This dish requires a little patience, but it comes with a big payoff. Apple Cider Pulled Pork is not for the faint of heart; you need to be ready to devote serious time into making it. If you are willing to put in the time though? Trust us, you’ve never experienced pulled pork like this before. Nothing compares to its deeply savory and succulent flavor, nor its melt-in-your-mouth texture. The rich crisp apple flavor permeates the meat, adding a new dimension to the flavor. You can place it on buns and serve it with barbeque sauce; but in all honesty, you might just find yourself eating Apple Cider Pulled Pork all on its own with just a fork (or even a spoon)!
Ingredients
- 1 (9 1/2-pound) pork shoulder butt, bone-in
- garlic salt, to taste
- pepper, to taste
- 1 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 cup apple cider
- barbeque sauce, optional, to taste, store-bought or homemade, for serving
Directions
Step 1 –Preheat the smoker to 250 degrees F.
Step 2 –Score the pork with a sharp knife, taking care to cut diagonally on the fat.
Step 3 –Season the pork with the garlic salt and the pepper and allow the pork to rest for 15 minutes.
Step 4 –In a small mixing bowl, add the apple cider vinegar and the apple cider and whisk to combine.
Step 5 –Transfer the apple mixture into a spray bottle.
Step 6 –Place the prepared pork, fat-side up, onto the grill of the smoker.
Step 7 –Close the smoker’s lid and allow the pork to cook, untouched, for 2 hours.
Step 8 –Continue to cook the pork in the smoker while spraying the pork with the apple mixture every 30 minutes until the meat reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F, about 4 hours.
Step 9 –Wrap the pork, fat-side up, in aluminum foil or butcher paper.
Step 10 –Return the wrapped pork to the smoker and cook until it reaches an internal temperature of 205 degrees F, about 3 hours.
Step 11 –Transfer the pork to an oven (turned off) for 1 hour.
Step 12 –Unwrap the meat and remove and discard the bone.
Step 13 –Shred the pork.
Step 14 –Mix the shredded pork with the remaining apple cider mixture from the spray bottle.
Step 15 –Serve the pork with the barbeque sauce.
