Cider Brined Pulled Pork

This Smoked Cider Brined Pulled Pork is made from a pork butt that is brined in cider then smoked and slow roasted until it is perfectly tender and falls apart. The sweet flavor from the apple cider is the perfect match for the smokey pulled pork.

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The other weekend we pulled out the smoker we have and decided to tackle a new recipe. The result was this delicious Smoked Cider Brined Pulled Pork. It was amazing! The pork butt was tender and fell apart after it was smoked. So juicy and flavorful!

That sweet apple cider brine is the perfect compliment to the sweetness of the pork. Add in that smoked flavor and you have a delicious smoker recipe that you’ll be going back to over and over again.

Simply start with brine for your pork butt overnight, then smoke it the next day. It will be bursting with flavor. The perfect party food, tailgating or great for dinner and leftovers the next week! Just look at the perfect bark on that pork butt below. My mouth is watering!

Ingredients Needed

• Pork Butt or Shoulder – Both are tougher, fattier cuts of meat and benefit from a long slow cook on your smoker and either can be used in this recipe.
• Apple Cider – Grab the cider not the apple juice, it will give it more flavor.
• Sugar
• Brown Sugar
• Kosher Salt – You want it to be coarse.
• Smoked Paprika
• Onion Powder
• Black Pepper – Coarse ground works best
• Garlic Powder

Most of these ingredients are in your pantry already which makes this a great go-to recipe.

Steps to Prepare

This will help you break it down for you!

• Rub & Brine – The night before you want to smoke your pork shoulder mix up the homemade rub and brine. Pour the brine into a food safe bucket along with half the rub, mix until rub is dissolved. Put the pork in the brine, fully submerged. Refrigerate it and let it do it’s thing!
• Remove from Brine – The morning pull the pork butt or shoulder out of the brine, give it the pat down to dry it off. Rub the rest of the rub all over the pork butt.
• Start Smoking – Heat up that smoker to 225 degrees and then place the butts on the smoker. Boil down the brine and then refrigerate it. Once a hour go out to your smoker and give it a mop down with the reserved brine you boiled.
• Raise Heat – After three hours transfer the pork butts to the aluminum pan and pork reserved brine in there. Crank that smoker up to 250 degrees. Place the pork butt back on the smoker in the pan. Remember if it starts to get to brown to cover the pan with aluminum foil.
• Remove from Smoker – When the pork reaches and internal temp of 200 degrees remove from smoker, this will take about 6 hours and up to 9 hours, place on a cutting board and let rest 20 minutes. Then take your forks or bear paws to the meat and shred it!

Expert Tips!

• Place brine from bottom of pan in a measuring cup and let rest for 5-10 minutes. Skim off fat and then using remaining juice to pour over pulled pork.
• If your pork is done to soon take it off the smoker and immediately place in a cooler with some towels to keep it warm.
• If you have leftovers portion them into bags and freeze for later or store in fridge for recipes for the upcoming week. Our favorite leftover pulled pork recipes are listed below.
• Use bear paws to pull apart the meat when it’s done. They work great!
• This Wireless Meat Thermometer is awesome for monitoring the temperature as you smoke this pork butt.
• This works with either a pork butt or a pork shoulder, both are tougher, fattier cuts of meat and benefit from a long slow cook on your smoker.

Make it a Meal!

• Throw these Seasoned Potatoes on the Smoker that last hour of smoker. They will be cooking at a lower temperature than the recipe states so make sure you add onto the cook time.
• Another great side option is these delicious Smoked Potato Skins just you are get in a restaurant with that extra smoked flavor!
• Don’t miss dessert. Make an easy Smoked Strawberry Crisp while the pork is resting and you are enjoying dinner.

Leftover Pulled Pork  Recipes!

