Apple-Smoked Pulled Pork with Carolina Vinegar Sauce

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

A bone-in pork shoulder rubbed with brown sugar and paprika, then smoked low and slow over apple wood until it pulls apart with two forks. The wrap stage does the hard work for you, and a splashy cider vinegar sauce cuts the richness. Nine hours of mostly hands-off cooking for a pile of pork that feeds a crowd of sandwiches.

Ingredients

• 6 lb bone-in pork shoulder (Boston butt)
• 2 tbsp yellow mustard
• 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
• 2 tbsp smoked paprika
• 2 tbsp kosher salt
• 1 tbsp coarse black pepper
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• 2 tsp onion powder
• 1 cup apple juice

• 1 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
• 10 soft hamburger buns

Instructions

1. The night before or at least 2 hours ahead, pat the pork shoulder dry and smear it all over with the yellow mustard. Stir together the brown sugar, smoked paprika, salt, black pepper, garlic powder and onion powder, reserving 1 tablespoon of the mix for the sauce. Press the rest firmly onto every surface of the pork, then refrigerate uncovered.
2. Set up your smoker for 250°F (121°C) with apple wood — 3 or 4 fist-sized chunks for a charcoal or offset smoker, or two full pellet hopper loads of apple pellets. Let the smoke run clean and blue-thin before the meat goes on.
3. Set the pork fat-cap up directly on the grate and smoke undisturbed for about 5 hours, until the bark is deep mahogany and a probe reads 165°F (74°C) in the thickest part. Spritz with a little of the apple juice every hour after the first 2 hours if the bark looks dry.
4. Lay out two long overlapping sheets of heavy-duty foil, set the pork in the middle, pour the remaining apple juice around it, and wrap tightly in a double layer. Return to the smoker, still at 250°F (121°C).
5. Cook another 3 to 4 hours until the internal temperature reaches 203°F (95°C) and a probe slides into the meat with no resistance, like pushing into softened butter. Temperature alone is not enough — wait for that feel.
6. Leave the pork wrapped and rest it in a dry cooler or a turned-off oven for at least 1 hour, up to 3. Meanwhile whisk the cider vinegar, cayenne and reserved rub together in a jar until the sugar dissolves.
7. Unwrap over a bowl to catch the juices, pull out the blade bone (it should slide free), and shred the meat with two forks. Toss with the defatted juices and about half the vinegar sauce, then pile onto buns with the rest of the sauce on the table.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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