Pulled Pork Plate
intro
Tender, smoky slow-cooked pulled pork paired with tangy coleslaw and buttery cornbread, slathered in classic BBQ sauce for a hearty, crowd-favorite meal.
Ingredients
Steps
Mix the dry rub
Pat the 1800g bone-in pork shoulder completely dry with paper towels. In a small bowl, combine 3 tablespoons light brown sugar, 2 tablespoons smoked paprika, 1 tablespoon kosher salt, 1 tablespoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1 teaspoon ground black pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper. Stir until fully blended, then rub the entire surface of the pork evenly with the spice mix, pressing gently to ensure it adheres. Let the seasoned pork rest at room temperature for 45 minutes before cooking.
Slow cook the pork
Preheat your smoker or conventional oven to 120°C (250°F). Place the seasoned pork shoulder fat-side up on the smoker rack, or on a wire rack set inside a heavy roasting pan for oven cooking. Pour 120ml apple cider vinegar and 240ml unsweetened apple juice into the drip pan below the pork to maintain a moist cooking environment. Cook for 7 hours, holding a steady 120°C temperature, until the pork reaches an internal temperature of 92°C (198°F) when measured with a meat thermometer in the thickest section, away from the bone.
Rest the hot pork
Once the pork hits the target internal temperature, use heat-resistant tongs to carefully transfer it to a clean cutting board. Loosely tent the meat with a sheet of aluminum foil to trap residual heat, and let it rest for 45 minutes. This rest allows muscle fibers to relax and juices to redistribute, preventing dry pork when shredded.
Shred the tender pork
After resting, peel off and discard the thick top fat cap and any tough, rubbery connective tissue from the pork. Use two clean dinner forks to pull the meat apart into thin, bite-sized shreds, picking out and discarding any small bone fragments as you work. Toss the shredded pork with 120ml (1/2 cup) of BBQ sauce to coat evenly, then keep it warm in a covered ceramic dish until serving.
Make tangy coleslaw
While the pork rests, prepare the coleslaw side: in a large mixing bowl, whisk together 80ml full-fat mayonnaise, 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar, 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt until completely smooth. Add 450g shredded green cabbage and 100g shredded carrot to the bowl, and toss until all vegetables are evenly coated in the creamy dressing. Chill the slaw in the refrigerator for 30 minutes before serving to let flavors meld.
Assemble the plates
Divide the sauced pulled pork evenly across 4 rustic ceramic plates, adding a 120g (1/2 cup) scoop of chilled coleslaw and one 100g cornbread wedge to each plate. Drizzle the remaining 120ml BBQ sauce over the top of the pulled pork, or serve it on the side for dipping. Serve immediately while the pork is warm and the cornbread is soft.
Tips
2.If you do not own a smoker, stir 1 teaspoon of high-quality liquid smoke into the apple juice and vinegar drip pan mixture to replicate classic smoky flavor in a standard home oven.
3.For deeper, more developed flavor, apply the dry rub to the pork, cover it, and refrigerate it for 8–12 hours overnight before cooking; just be sure to let it sit at room temperature for 45 minutes before placing it in the smoker or oven to ensure even cooking.
OMG y’all, this pulled pork was an absolute game changer for our Sunday family dinner! I cooked it low and slow per the directions, and the meat was so tender it practically fell apart when I pulled it. My husband said it’s better than the BBQ joint we drive 45 minutes to, and my kids begged for seconds before they even finished their first serving. 10/10 will be making this for our next neighborhood potluck too!
Really solid pulled pork recipe! I prepped a big batch Sunday for meal prep for the week, and it held up perfectly for lunch every day. Only reason it’s not 5 stars is I wish the cook time note was a little clearer about when to wrap the pork in foil— I fumbled that step the first hour, but it still turned out SO good. Will absolutely make again.
I was SO nervous to make pulled pork for the first time ever because I’ve always heard it’s super finicky, but this recipe walked me through every single step! The dry rub ratio is chef’s kiss, I didn’t even need to add extra sauce at the end. My roommates thought I ordered takeout, no joke. Already texted the link to my dad for his next cookout.
Brought this pulled pork to my office potluck yesterday and it was GONE in 20 minutes flat. People were lining up to ask me for the recipe before they even took a bite! I served it on soft Hawaiian rolls with a side of coleslaw, just like the recipe suggests, and it was chef’s kiss. Zero leftovers, zero complaints.
Pretty solid classic pulled pork, but I had to bump the cook temp up 25 degrees at the 6 hour mark because my pork shoulder was still sitting at 160 internal and wouldn’t budge through the stall. Ended with a great smoke ring, nice bark, and the family ate it up, but if you have a smaller offset smoker like mine, just keep an eye on that temp! Also, the rub could use a touch more paprika for my taste.
I know the recipe suggests serving with coleslaw and I was fully prepared to skip that because I HATE coleslaw, but I decided to try the quick vinegar slaw recipe linked here on a whim and??? It paired so perfectly with the rich, smoky pork I went back for a second helping of slaw too. Who even am I? This recipe converted me, no cap.
Made this for my Bills watch party last weekend and even when we lost in overtime, everyone was saying the pulled pork made the whole day worth it. Made a half batch thinking 8 people would be enough, should’ve made double—people were scraping the bottom of the crockpot by the third quarter. 10/10, will double the recipe next time for sure.
So happy this recipe is naturally gluten free as written! I’ve been burned by so many pulled pork recipes that sneak in soy sauce or wheat-based thickeners in the sauce, but this one uses all simple, GF ingredients. Served it over baked potatoes for my gluten free crew and everyone raved. No weird aftertaste, just perfect classic Southern flavor.
Wait a second— I misread the total cook time before I put my pork shoulder on this morning! It’s been going for 2 hours now, and I have people coming over in 6 hours, which means I’m short on the 8.5 hours the recipe calls for. Is there any way to speed this up without totally ruining it? I was so excited for this, I really don’t want to run to the store for backup food.
Just finished pulling the last of this pork out of the slow cooker and had to immediately leave a review. The smell has been wafting through my house all day, I’ve been salivating since hour 3. The first bite was so juicy, perfectly seasoned, I can already tell the leftover pulled pork nachos I’m making tomorrow are going to change my life. This is going into my permanent recipe rotation, no question.
As someone who grew up eating my grandma’s pulled pork at every family reunion in middle Georgia, I’m super picky about my Southern pulled pork. Let me tell you—this recipe is the real deal. The balance of sweet, smoky, and tangy is exactly what I remember from childhood, and it didn’t require any fancy equipment to pull off. My grandma even asked for the recipe, which is the highest possible compliment I can give.
Made this for my partner who is a diehard pulled pork fan, and he loved it! I even made a little jackfruit portion for myself with the same rub and sauce, and the seasoning was so good I didn’t feel like I was missing out at all. Only heads up is if you’re using a bone-in shoulder, it might take an extra 30-45 minutes to hit that 205 internal temp, so plan accordingly. Otherwise, perfect!