Bourbon Brown Sugar Pulled Pork
On February 27, 2020 (Updated May 11, 2024)
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Bourbon Brown Sugar Pulled Pork is one of those recipes for the ages. Classic BBQ low and slow cooking combines with punchy, tongue-tingling flavors to make for a pulled pork experience unlike any other.
Brown Sugar Pulled Pork
This pulled pork is unlike any pulled pork you’ve had before. Not only is it seasoned with my amazing Signature Sweet Rub (you can buy this delivered to your door from Patio Provisions, or you can make it yourself from my Best Sweet Rub Recipe post, but it’s mopped hourly with a sweet bourbon brown sugar mop sauce.
The layers of sweet and spice in this recipe are made for the subtle/savory natural flavors in pork. It’s perfect meat harmony. I love when that happens!
Recipes like this pulled pork are the ones I come back to over and over again. They’re meant for a low and slow BBQ lifestyle, which allows me opportunities to spend time with my family. While we wait for the pork to finish smoking, I can hang out on the back deck and kick up my feet while the kids play in the yard. It’s a wonderful way to spend lazy weekends with your family or friends.
Bourbon Brown Sugar Pulled Pork
I have been so excited to share this recipe with you guys. My husband told me this was the best pulled pork I’ve ever done! It truly is so good. You can eat it as-is, drizzle some extra mop sauce on top, or make it into a tasty BBQ sandwich. If you’re wondering if it’s worth the long smoke time. Trust me. It’s worth it every time.
I kept the process for smoking my pork shoulder (AKA Boston butt) fairly simple with a heavy emphasis on the bourbon and brown sugar flavor profile. The shoulder got a healthy dose of my Best Sweet Rub before hitting the grill for a low and slow smoke bath. I used even more seasoning to enhance the bourbon and apple cider vinegar in the mop sauce (which then turned into the foiling liquid during the second phase.)
From beginning to end, I built up layers of those complementary flavors so that when it was all done and ready to pull there was that mouth-watering sensation of mmm in every single bite!
Tips for Making Brown Sugar Pulled Pork
Here are a few quick tips to keep in mind before diving into this recipe. You can also scroll down to the video in the recipe card to follow the step-by-step visual instructions for making this amazing pork.
- Invest in a good meat thermometer. When choosing an instant read thermometer, I strongly recommend the Thermapen MK4 from Thermoworks. The ideal temperature for transferring the pork to the foil pan is 165 degrees F and for ending up tender pulled pork when it is finished is between 201 and 203 degrees F. Keep an eye on your temperature and you’ll have perfect results every time!
- Save the mop sauce! Don’t dump the remaining mop sauce sitting in your disposable aluminum pan down the drain! Drizzle it over the meat for added moisture and flavor!
- Don’t forget to rest the meat. Even though you’ve been waiting quite a while to enjoy your pulled pork, make sure to allow it to rest for 30 minutes before shredding and digging in.
More Pulled Pork Recipes
Pulled pork is a must-try on the smoker. If you’ve mastered this brown sugar pulled pork, try your hand at my other awesome recipes available here on Hey Grill Hey:
Cider Brined Pulled Pork
Carolina Pulled Pork
Simple Smoked Pulled Pork
Brown Sugar Pulled Pork Recipe
Bourbon Brown Sugar Smoked Pulled Pork
Video
Ingredients
- 1 7-9 lb bone-in pork shoulder roast
- ¼ cup Hey Grill Hey Signature Sweet Rub (or your favorite BBQ seasoning)
Bourbon & Brown Sugar Mop Sauce
- 1 ½ cups bourbon
- ½ cup apple cider vinegar
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1 Tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 Tablespoon Hey Grill Hey Signature Sweet Rub
Instructions
- Fire up the smoker. Preheat your smoker to 250 degrees F, using hickory, apple, or maple for your wood smoke.
- Prep the pork and get it in the smoke. Liberally season the pork shoulder on all sides with the Sweet Rub. Place the pork on the grill grates and close the lid.
