South Carolina barbecue is known for its smoked whole hogs served with a mustard based barbecue sauce. You too can cook tender, succulent pulled pork in your backyard, along with their matching mustard-based BBQ sauce – we think it’s a terrific pairing!
Set up your barbecue for indirect cooking over very low heat (100°C to 130°C) with Hickory smoking wood chunks.
Trim the pork shoulder of excess fat (see tip 1). In a small bowl combine the rub ingredients. Lightly coat the pork with the American mustard, rubbing it all over. Generously sprinkle the rub over the pork shoulder. Add the apple cider vinegar to a spray bottle.
Related Grill Skills
Trimming Bone-In Pork Shoulder (Pork Butt/ Boston Butt)
Once the barbecue has preheated, and is smoking, add your pork shoulder to the barbecue. Cook over indirect very low heat for 6 to 7 hours, or until a dark crust (aka bark) has formed, spritzing the pork with apple cider vinegar (in the spray bottle) every hour after the first three hours (see tip 2).
Once the barbecue has preheated, and is smoking, add your pork shoulder to the barbecue. Cook over very low heat for 6 to 7 hours, or until a dark crust (aka bark) has formed, spritzing the pork with apple cider vinegar (in the spray bottle) every hour after the first three hours (see tip 2).
After 6 to 7 hours the dark crust should have formed and the internal temperature will approximately be 77°C; wrap the pork shoulder tightly in aluminium foil. Lay two large strips of heavy-duty foil on a bench, overlapping in the centre. Place the pork at one end in the centre of the overlapping section, give it a generous spritz of the apple cider vinegar. Fold the short end of foil over and continue to tightly roll and tuck the foil in as needed, it needs to be airtight.
Return the pork to the barbecue and continue to cook it in the foil over indirect very low heat for a further 2 to 3 hours or until the internal temperature reaches between 93°C and 95°C.
Return the pork to the barbecue and continue to cook it in the foil over very low heat for a further 2 to 3 hours or until the internal temperature reaches between 93°C and 95°C.
Remove the pork from the barbecue and leave to rest in the foil, in an insulated cooler or warm place for 1 to 2 hours.
Shred the pork with two forks and serve with the warmed Carolina Mustard BBQ Sauce.
Tips
1. For instructions on how to trim pork shoulder, visit: Grill Skills>Mastering Pork> Roasts> Trimming Bone-In Pork Shoulder
2. Spritzing your pork shoulder with apple cider vinegar will help prevent the edges from drying out. It will also add to the overall tenderness and flavour of the pork.
