mustard
For the rub
- 2 tablespoons kosher salt (see notes)
- 2 tablespoons spanish sweet paprika
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon turbinado sugar (e.g., Sugar In The Raw)
- 1 tablespoon coarsely ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
- 1 teaspoon granulated onion
For the hog wash
- 1 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 tablespoons kosher salt (see notes)
- 4 teaspoons granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons worcestershire sauce
- 1–1/2 teaspoons coarsely ground black pepper
- 1–1/2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
- 1/4 teaspoon granulated garlic
- 1/4 teaspoon granulated onion
Instructions
Make the rub
- Combine all the spices for the rub in a plastic container or bowl and mix thoroughly, breaking up any lumps of brown sugar with your fingers or a whisk. Stored in an airtight container, the rub will keep for 6 months.
Make the hog wash
- Combine all the ingredients for the hog wash in a pint size mason jar. Secure the lid tightly on the jar and give it a good shake and refrigerate. Bring to room temperature before using.
Prep and smoke the pork shoulder
- Trim the pork shoulder of any bone fragments or loose ends of fat or meat.
- Lightly coat the pork shoulder with yellow mustard and generously season all over with the spice rub. You will use about 1/4 cup of the rub for this, depending on the size of your roast.
- Wrap the rubbed pork shoulder tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 8 hours. In a pinch, you don’t have to let the cure like this, but it helps drive flavor into the meat.
- Set up your smoker for a 225°F cook. I used cherry wood for this recipe, but apple, oak, pecan, or some mix of these would be fine as well.
- Place the pork shoulder in your smoker with the fat side up (see notes). Smoke at 225°F until an instant thermometer reads about 200°F when inserted into the thickest section of the shoulder and the bone begins to easily pull free of the meat, about 12 hours depending on the size of your pork shoulder. Make sure not to touch the bone with the thermometer probe or you’ll get inaccurate readings.
- Lightly wrap the shoulder in heavy duty foil and rest in an insulated cooler for 2-3 hours. Don’t wrap tightly or you’ll steam the bark and it will become soggy.
- Using insulated gloves or meat claws, pull the pork into meaty chunks, discarding any bones, tendons, or fatty membranes. Spoon some of the hog wash over the pulled pork and sprinkle with a little more of the rub and toss to mix. The pork should be very flavorful with a vinegar tang from the hog wash to cut through the richness.
Notes
- There are two primary brands of kosher salt; Morton’s and Diamond Crystal. I used Diamond Crystal for this rub because it has more delicate salt crystals that readily absorb into the meat. You can use either brand, but if you do go with Morton’s, cut the salt to a little over one tablespoon.
- This recipe makes more hog wash and rub than you will need. The extra rub will keep for 6 months or so if kept in an airtight container in a dark area. The hog wash will keep indefinitely in the refrigerator.
- There is some debate about smoking fat side up or down. This mostly depends on where the heat is coming from and how the air flows through your smoker. If you notice that most of the heat comes from underneath your grates and the fat cap on the shoulder is not rendering well, then try smoking fat side down.
- If it looks like the pork is not going to be done in time, you can wrap it tightly in unlined butcher paper and throw it back on the smoker. This will significantly decrease the remaining cooking time, at the cost of no further bark development. It can also make the bark a little less crisp.
Keywords: pulled pork, smoked pork, pork shoulder, pork butt, smoked pork butt