Our friends (and former neighbors) who were transferred to Florida, were back in town for a visit so we had a cookout on Sunday to celebrate. We got the old neighborhood gang back together for some good food and plenty of drinks. I was tasked with making the meat and needed something for 16 adults and 4 kids so settled on pulled pork and brisket.
Good thing about these – both can be made ahead!! The party was at 3 o’clock so not enough time to cook the day of.
Friday was pulled pork day and here is how I did it:
Get yourself some nice bone-on pork shoulders. Normally I would cook an 8-10 pounder, but Whole Foods only had two 4 1/2 chunks. Next you need a good rub.
- 2 T brown sugar
- 1 T chili powder
- 1 T paprika
- 1 T onion powder
- 1 t salt
- 1 t pepper
- 1 t dry mustard
- 1/4 t cayenne pepper
Rub mix on all sides of the pork shoulder. Time to get the grill going. You want to get to a temp of 225 degrees and smoke the pork for 3 hours, fat side up. Spray with apple juice every hour after the first hour.
Transfer the pork to a disposable foil pan, add 2 cups of apple juice.
Cover with foil and put back on the grill. Cook for another 5-6 hours, until the internal temp is 195 degrees in the thickest part of the shoulder, not touching bone. Pull off grill and let rest 30 minutes.
Pull the pork – At this point the meat is very tender and comes apart easily. Once I pulled the pork I drained the liquid, added a little more rub, drained some of the liquid and covered tightly. Place in the frig (can be done 3-4 days ahead) and wait for the party.
On Sunday I fired up the grill to 225 degrees and reheated the pork for about an hour. Serve with BBQ sauce and all the fixings! I also made coffee rubbed brisket for the party and reheated it along side the pork. Making these ahead of time was a great way to enjoy the day of the party, without stressing about getting the food done on time. Enjoy!!