Slow-Smoked Whole Hog Pulled Pork with Classic Texas BBQ Rub
A whole hog shoulder slow-smoked over wood with a classic Texas-style dry rub, pulled and served with rich BBQ sauce. This American-inspired barbecue recipe, ready in about 750 minutes, pairs pork shoulder, kosher salt, black pepper for a weeknight-friendly dinner that comes together with one pan and minimal cleanup. Each serving lands at about 650 calories and feeds 10, so it slots cleanly into a weekly meal plan and pairs well with a quick salad or grain on the side. Tap "Plan a meal with the AI" below to drop this recipe into your week and send the ingredients straight to Instacart. Nutrition values are approximate, calculated from USDA FoodData Central (fdc.nal.usda.gov) — verify against ingredient labels for any health-driven dietary plan.
Ingredients
- 6 lbs whole hog shoulder pork shoulder
- 3 tbsp kosher salt
- 2 tbsp black pepper
- 2 tbsp paprika
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp onion powder
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 2 cups Dickey’s style BBQ sauce
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Equipment for this recipe
Tools this recipe's steps call for, with a link to each on Amazon.
Instructions
- Step 1: Combine 3 tbsp kosher salt, 2 tbsp black pepper, 2 tbsp paprika, 1 tbsp garlic powder, 1 tbsp onion powder, 1 tsp cayenne pepper, and 2 tbsp brown sugar in a bowl to create a dry rub. Pat 6 lbs pork shoulder dry and rub the spice blend evenly all over, covering every surface.
- Step 2: Preheat smoker to 225°F using hardwood like oak or hickory. Place the pork shoulder fat side up in the smoker and smoke for 10-12 hours, until internal temperature reaches 203°F and meat is tender enough to pull easily.
- Step 3: Remove the pork shoulder and wrap in foil. Let rest for 1 hour. Using two forks, pull the pork into shreds and mix with 2 cups Dickey’s style BBQ sauce until well coated. Serve on buns or plates with extra sauce on the side.







