Spice Rubs & Seasonings · Pork
Wicked Carolina Pulled Pork
Pork shoulder is forgiving, but it still rewards patience. Wicked Carolina gives the bark pepper, chile warmth, and a little vinegar-friendly snap. Use the smoker if you have one. If not, the oven and slow cooker methods below still get you tender pork worth piling on buns.
Season It Right: Pick Your Heat
Wicked Carolina Chicken & Hog Rub
+ cooking au jus after pulling
Wicked Carolina is the natural fit here: sweet, tangy, and built for pork shoulder. After shredding, toss the pork with the au jus collected during cooking so the meat stays rich and seasoned. Add more Wicked Carolina to taste until the pork lands exactly where you want it.
Wicked Carolina + Nashville Hot
2 parts Wicked Carolina, 1 part Nashville Hot
For a hotter shoulder, mix Nashville Hot into the outside coat only. The pork will mellow the heat, but the bark keeps a red-chile bite. Good for sandwiches with slaw.
Vinegar Slaw
Cabbage, cider vinegar, mayo, and a pinch of rub
Pulled pork is rich. The slaw should be bright. Keep it crunchy and acidic, then pile it right on the sandwich instead of hiding it beside the plate.
Choose Your Method
Ingredients
- 1 bone-in pork shoulder or Boston butt, 7–9 lb
- 4–5 tbsp Wicked Carolina Chicken & Hog Rub, plus more for the wrap and final pull
- 1–2 tbsp yellow mustard or neutral oil as binder
- 4–6 tbsp butter, sliced
- 2–3 tbsp brown sugar
- Buns, pickles, and slaw for serving
Instructions
- 01
Trim and score. Remove loose flaps and any thick hard fat. Score the fat cap in a shallow crosshatch so the rub can settle into the surface.
- 02
Season hard. Coat with mustard or oil, then apply Wicked Carolina on every side. Let it sit at least 1 hour, or uncovered in the fridge overnight.
- 03
Smoke to color and 160°F. Run the smoker at 250°F. Place pork fat-side up and cook until the bark is the color you want and the internal temperature is about 160°F. The bark matters here, so if the temperature is there but the color is still pale, keep smoking until it looks right.
- 04
Pan, season, and wrap. Move the pork butt into a foil pan. Add sliced butter across the top, sprinkle with brown sugar, then hit it with another layer of Wicked Carolina. Wrap the pan tightly with foil so the pork finishes in its own seasoned juices.
- 05
Finish to 195–200°F, then rest to 150°F. Continue cooking until the pork reaches 195–200°F internal and feels tender. Rest it wrapped until the internal temperature comes down to about 150°F. That rest lets the juices settle so the pork pulls clean without drying out.
- 06
Pull, add jus, and season to taste. Shred while warm. Separate the cooking liquid from the fat, then add back some of the jus, not the fat, until the pork is juicy. Add more Wicked Carolina a little at a time until the flavor lands where you want it.
Instructions
- 01
Prep the same way. Score, bind, and season with Wicked Carolina. Rest at least 1 hour.
- 02
Oven at 275°F. Place pork on a rack over a roasting pan. Roast uncovered 4–5 hours, until the bark darkens and the internal temp reaches about 165°F.
- 03
Wrap and finish. Add ½ cup apple cider or broth to the pan, wrap tightly with foil, and cook until 200–205°F and probe tender, usually 3–4 more hours. Rest, pull, and season as above.
Instructions
- 01
Season the pork heavily. Place sliced onion in the bottom of the slow cooker. Set pork on top with ½ cup apple cider vinegar or apple juice.
- 02
Cook low 8–10 hours. Pull when it shreds easily. Spread shredded pork on a sheet pan, spoon over a little cooking liquid, dust with more rub, and broil 4–6 minutes for browned edges.
This Recipe Uses
Wicked Carolina Chicken & Hog Rub
Peppery, savory, and right at home on pork shoulder.