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Test Kitchen Approved

Carolina Pulled Pork

Recipe By Savory Spice Test Kitchen

Yields

6 to 8 servings

Prep Time

10 Minutes

Cooking Time

6 Hours

Recipe By Savory Spice Test Kitchen

If you don't have the gumption or the equipment to smoke a whole hog, you can still enjoy traditional Carolina pulled pork from a smoked pork shoulder.

Serving Suggestions

Serve with buns, your favorite barbecue sauce, and slaw.

Recipe Notes

*Savory Spice's 'Cue Glue seals in moisture and helps BBQ rubs stick.

Ingredients

For pork:

1 (5 to 8 lb.) pork shoulder (bone-in or boneless)




For slaw:

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup vegetable oil

2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard


1 Tbsp. honey


1/2 head green cabbage, thinly sliced

1 cup grated carrot

1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced

Savory Spice ingredients in this recipe

  • 'Cue Glue

    'Cue Glue is a meat binder that's exclusive to Savory Spice. This "BBQ glue" helps stick your spices & seasonings to your grilled meats. As a b...

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  • Salt & Pepper Tableside Seasoning

    Salt & Pepper Tableside Seasoning may seem like an obvious, simple one to always have on hand – but this salt and pepper mix is a Savory Spice ...

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  • Carolina High Country BBQ Rub

    North Carolina has a prominent place in American barbeque history; many historians credit the state as the possible birthplace of barbeque. Known m...

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  • Pickling Spice

    Our Pickling Spice blend includes classic pickling spice ingredients like peppercorns, mustard seeds, dill, coriander, chiles, and cracked bay leav...

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  • Mayan Sea Salt

    Mayan Sea Salt has a clean appearance and flavor but is also an interesting tie to the ancient Mayan way of life. This sea salt was harvested off t...

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Directions

For pork: Slather shoulder on all sides with 'Cue Glue. Rub shoulder generously with Salt & Pepper Tableside Seasoning and Carolina High Country BBQ Rub to coat. Set rubbed shoulder aside while you get the smoker ready.

Use the 3-2-1 method to smoke-roast-grill the shoulder:

  • 3 hours in the smoker: Get smoker set up with wood of choice and heat to 250 to 275 degrees. Set shoulder in smoker and maintain temperature range while shoulder smokes for 3 hours.
  • 2 hours in the oven: Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Wrap shoulder in aluminum foil and add apple cider vinegar to the wrap. Set foil packet on a baking sheet and roast shoulder for 2 hours.
  • 1 hour on the grill: About 30 min. before removing shoulder from oven, heat grill to 300 degrees, keeping heat all to one side. Remove shoulder from oven and remove the foil wrap. Place shoulder on grill on the opposite side of the heat. Close lid and check temperature every 15 min. or so, basting or saucing if desired each time you check. Shoulder is done when internal temperature reaches 200 degrees, which takes about an hour. Let rest for 15 to 20 min. before shredding with 2 forks.

For slaw: In a medium pot, combine apple cider vinegar, sugar, vegetable oil, Dijon mustard, Pickling Spice, honey, and Mayan Sea Salt. Bring to a boil, and whisk to dissove sugar and salt. Once dissolved, strain liquid and set aside. In a large bowl, combine cabbage, carrot, and red bell pepper. Coat with vinegar mixture and toss until well combined.