My best Pulled Pork

Recipe video above. This takes 36 hours to make - but it's worth it. A 24-hour dry brine seasons the pork all the way through, followed by slow-roasting for 12 hours at a really low temperature. I would not tell you to roast a pork for 12 whole hours if I was not 100% sure that this produces the very best results! It really does, and the reason is simple: lower heat means less moisture loss which means more succulent meat. Plus, a great bark on the surface that everybody loves about traditional BBQ food. It’s my favourite part!

Prep time: PT15M

Cook time: PT720M

Rating

4.99 stars (52 reviews)

Keywords

pulled pork

Ingredients

4 - 5 kg / 8 - 10 lb pork butt / Boston butt / square cut pork shoulder ((skinless, bone in, fat cap on, Note 1))
1 1/2 cups beer (, any except dark beers like Guinness (Note 2))
1 cup water
6 tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp paprika powder
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tbsp onion powder
1 tbsp mustard powder
2 tsp cumin powder
2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp cayenne pepper ((can omit))
2 tbsp cooking/kosher salt* ((Note 4))
2 tsp black pepper
1 cup apple cider vinegar ((Note 5))
3 cups ketchup ((or Aussie tomato sauce))
1 cup water
3 tbsp molasses ((original, not backstrap, Note 6))
2/3 cup brown sugar
4 tsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp Tabasco ((optional spiciness))
4 tsp mustard powder
3 tsp garlic powder ((sub onion powder))
2 tsp cooking/kosher salt ((Note 4))
2 tsp black pepper

Cuisine

Southern

Steps

Dry brine overnight (Note 7) – Pat the pork dry and place in a large ceramic dish. Mix Brine ingredients in a small bowl and rub it all over the pork, being sure to get into the cracks and crevices. Turn it fat side up (smoother side) covered with as much rub as possible. Refrigerate uncovered for 24 hours.
Preheat oven to 110°C (both fan-forced and standard) / 230°F.
Prepare for roasting - Transfer pork to a roasting pan (do not wipe the rub off) with the fat side up. Discard any liquid and residual rub left in the brining dish. Pour beer and water around the pork, topping up with extra water as needed so the liquid level is 2.5 cm / 1" (insurance against pan going dry).
Slow roast 12 hours (Note 8) - Roast, uncovered, for 12 hours, or until the internal temperature reaches 95°C/203°F and the meat falls apart effortlessly using two forks. ⚠️ Make sure your oven does not automatically turn off mid cook, many have auto-off functions that kick in at 12 hours (also factor in oven pre-heating time)!
Shred – Transfer the pork to a large pan (reserve juices in roasting pan). Rest for 20 minutes then shred with tongs / forks - it will be effortless! You can discard the fat cap at this stage if you want. I leave some, it makes the shredded pork even juicier.
Sauce it - Pour 3/4 cup of the juices from the roasting pan and 1 cup of Barbecue Sauce (see below) over the pork, and toss.
Serve Pulled Pork with remaining Barbecue Sauce on the side so people can help themselves. Either make a big Southern feast with a side of cornbread, coleslaw and potato salad or macaroni salad. Or make Pulled Pork buns with soft rolls stuffed with coleslaw, Pulled Pork and the BBQ sauce!
Barbecue sauce:
- Place ingredients in a large saucepan and whisk to combine.
- Simmer 45 minutes: Bring to simmer on medium heat, then reduce to a low simmer for 45 minutes. Stir occasionally.
- Add pork juices: When the pork is cooked, add 1/2 cup of the juices from the roasting pan into the BBQ sauce and simmer for 5 minutes. Use water to control thickness – it should have a thick syrupy consistency. Serve warm or at room temperature (not fridge cold).

Nutitrion

Serving Size: 1 serving
Calories: 499 kcal
Carbohydrates: 34 g
Protein: 51 g
Fat: 16 g
Saturated Fat: 5 g
Trans Fat: 1 g
Cholesterol: 160 mg
Sodium: 1895 mg
Sugar: 28 g
Unsaturated Fat: 9 g

Reviews

Jonathan on 2026-08-03 (5 stars):
That was stupidly good! I buggered up the recipe and forgot the brown sugar on the rub until after it was on the oven. Drizzled honey over and hoped for the best. Sauce is VERY strong by itself. Goes perfect with the pork though. Christmas dinner sorted.
Narelle Smith on 2026-07-07 (5 stars):
Too late for you, but my pork butt was boneless and was magnificent!
Tiana on 2026-04-08 (5 stars):
I love this recipe, and even managed to flip a non-pork person after she ate this. I've started cooking the pork in the barbeque sauce ingredients (mixed) and top up with beer/water as needed. It makes the pork much tastier, and there is not much reduction at the end to have the right sauce consistency.
Erika on 2026-03-06 (5 stars):
Amazing! This is the second time I’ve made this recipe for my family. We all love it!
Alia on 2026-03-02 (5 stars):
Made this for a party and it was an absolute hit! The sauce is 😘👌 Thanks very much lady, keep doing what you're doing!
Margaret on 2026-02-23 (5 stars):
Flawless. Ingredients and method I have followed explicitly twice so together with your Wombok Salad, fresh rolls, and soft baked potatoes and sour cream it's the 3 generational family winner! Don't short cut on timing!
Nolene Payne on 2026-02-09 (5 stars):
Remembering Dozer with love today… I made this and it was flawless… as always♥️ A big part of me clicking the subscribe/follow button was Dozer… Nagi was an added bonus 😊🥰 Thank you for sharing your Dozer with us, Nagi …
Kathryn on 2026-01-25 (5 stars):
I was only able to get 2.5kg boneless shoulder roast. Cooked at 130°C for 7 hours. It was delicious and cooked the skin in the air fryer for perfect crackle
Susan Stevens on 2025-08-18 (5 stars):
I agree 100%. I had a pretty enormous fat cap on mine and just left it and at the end everything fell apart and I was able to just toss it out but better too much than not enough I think!
Susan Stevens on 2025-08-18 (5 stars):
I made this last week for my husband’s birthday and it was fabulous. It made a lot but we ate it all in 4 days (started with 5 kg). So juicy and flavorful!! Don’t skip the Cole slaw.
Lesley on 2025-07-08 (5 stars):
Excellent. Definitely the best pulled pork I've made and will be the only recipe I use from now on. Subbed a few ingredients that I didn't have on hand but it's the kind of recipe that is flexible. Made a delicious meal served with coleslaw and baked kumara with sour cream. Thank you!
Catalastc on 2025-06-26 (5 stars):
THE BEST !!!! Outstanding Nagi. Thank you. Another name for this Pork cut is "Collar" here in Aus (thats what my local Qld country butcher calls it). Supreme for a 12hr slow. Used a crisp apple cider instead of beer for roasting. Crust mixed in nicely during the "pulling" stage, absorbing remaining juices from dish/pan (bbq sauce not used this time). Flavour, flavour, flavour with just enough moisture to prevent drying out! Initially served for "Pulled Pork n Slaw burgers" using soft rolls.
Alyssa on 2025-05-27 (5 stars):
So worth every step and hour spent! I'm from Texas, living in Colorado, where it seems impossible to find good BBQ or BBQ adjacent things. I also don't have a smoker. I made this for a birthday celebration and holy crap was it a hit! I will be making this again for sure! Unreal how much flavor is in this meat! I made this along with your cornbread muffins, sweet and sour green beans (family recipe), and a simple salad. Perfect BBQ feast! Thank you for yet another amazing recipe that was foolproof!