- Make the mop sauce. While the pork begins to cook, make the bourbon brown sugar mop sauce. Pour all of the ingredients for the mop sauce in a medium saucepan. Bring the mop sauce to a boil while whisking and remove from the heat. Set aside.
- Smoke the pork. Place the pork on the grill grates and close the lid. Mop the pork shoulder with the mop sauce every hour until the internal temperature of the pork reads 165 degrees F. This should take around 6-7 hours.
- Braise. Transfer the pork shoulder to a disposable aluminum pan and pour the remaining mop sauce over the top. Cover tightly with foil and return to the smoker.
- Finish cooking. Continue cooking until the internal temperature of the pork reads between 201-203 degrees F or until the thermometer probe slides into the pork like it's softened butter. This step can take anywhere from 4-6 hours, that's the fun part about BBQ, it's done when it's done.
- Rest, shred, and serve. Remove from the smoker and allow the pork to rest for at least 30 minutes before shredding, removing the bone, and separating the fat and gristly from the meat. Drizzle some additional braising liquid on the pork as desired.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
**This post was originally published May 2017. We recently updated it with more information and helpful tips. The recipe remains the same.
Hey Grill lovin your stuff ….but ive got a question on whats a good set of gloves for handling Hot meats and pulling pork like here in the video thanks Alan @ snappinback@yahoo.com
These are the gloves I like. https://amzn.to/2DKIifq
Howdy
I’m smoking three butts today for a party tomorrow
I’ll put them in a ice chest to rest tonight
How do I reheat them for lunch tomorrow
Great recipe
Can’t wait
I like to shred them and then keep them in a foil pan with their juices and you can bring back up to temperature in the oven. Another method is to shred and put in large zip top bags and then reheat in hot water.
Great recipe! Tried it last night and tasted amazing! Two questions for you. 1) I had alot more bourbon mop sauce left over in my pan than you did. Should I have drained it, or let it soak up in the meat? 2) if you refrigerate leftovers, the fat coagulats on the meat. Do you just reheat the pork instead of eating cold? Any special tips here?
Love your videos!
I’m so happy you liked this recipe! I wouldn’t worry about the extra mop sauce. To reheat the pork, I usually just leave it in a zip top bag and then submerge in some hot water so all the juices go back into the meat.
I’m cooking up a whole pig and want to know what to multiple the recipe by.
Cooking whole hogs is a very different process to cooking a single pork butt. You can still use the mop sauce, I would times that by at least 10.
The question I have is when you first start with the roast on the grated. Does it stick to the grates or do u have to do anything to prep the grates? And the what do do you do about the juices that are dripping down? Like do you put a extra pan down low to catch excess juices? Just curious. New here. Thanks.
I’ve never had an issue with the roast sticking to the grates, but if you think yours will stick you can rub your grates with some olive oil. You can place a foil pan under your grates to catch the drippings.
My Walmart doesnt have that rub
Was gonna use John henrys maple walnut. Making it sunday. Whaddya think
I say go for it!
wandering if you can smoke meat using coals from a fire and an iron kettle and if so how would I do that.
So I made this last week. Simple question: When you shred the roast, are you supposed to put it back in the sauce that you poured over it when you put it in the pan and covered it with foil? I did but was not sure.
I(t was even better reheated the next day)
I say that’s Chef’s choice whether to put it back in the juices. I usually just sprinkle with more seasonings, but do what works for you! Left overs are the best!!
this sounds good ,, where can you buy this rub ?,,,i have been doing pork shoulder ,, brisket and chicken and loin for about 15 years ,,,and this sounds real good ,,,going to have to try it ,,and your times and temps are real close to what i have been doing ,, and learned all of mine the hard way ,,,this is a good post ,, thanks ,,,,the wooff
Hey Bill, thanks for your comment. You can check out their website for the store locator to help you find where you can buy this spice. http://twistdq.com/products/seasonings/wicked-sweet-bourbon/
Can I cook this in an instant pot?
I haven’t tried this in an instant pot, in fact, I don’t even own one, so I’m not much help there. I have had others try it in slow cookers and it works great, so I would imagine you could do this in an instant pot as well. I would follow the recipe and your manufacturers instructions.