Apple Cider Smoked Pulled Pork
Slow roasted smokey pork loaded with hints of sweet apple. I recommend, apple, hickory, or pecan wood chips/pellets.
Servings people
Ingredients
- 7-9 lb bone-in pork butt/shoulder roast
Rub
- 4 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- ½ tablespoon pepper
- 1 ½ tablespoons smoked paprika
- 2 teaspoons dry mustard
- 1 tablespoon coriander
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
Spray
- ½ cup apple cider
- ½ cup apple cider vinegar
Braising
- 2 cups apple cider
- 3-4 sweet crisp red apples peeled and sliced
- 2 onions sliced
Sauce
- 1 cup ketchup
- ½ cup apple jelly
- ¼ cup apple cider
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon liquid smoke
- ½ tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- 1 cup pan juices from roast fat separated
Instructions
Cure
- Pat roast dry. Combine all rub ingredients and pat on all sides of roast, rubbing in well. Cover roast and let sit overnight in the fridge.
Smoke
- Don't have a smoker? See the notes section for other ideas. You can also start this recipe in the smoker, and finish it with another method.
- When ready to cook, preheat smoker to 225 degrees and smoke roast directly on grill for 5 hours. While cooking, combine spray ingredients in a clean spray bottle and spritz roast all over once every hour.
- While roast is smoking, combine all sauce ingredients and whisk together in a pan. Set aside until pan juices are ready.
- After smoking, transfer your roast to either your slow cooker (if it will fit, remember you have more stuff going in there!) or a roasting pan, or disposable roasting pan (if you'll continue cooking on the smoker).
Finish Cooking by Method of Choice
- Place apples, onions, and 2 cups apple cider around the roast in the roasting pan or slow cooker. Cover with lid, or tightly with foil, then follow corresponding instructions below.
Smoker:
- In the smoker, you can increase temperature to 275°F. Cook until internal temperature reaches 200-210°, usually about 6-7 hours.
Oven:
- If you are finishing in the oven, set temperature to 275℉. Cook until internal temperature reaches 200°-210°F.
Slow Cooker:
- Cook in slow cooker on high for 6-7 hours (or low for more like 8-10 if you want/need to drag it out, overnight for example.)
- Let pork rest, covered for at least 15 minutes (longer is just fine) before discarding bones, separating fat, etc.
Finish
- Pour pan juices into a fat separator. Pour 1 cup of juices into your BBQ sauce and bring to a simmer. Simmer for about 15 minutes until slightly thickened.
- Pour a little of the remaining juices over shredded pork. Use a slotted spoon to grab the onions and apples and mix them in with the pork. Serve alone or on rolls or over rice.
Notes
- If you don't have a smoker, you can cook the entire recipe in the oven. Simply discard the smoking step and instead rub the roast with the spices, sear in a pan, and then place directly in a roasting pan or slow cooker with cider, apples and onions and cook until internal temperature reaches 200-210. (I would plan on 8-10 hours) To add the smoky flavor, add 1 tablespoon liquid smoke with the cooking liquid.
- You could also easily use a smaller, boneless pork shoulder roast, which cooks much faster, simply use as much of the rub as you need, you'll have extra.'
- Portion sizes: with pork, you lose volume from the roast with the fat and the bones, so if I’m estimating size, I usually go for 1lb per person.
- This recipe freezes very well.
- Use any leftovers on nachos, pizzas, and more.
Nutrition
Calories: 293kcal, Carbohydrates: 72g, Protein: 2g, Fat: 1g, Saturated Fat: 0.2g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.5g, Monounsaturated Fat: 0.4g, Sodium: 1596mg, Potassium: 557mg, Fiber: 6g, Sugar: 52g, Vitamin A: 1616IU, Vitamin C: 13mg, Calcium: 70mg, Iron: 2mg
Calories: 293kcal
Cost: $12
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