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Big Daddy's Smoked Pulled Pork

This is the pulled pork recipe that ends the debate. Big Daddy's Smoked Pulled Pork is a true low-and-slow pit masterpiece — a bone-in pork shoulder (Boston butt) blanketed in a bold, crackling bark of smoked paprika, brown sugar, black pepper, and a kiss of cayenne, then coaxed into submission over 10 to 14 hours of hickory or apple wood smoke. No shortcuts. No rotisserie. Just primal, unapologetic BBQ the way it was meant to be made. The payoff? Impossibly tender, fall-apart pork with a deep mahogany crust and smoke rings that go all the way down. Piled on a brioche bun, loaded into tacos, or eaten straight off the cutting board with your hands — however you serve it, this is the recipe that gets people talking. Make it once and it becomes a ritual.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 12 hours
Servings: 8
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

--- Dry Rub ---
  • - 2 tbsp brown sugar
  • - 2 tbsp smoked paprika
  • - 1 tbsp kosher salt
  • - 1 tbsp coarsely ground black pepper
  • - 1 tsp garlic powder
  • - 1 tsp onion powder
  • - 1 tsp dry mustard powder
  • - ½ tsp cayenne pepper
--- Spritz ---
  • - ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
  • - ¼ cup water

Method
 

MAKE THE DRY RUB
  1. Combine the brown sugar, smoked paprika, kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, dry mustard powder, and cayenne in a small bowl. Mix well until evenly combined.
SEASON THE PORK
  1. Pat the pork shoulder completely dry with paper towels. Coat every surface generously with the dry rub, pressing it firmly into the meat so it adheres. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 8 hours, or overnight for best results.
PREP THE SMOKER
  1. Remove the pork from the fridge 1 hour before cooking to take the chill off. Set up your smoker for indirect heat and preheat to 107°C (225°F). Add your wood — hickory gives bold, classic BBQ flavor; apple or cherry offers a sweeter, milder smoke. Mix them for complexity.
SMOKE THE PORK
  1. Place the pork shoulder fat-side up on the smoker grate. Mix the apple cider vinegar and water in a spray bottle. Smoke at 107–120°C (225–250°F), leaving it undisturbed for the first 3 hours to build bark. After that, spritz the pork every 90 minutes. Continue until the internal temperature reaches 74°C (165°F). This stage takes approximately 5–7 hours.
WRAP AND PUSH THROUGH THE STALL
  1. Once the pork hits 74°C (165°F), wrap it tightly in two layers of butcher paper (or foil for a softer bark). Return to the smoker and continue cooking until the internal temperature reaches 93–96°C (200–205°F) and a probe slides into the thickest part with zero resistance — like pushing into warm butter. This stage takes approximately 2–4 more hours.
REST
  1. Remove the wrapped pork from the smoker. Place it in an empty cooler (or a low oven at 65°C/150°F) and let it rest, undisturbed, for at least 1 hour. This step is non-negotiable — it's what makes the pork juicy and pull-ready.
PULL AND SERVE
  1. Unwrap the pork over a large rimmed pan to catch all the juices. Remove the bone and any large fat pieces. Using two forks or your hands (with heat-proof gloves), pull the meat into long, rustic shreds. Pour the collected juices back over the pulled pork, toss to coat, and serve immediately.