• A crispy tortilla stuffed with pulled pork and drizzled with dressing makes these Pulled Pork Taquitos with Chipotle Ranch Dressing out of this world.
• Need a comforting bowl of chili? Mix it up with this Pulled Pork Chili that’s mouthwatering.
• Pulled Pork Nachos are the perfect tailgating food, game day munchies or a fun dinner recipe!
• Grab that leftover pulled pork and turn it into Pulled Pork Enchiladas. Who says leftovers have to be boring?

Cider Brined Pulled Pork

Julie Evink

This pulled pork starts by brining a pork butt in apple juice then is smoked low and slow for perfectly tender, fall apart delicious pork.

5 from 1 vote

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Prep Time 15 mins

Cook Time 9 hrs

Brining Time 8 hrs

Total Time 9 hrs 15 mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Servings 24

Calories 259 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 8 lb pork butt
• 2 qt apple cider

Rub Ingredients

• 5 Tbsp sugar
• 5 Tbsp brown sugar
• 2 Tbsp kosher salt
• 2 Tbsp smoked paprika
• 1 Tbsp onion powder
• 1 Tbsp black pepper
• 1 Tbsp garlic powder

Instructions

 

• In a mixing bowl combine the rub ingredients. Stir until the salt and sugar have completely dissolved. Set aside.
• Pour apple cider in large container or food safe bucket. Mix in half of rub ingredients and stir until sugar and salt are completely dissolved. Place pork in bucket and make sure it is almost fully immersed. Cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours but no more then 12 hours. Cover the rest of the rub ingredients and place aside.
• After the pork butt is done brining start your smoker going at 225 degrees F and preheat with the lid closed for 10-15 minutes. I used hickory chips for my smoker. When the smoked is up to temperature removed pork from the bring and set on large cookie sheet with raised edges. DO NOT DISCARD BRINE. Pat meat dry with paper towel. Rub the rest of the rub onto your pork butt, using your hands to masage the rub across every surface of the meat.
• Place pork directly on your smoker grate, fat-side up, and cook for 3 hours. You will need to mop the pork with reserved brine every hour after the first hour.
• Pour 4-6 cups of the remaining brine into a port and bring to a boil. This will prevent cross contamination when you mop it with this mixture. Discard the rest of the brine.
• After 3 hours turn up the heat of the smoker to 250 degrees F. Transfer your roast to a large disposable aluminum foil pan and pour 2 c. of the brine liquid in the bottom of the pan. Cook an additional 6-8 hours or until an instant-red meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the meat registers 200 degrees. Make sure the thermometer does not touch bone. 
• We covered our pork after 2 hours with aluminum foil  because it was browning to much. 
• When your pork reaches 200 degrees F, remove if from the smoker and carefully transfer it to a large cutting board. Let it rest for at least 20 minutes. 
• Once it rests for 20 minutes it's time to pull apart your pork. You can use you forks, Bear Paws or your hands. Discard the bone and any extra fat including the fat cap. 
• You can use the pork juice from the bottom of the pan to moisten the pulled pork with if you'd like. 

Notes

• Place brine from bottom of pan in a measuring cup and let rest for 5-10 minutes. Skim off fat and then using remaining juice to pour over pulled pork.
• If your pork is done to soon take it off the smoker and immediately place in a cooler with some towels to keep it warm.
• If you have leftovers portion them into bags and freeze for later or store in fridge for recipes for the upcoming week. Our favorite leftover pulled pork recipes are listed below.
• Use bear paws to pull apart the meat when it's done. They work great!
• This Wireless Meat Thermometer is awesome for monitoring the temperature as you smoke this pork butt.
• This works with either a pork butt or a pork shoulder, both are tougher, fattier cuts of meat and benefit from a long slow cook on your smoker.

Nutrition

Calories: 259kcalCarbohydrates: 14gProtein: 28gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 90mgSodium: 684mgPotassium: 619mgSugar: 12gVitamin A: 285IUVitamin C: 0.7mgCalcium: 33mgIron: 2.1mg

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!