USA · Meat Dishes · Spicy

BBQ Pulled Pork

Name: BBQ Pulled Pork
Prep time: 72 min
Cook time: 168 min
Total time: 240 min
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 2 kg bone-in pork shoulder; 2 tbsp smoked paprika; 1 tbsp brown sugar; 1 tbsp garlic powder; 1 tbsp onion powder; 1 tsp cayenne pepper; 1 tsp ground cumin; 1 tsp mustard powder; 2 tsp salt; 1 tsp black pepper; 240 ml apple cider vinegar; 300 ml BBQ sauce; 8 brioche burger buns; 1 portion coleslaw

Southern-style slow-roasted pork shoulder, rubbed with a smoky spice blend and cooked low and slow until it falls apart into tender, juicy strands. Served on brioche buns with homemade coleslaw.

240 min 520 kcal 8 serves Advanced🌶️Spicy🇺🇸USA★★★★★4.8· 5 reviews

Ingredients

ServingsMetric

2 kgbone-in pork shoulder
2 tbspsmoked paprika
1 tbspbrown sugar
1 tbspgarlic powder
1 tbsponion powder
1 tspcayenne pepper
1 tspground cumin
1 tspmustard powder
2 tspsalt
1 tspblack pepper
240 mlapple cider vinegar
300 mlBBQ sauce
8 brioche burger buns
1 portioncoleslaw

Note from Sergei

Sergei Martynov

“Real BBQ pulled pork is a lesson in patience — we're talking 12-14 hours of low and slow smoking at 225°F (107°C). The pork shoulder (also called Boston butt) is the only cut worth using: it has the perfect balance of fat, collagen, and muscle that breaks down into tender, shreddable strands. Around the 6-hour mark, you'll hit the infamous 'stall' where the internal temperature plateaus at 150°F for what feels like forever. Don't panic and crank the heat — wrap in butcher paper (not foil, which steams and softens the bark) and push through. The bark — that dark, crusty, intensely flavorful exterior — is the prize, and it only forms with time, not with more sauce.”

Pull the pork at 203°F (95°C) internal temperature, not a degree earlier. At this specific temperature, the collagen has fully rendered and the meat practically falls apart. Let it rest for 30 minutes in a cooler wrapped in towels before pulling.

Method

Combine smoked paprika, brown sugar, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne, cumin, mustard powder, salt and pepper to make the dry rub. Score the pork shoulder's fat cap in a crosshatch pattern. Rub the spice mixture all over the meat, pressing firmly into every crevice. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight, or at least 4 hours.
Remove pork from the refrigerator 1 hour before cooking. Preheat oven to 150°C (300°F). Place pork fat-side up in a large Dutch oven. Pour apple cider vinegar around (not over) the meat. Cover tightly with the lid.
Slow-roast for 4–5 hours until the internal temperature reaches 95°C (203°F) and the meat is completely tender — a skewer should slide in with zero resistance. The bone should wiggle freely.
Transfer pork to a large cutting board and tent with foil. Rest for 30 minutes — this is essential for juicy results. Reserve the cooking juices.
Using two forks or your hands (wear heat-resistant gloves), pull the pork apart into long, coarse shreds, discarding any large fat pieces and the bone. The meat should fall apart effortlessly.
Pour BBQ sauce over the pulled pork and toss to coat. Add a splash of the reserved cooking juices to reach your desired consistency. Taste and adjust seasoning.
Toast brioche buns cut-side down in a dry skillet until golden. Pile pulled pork generously onto the buns and top with creamy coleslaw. Serve with extra BBQ sauce and pickles on the side.

FAQ

Dry pulled pork almost always means it was not cooked long enough or was cooked at too high a temperature. The goal is an internal temperature of 93–96°C (200–205°F) — far above the food-safety minimum — because it is only at this point that the tough connective tissue (collagen) fully converts to gelatin and the muscle fibres loosen enough to pull apart easily. Removing the pork too early, even at 85°C, will give you sliceable meat but not pullable meat. If it came out dry rather than tough, it may have been left in the oven unwrapped after hitting temperature and lost moisture. Always rest the pork wrapped in foil for at least 30–60 minutes after cooking — the resting redistributes juices and makes pulling much easier.

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Comments (1)

Sergei Martynov✍ Author
29d ago
Pork dries out faster than you'd expect in bbq pulled pork. I pull it off heat at 63°C internal temperature and let carryover cooking take it to the safe 65°C. Those 2 degrees of rest make the difference between moist and sawdust.