My Hybrid Pulled Pork Method

Sometimes the best kitchen methods begin with a problem.

A number of years ago, I was making pulled pork for our Fourth of July block party. I had everything ready to go when I discovered the smoker wasn’t working.

Well…there wasn’t time for Plan B. The party was the next day, so I had to make it work.

So I looked at the Weber grill and decided to improvise.

I piled the charcoal on one side of the grill, placed a pan of apple juice underneath the pork, added wood chips to the coals, and kept the top vent open over the meat. With a thermometer tucked into one of the pork shoulders, I kept the temperature around 250°F (120°C) and let the pork smoke for about three hours until it developed a beautiful bark.

After that, I transferred everything to the slow cooker, along with some of the apple juice from the grill, and cooked it on low for another eight hours.

The result was even better than I expected.

The pork was tender enough to pull apart with almost no effort. It had just the right amount of smoke, plenty of moisture, and all the flavor from the rub.

I’ve been making pulled pork this way ever since.

My Method

  1. Cut pork shoulder into large chunks.
  2. Coat lightly with olive oil.
  3. Generously season with my Everyday BBQ Rub.
  4. Wrap and refrigerate overnight if time allows.
  5. Set up the Weber for indirect cooking with charcoal on one side and a pan of apple juice under the meat.
  6. Add wood chips or chunks to the charcoal.
  7. Smoke at 250°F (120°C) for about 3 hours, until a good bark develops.
  8. Transfer the pork and some of the apple juice to a slow cooker.
  9. Cook on low for about 8 hours, or until the pork pulls apart easily.
  10. Shred and mix with the cooking juices.

What I Learned

  • Sometimes a problem in the kitchen leads to a better method than the one you originally planned.
  • Smoking first, then slow cooking, gives you the best of both worlds, a beautiful bark and tender pork.
  • Cutting the pork into large chunks creates more surface area for the rub and smoke.
  • A thermometer takes the guesswork out of maintaining the grill temperature.
  • This has become my go-to way of making pulled pork.

I Use This With

  • Pulled Pork Sandwiches
  • BBQ Pizza
  • Nachos
  • Tacos
  • Loaded Baked Potatoes
  • Mac & Cheese